Datings sims are part of a niche genre, yet they're surprisingly popular online. Popularized in Japan, the games have been shedding their formulaic approaches over recent years to try out something new.

If you're looking for a dating sim that feels legitimately new, you may want to try out Doki Doki Literature Club. Whether this much-hyped game works as a dating sim, though, is up to to the individual player.

Looks cute, but something's not quite right

It's really hard to talk about the concept of Doki Doki Literature Club in a review because doing so absolutely destroys something that makes the game special. Perhaps it suffices to say that this game is as much about dating sims as it is about the plot of the game, and it's going to make you stop and take a deeper look at how these games work.

Be warned, though - this isn't the cute game that it appears to be

This is one of those games that's all about the big concept, and you're going to end up loving or hating it based on that. Be warned, though - this isn't the cute game that it appears to be. The game is upfront about the fact that a twist is coming, but you are still going to be surprised when that twist arrives.

Some people find the game profoundly disturbing, while others find it to be a deep exploration of a very specific type of mental illness. Regardless of where you land, you have to admit that this game is a lot more than it seems to be.

Cute characters and beautiful backgrounds

One of the things that make Doki Doki Literature Club work is that it looks a lot like every other dating sims out there. The character designs are sufficiently cute, the backgrounds are as detailed and static as you would expect, and virtually everything has the trappings that you would want from this type of game.

all of this is just there to lure you into a false sense of safety

It's important to remember that all of this is just there to lure you into a false sense of safety. The audio is just another weapon in the arsenal used against players. It's generic almost to a fault, but that's the point - you are supposed to be lulled into a false sense of security by this music.

It's a clever bit of work done by the game's developers to sell you on a universe that's not nearly what you think it's going to be when you first start the game.

Basically a visual novel

There isn't much gameplay here. Doki Doki Literature Club is more or less a visual novel, so you're basically making a few choices. The most gameplay-like things are hidden behind the spoiler, but even these can be skipped.

It's more than possible to 'beat' this game in under a minute by simply holding down a button. So don't expect too much from how the game is played. This is a game that's more about the experience than what you do.

More of an experience

Doki Doki Literature Club is more of an experience than a game. If you want to try out something that feels truly subversive, it's worth your time to give this game a try. You aren't going to play it more than once, but it's free, and you should definitely give it a shot.

If you want to turn the dating sim genre on its head by looking under the hood, then this is the game you have been waiting for.