For my critical play this week, I chose to play Doki Doki Literature Club, on macOS. Doki Doki Literature Club, developed by Team Salvato in 2017, is a visual novel that relies on the players knowledge of and expectations of a traditional dating simulator. While the game officially has an age requirement of 13, due to themes of death and mental health issues, I would say the game is targeted towards players aged 15+.
Playing Doki Doki Literature Club as a feminist means aiming to dismantle toxic aspects of video game culture and rebuild it as a space of gender, race, sexuality, and age diversity. The game subverts traditional gender stereotypes in dating simulators by first adhering to them and then revealing deeper themes of mental health. However, its approach lacks nuance and sometimes feels exploitative of these stereotypes and mental health issues.
Doki Doki Literature Club initially presents four very feminine girls whose primary role is to be love interests for the player. This setup plays into the typical dating simulator trope, creating an expectation of shallow romantic interactions. However, as the game progresses, issues of mental health surface, especially as the characters attempt to hide their struggles. The culmination of these themes occurs dramatically with Sayori’s death, turning the genre on its head. The revelation that Monika, one of the girls, has full agency and is manipulating the game to trap the player adds a profound layer of subversion. This twist challenges the player’s assumptions and highlights the superficiality of the initial character portrayals.
While Doki Doki Literature Club introduces serious mental health issues, it often prioritizes shock value over a thoughtful exploration of these themes. The portrayal of mental health can feel dehumanizing, reinforcing harmful stereotypes rather than fostering understanding and empathy. For instance, Sayori’s depression and subsequent suicide are depicted in a manner that shocks the player but does not offer a deeper discussion or resolution. This approach can be seen as exploitative, using mental health struggles as a plot device rather than addressing them with the complexity and sensitivity they deserve.
(Above is an example of how Sayori displays her depression shortly before her death)
In Doki Doki Literature Club, neither the player nor the characters (aside from Monika) possess real agency. The game’s structure ensures that regardless of the player’s choices, the characters will always be affectionate towards them. Monika’s ability to erase other characters from the game emphasizes the lack of agency further. The erased characters, reduced to creepy glitches, are not acknowledged by the remaining characters, highlighting their lack of agency. Moreover, the characters’ inability to address or resolve their mental health issues suggests they are doomed from the start, reinforcing a sense of helplessness and fatalism. This lack of agency undermines the potential for a more empowering narrative where characters could confront and overcome their struggles.
(Screenshot above shows how characters can be deleted, and are essentially disposable to Monika)
While Doki Doki Literature Club attempts to subvert traditional dating simulator tropes and address mental health issues, it falls short in its execution. The game’s reliance on shock value over nuanced storytelling and its failure to provide characters with agency limits its effectiveness from a feminist perspective. Incorporating feminist theories more deeply could enhance the game’s impact, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic portrayal of its characters and themes. This approach would contribute to a video game culture that values diversity and meaningful representation.
