The “Gamification of Intimacy” Doki Doki Literature Club Analysis

Posted Under: All Episodes

Have you ever stopped yourself to wonder what would be the consequences of selling your soul for a cupcake? No? Well, you have absolutely nothing to lose because you can download this game for free as long as you don’t mind the emotional turmoil it comes with. Doki Doki Literature Club, or DDLC for short, will have you in shock, awe and absolute horror as you frantically try to write poems to impress these women so they do not hurt you or themselves. But, it’s okay! Monika is already super excited for you to make friends with everyone and help the Literature Club become a more intimate place for all my members, she told me so. You’ll be just fine, but—will you promise to never ever hurt them? ♥

After finishing Doki Doki Literature Club, and watching Dan Salvato's playthrough as well, I felt inspired to talk about how his use of satire and subverting the player’s expectations of a "dating sim" might be a broader critique of the gamification of intimacy. This game is not an implicit attack or criticism on dating sim culture, as with everything in life, issues are not so black and white. With a fair bit of nuance, I believe this game works to make people feel a extremely uncomfortable because unlike other dating sim games, these women have feelings. We see the struggle these characters endure as they gain sentience and a hyper awareness of existing for the players happiness. The main character, Monika, is absolutely obsessed with us (the player) because her life is empty without us, and if we leave the game, she is completely alone. This unhealthy codependent relationship these women have with the player leads steadily to more and more desperation, poor mental health, and at times, violence. It leads the player to face the uncomfortable reality of the unhealthy atmosphere the typical dating sim provides, and how unrealistic and fantastical the “romance” is. Check out the video essay below and be sure to leave a comment on YouTube! Let me know who your favorite DDLC character is!

 Note: The DDLC Plus re-release came with tons of bonuses, like these cute little standees! I rushed to Dan Salvato’s site to pre-order them the day after it’s release, but I was already too late. They sold out of the standees 2 hours after the release! Which is absolutely heartbreaking, as I am absolutely smitten for Yuri (the purple haired figure above), and I would do anything to have tea with her, as long as she leaves her knives at home. I mean, she probably wouldn’t, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take.

Bonus Note: NOTE: Doki Doki Literature Club was originally released September 22, 2017 by Team Salvato (And yes! That’s the Dan Salvato. Professional Super Smash Bros Player who is part of the Project M Team that allowed Smash to implement the mechanics of Melee). DDLC has been re-released in 2021 and has been massively re- popularized new PC and console compatibility. Also, I’d like to note again, I’m still coping with the fact I couldn’t get the standees. (AHHH).