This article originally ran under a different banner/website in July of 2018 and is now being here re-uploaded for purposes of convenience and consolidation. Please enjoy.
Author’s note: This article does talk about subjects of depression, suicide, self-harm and abuse. If at any point in the article you experience thoughts of self harm or suicide, please stop reading the article and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!! I HAVE BEEN HEARING THE WHISPERING ON THE STREETS. I HAVE HEARD THE RUMOR MILL TURNING AND I AM GREATLY OFFENDED. HOW DARE ANYONE ENTERTAIN THE NOTION THAT I, THE VIDEO GAME DOOMSAYER, DOES NOT ACTUALLY LIKE VIDEO GAMES. LIES AND HERESY!!! MY ANGER IS NOT OF RAGE, BUT FRUSTRATION. I see so much potential and in games like Double Kick Heroes and Just Shapes and Beats, to see them make foolish mistakes that ruin the experience leaves me disappointed. I do not tear these games apart due to malice, but in the hope that someone can learn from their mistakes. I will concede the argument that I should point out more games that get it right. That is why I stand before you to talk about Doki Doki Literature Club. Normally I stay clear of visual novels, but what drew me to this game was the murmuring that this game was much more than what it appears. With the flood of visual novels, one must do something truly special to raise from the seas of mediocrity. On top of that, the game opens with a warning saying the game is not for the mentally unsound. Could this game contain the psychological horror I long for? I had to know more.
The story revolves around a high school and you joining the literature club. There you meet the four other female members of the club and spend time getting to know them. You can “get to know” a chosen member by crafting a poem from an assortment of words that the girls favor. Want to romance the shy girl? Choose mysterious words. Want to romance the “cute” girl? Choose words one could consider adorable. It soon became a puzzle to figure out which words get you closer to a specific girl. Similar, in some sense, to other visual novels of course, but the act of writing poems for a literature club, felt more unique than picking gifts or the right pick up lines. Very minimal gameplay, but enough to keep me engaged to get invested in the girls.
The investment was well worth the wait, the longer the game went on the deeper the descent into madness. You learn most of the girls have some serious mental issues including depression and the tendency to inflict self harm. Then soon the game evolves from trying to romance the girls into trying the keep the girls alive from a deep seeded evil lurking beneath the game. All and all a great five hour experience, that I don’t wish to spoil. Along with being a free game that only requires a few hours, I believe everyone should give this game a try because it tells a story only a video game could tell.
As many of you know, I choose to champion games that tell stories only video games can tell. While the dramatic descent into madness in Doki Doki Literature Club’s climax and conclusion can only be told through the medium of games. The final act could not be experienced as a book, tv show or movie. Only a game. Much like Bioshock, games like these stand out to me as reasons why our medium should exist as an interactive story. The marriage of story and gameplay create worlds, and more in this case, characters that feel alive and breathing. Maybe even to the point where it seems like they are aware of this existence.
BUT WHY DOOMSAYER!!! Why does this story not work as a book or movie? To ask me that my child is too ask me to spoil the entire experience. I am sure you have noticed skirting around the plot line other than you are a high school boy surrounded by girls. I do it, because I believe almost everyone should give Doki Doki Literature Club a try. With so much medium buying for so many hours of our attention, this compact experience is one you will struggle to forgot, while only costing you a fraction of your time. With so many games turning into online treadmills design to keep you constantly logging in, I fear small short everlasting experiences will be lost to time. While I don’t see publishers seeing value in this game, maybe this game could inspire some creativity in others, including you. Make you think outside the box. Give you the inspiration to do something creative in your life. Maybe inspire other great stories. Or maybe Doki Doki Literature Club will just drive you mad. The outcome is uncertain, but what do you have to lose.
Now I would like to take this opportunity to step down from my soapbox and discuss the controversy behind Doki Doki Literature Club. For those who had not heard, a couple of weeks ago, 15-year-old Ben Walmsley took his own life. Walmsley’s father described Ben as a huge fan of the psychological horror visual novels, saying he would often find Ben doodling some of the characters. He also made some claims the game sent him text messages in the middle of the night. As someone who has played the game, I can say Doki Doki Literature Club does not do that, but there might be unofficial fan made app that could do that. While it is easy to write off Ben’s dad as someone who clearly doesn’t understand and is just look to point the blame, I think this is prime opportunity to discuss suicide in our medium.
Now with suicide being a rising epidemic, I don’t feel like we should be censoring any story involving suicide. That would be sweeping the issue under the rug. Stories like Doki Doki Literature Club, remind us the mental health issue is a real issue that we should sit down and discuss. If there is a potential that Doki Doki Literature Club or any other medium that discusses suicide could help someone who needs assistance with their mental health, I think it justify its existence. However, we as artists, need to do more to make sure people who are vulnerable to suicidal tendencies are given a multitude of warnings before engaging with our art.
At the start of the game, a message is presented a warning that players that suffer from depression or anxiety may not have a safe experience playing Doki Doki Literature Club. Frankly, I don’t think this warning is enough. The warning does contain a link that will take you to a site that goes into more details about the game’s theme and trusted that players concerned for their mental health, would make the decision to not play Doki Doki Literature Club. I don’t think this is enough. I will concede the idea that this might be the one flaw with the game. Maybe this might be a bit much, but I would have liked to seen a video from the developer say their game contains themes that could disturb someone’s mental health. If at any moment you have anxiety or suicidal thoughts, please put down the game and call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If not a video in the beginning of the game, maybe a video in that link. It is our responsibility as artists, to inform our audience where they can seek help if we choose to engage in these topics. Our art can have an effect on our audience is power we that cannot abuse. If we want to engage in some serious topics, we should handle them with appropriate care. With that in mind, if you are experience thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The number will be included below.
1-800-273-8255