The indie visual novel game Doki Doki Literature Club! was released by developer Team Salvato as a free download, quickly gaining popularity for its unique psychological horror themes disguised as a dating simulator.
The player character joins the high school Literature Club and meets Sayori, Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika.
Player develops a close friendship with Sayori, who is cheerful but struggles with depression.
Sayori reveals her struggle with depression to the protagonist, deepening the emotional narrative.
Sayori is found to have committed suicide, drastically affecting the storyline and club dynamics.
Monika breaks the fourth wall, revealing she controls the game and manipulates other characters.
Monika deletes the other club members from the game world, isolating the protagonist.
Monika traps the player in an endless conversation loop, further breaking the game narrative.
Player deletes Monika's character file, restoring the club members and resetting the game.
After Monika's deletion, the club resumes normal literature activities without memory of previous events.
