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The anime style is not really my cup of tea, but I read up on the game, and it got me curious enough to give it a whirl. Cheers for bringing it to my attention.
I've come across lot of recommendations for the game Doki Doki Literature Club. However, when I start the game, I immediately get a content warning:

This game is unsuitable for children [uncheck]
or those easily disturbed [check]
Individuals suffering from depression [check]
or anxiety [check]
may not have a safe experience playing this game.
For content warnings, please visit ddlc.moe/warning.html

Is this game indeed prone to causing anxiety, depression, upset disturbed moods if you're prone to it? (I am prone to such moods, I don't watch any news for instance as it often causes rage, stress, depression, sadness or generally being very upset).
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DubConqueror: I've come across lot of recommendations for the game Doki Doki Literature Club. However, when I start the game, I immediately get a content warning:

This game is unsuitable for children [uncheck]
or those easily disturbed [check]
Individuals suffering from depression [check]
or anxiety [check]
may not have a safe experience playing this game.
For content warnings, please visit ddlc.moe/warning.html

Is this game indeed prone to causing anxiety, depression, upset disturbed moods if you're prone to it? (I am prone to such moods, I don't watch any news for instance as it often causes rage, stress, depression, sadness or generally being very upset).
Hard to tell, since that's an individual thing...
Judging from myself - I wouldn't play the game if I were being in an acute depressive phase or feeling it's on the doorstep already. A few things are unsettling and sad.
But if you're feeling fine atm I'd say its safe.
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DubConqueror: I've come across lot of recommendations for the game Doki Doki Literature Club. However, when I start the game, I immediately get a content warning:

This game is unsuitable for children [uncheck]
or those easily disturbed [check]
Individuals suffering from depression [check]
or anxiety [check]
may not have a safe experience playing this game.
For content warnings, please visit ddlc.moe/warning.html

Is this game indeed prone to causing anxiety, depression, upset disturbed moods if you're prone to it? (I am prone to such moods, I don't watch any news for instance as it often causes rage, stress, depression, sadness or generally being very upset).
avatar
toxicTom: Hard to tell, since that's an individual thing...
Judging from myself - I wouldn't play the game if I were being in an acute depressive phase or feeling it's on the doorstep already. A few things are unsettling and sad.
But if you're feeling fine atm I'd say its safe.
Stability is always frail with me, expect for the summer holiday, when the stress of work is gone for 6 weeks. Life gets 25% easier (the mental illness remains, having to take care of myself and my house remains, life itself remains, work stress is gone: 75% load on my mind). Seems if I play it, I should postpone it until the holiday. Is it a short game?
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DubConqueror: Stability is always frail with me, expect for the summer holiday, when the stress of work is gone for 6 weeks. Life gets 25% easier (the mental illness remains, having to take care of myself and my house remains, life itself remains, work stress is gone: 75% load on my mind). Seems if I play it, I should postpone it until the holiday. Is it a short game?
The shortness depends on if you want the best ending and if you're using a walkthrough to achieve it. The first playthrough is rather short, but the game kind only starts after that... I don't want to spoil anything though...

As for the danger... The game has one really unsettling event, esp. if you're not prepared for it (like I was). The rest is more... strange and a bit creepy. Once you're past that, it's basically safe, IMO.
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DubConqueror: Is it a short game?
It took me around 6 hours to get to what lloks like the normal ending, and I'm somewhat slow when I play visual novels. I imagine I could spend a few more hours trying to uncover the secrets of the game, but given the nature of the game, trying to get a better ending would cheapen my experience. So yeah, I'd say 5-6h

The game starts very tame to become weird and disturbing later on. I would not really describe it as an horror game, but there's some parts of the game you might find quite unsettling if you actively suffer from depression.
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Kardwill: ... trying to get a better ending would cheapen my experience.
That's the actual "game" (as in - solving the puzzle) you're missing ;-)
And I've yet to even find any hidden endings.
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Kardwill: ... trying to get a better ending would cheapen my experience.
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toxicTom: That's the actual "game" (as in - solving the puzzle) you're missing ;-)
I guess messing with the game to try to find a way to get a better (or different) ending, or trying to find and understand the hidden content, would be an interesting experience :)

But the story had quite an impact on me, and from this "story immersion" point of view, rebooting the game and messing with the characters would feel... wrong? A little like necromancy? Dunno, I really don't feel like it.


SEMI - SPOILER
Dealing with that lonely file to get to the end was probably one of the hardest things I had to do in a computer games. I really did feel like shit when I did it. Which is ironically the mark of a great game.
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Kardwill: I guess messing with the game to try to find a way to get a better (or different) ending, or trying to find and understand the hidden content, would be an interesting experience :)
[spoiler]



But the game is messing "with itself". It breaks the fourth wall and you have to find out how to do it yourself and use this knowledge to "win". It means of course starting over... Also I recommend playing the game in windowed mode and keep the folder open so you can watch it... strange things happen.



[/spoiler]
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Kardwill: I guess messing with the game to try to find a way to get a better (or different) ending, or trying to find and understand the hidden content, would be an interesting experience :)

But the story had quite an impact on me, and from this "story immersion" point of view, rebooting the game and messing with the characters would feel... wrong? A little like necromancy? Dunno, I really don't feel like it.


SEMI - SPOILER
Dealing with that lonely file to get to the end was probably one of the hardest things I had to do in a computer games. I really did feel like shit when I did it. Which is ironically the mark of a great game.
Really? I found it to be pretty funny myself. I experimented around with the other characters and such, or starting a new game and trying some things with that one character... There's even more to the game beyond if you do that.
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toxicTom: you have to find out how to do it yourself and use this knowledge to "win".
Oh, I know that. I certainly didn't catch them all, or even most of them, but the game doesn't really tries to hide it, it even openly tells you where to look at at the end of act1. And I even tried some "alternative" ways to bypass the situation during the-long-conversation (tm)

But after the credits, I really, REALLY didn't feel like "winning". It would feel like digging up a grave to loot the corpse, you know?

I might come back to the game in a few weeks to try and uncover the hidden stuff. But right now? It wouldn't feel right. I guess the plight of the main character made an impression on me.
Ha! I remember this one. I did play it, it was weird, I had to stop playing it... for my sanity o_O
Not my type of game.
Looks like the game is being blamed for a teen's suicide:
https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2018/06/coroner-office-blames-doki-doki-literature-club-for-teen-suicide/62383/

Not sure how this game could convince someone to commit suicide in the slightest.
It's easier to find a scapegoat than admitting responsability and face the hard truth.
Post edited June 27, 2018 by Enebias