Combining adorable art, visually novel gameplay and a disturbing twist, Doki Doki Literature Club has captivated countless PC gamers since its first release in 2017. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus saw the game’s launch on modern consoles, as well as new content that expanded the game’s story.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus puts the player in the role of a high school student who is tricked into joining the literature club by his childhood friend Sayori. The game is heavily inspired by visual novel dating games and follows the same general convention, with the story told entirely in text. The game does not include voiceovers, so players should do a lot of reading. The player character chooses to stay at the club after becoming smitten with its extra members Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika, and from then on, the game embarks on a fairly generic visual novel dating game routine – at least, at first – with the player trying to woo one of them girl.
This process is done through one of the few methods Doki Doki Literature Club Plus players have to interact directly with the game : writing poetry. At the end of each day, players have the opportunity to compose a “poem” for the club, containing various words related to the girls in the group. While it’s a simple minigame, it’s also one of the first hints that the game has some interesting revelations hidden. Early players may find themselves scratching their heads trying to decide which terms appeal to which character, since the answer isn’t as obvious as it first seems.
Most of you who have heard of Doki Doki Literature Club probably know that there is much more hidden beneath the surface of the game’s story than initially revealed. As the trigger warning included with Doki Doki Literature Club Plus suggests, the game contains graphic images and shocking scenes that one would expect to find more in line with a horror game with visual novel elements such as Corpse Party, not the jovial dating game that first appears to be.
Unlike the original, players can now find out what they can expect in the aforementioned warning. It’s entirely optional, so players can jump right in without any spoilers, but those who might have some sensitivities can also be forewarned of what to expect in this unsettling game. Players can choose to simply read general content warnings or be alerted before any major alert moments.
For vanilla players, it’s important to note that the core campaign is essentially the same. However, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus adds a ton of extra content to extend play time. Multiple side story campaigns can be unlocked as players progress through the various routes of the main campaign, which detail the stories of club members prior to the events of the base game. Players who want to know more about the club members or want to have a chance to learn about them before certain events unfold can get it here.
Doki Doki Literature Club The world of lore has also been a major topic of discussion among fans of the game, and DDLC Plus doesn’t disappoint here. Players will find many cryptic details to dissect that didn’t exist in the original version, while others may raise new questions about the nature of the game world.
This indie game also includes a number of extras that can be unlocked, such as an art gallery and music playlist. Both include new content not found in the original game. While players were initially rewarded for completing every possible route in the game, there is now more incentive to do so.
Since Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is not a graphically demanding game, it runs very smoothly on the Nintendo Switch. DDLC Plus’ visuals have been upgraded to 1080p, and on-screen illustrations are crisp and vibrant. Unfortunately, the text the game relies on so heavily is rather small, especially when playing in handheld mode, and there’s no option to change the size or color. While this is somewhat understandable given the importance of visuals in the game, it may present some difficulties for players who have difficulty reading small text.
Doki Doki Literature Club is one of the most famous psychological horror games in recent history, and the Plus version adds enough new content to refresh the experience of veteran players who have experienced the original. Meanwhile, players who have never tried a Team Salvato original game will get the most complete experience to date from Doki Doki Literature Club Plus.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. For the purposes of this review, the Nintendo Switchcode was provided to Game Rant.