

But taking apart the structure and delving into just how much you can tamper with the game reveals a surprise level of brilliance that was lost on me at first, even though it's something I have lots of opinions about in other games. That's like the mug cake of indie game popularity. I mean, yes, it's going to attract a cult following because it mixes Cute and Gory. It took three playthroughs, some game guides, and watching someone else's let's play before I really landed on what hits me most about this game. And as someone who plays visual novels for fun, works on visual novels for a living, and writes for a living, there are multiple angles to it that grab my attention. Not because I dislike what I wrote before, but because the deeper I delve into Doki Doki Literature Club, the more I find fascinating about it. I have written and rewritten this article approximately five times at this point. If you want to approach it unspoiled, please do not read on. Note: This article is spoiler-full, both for the sake of discussion and as a warning to those who might be affected by the game's more "unexpected" elements.
