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Doki Doki Literature Club, Team Salvato’s freeware visual novel, became a sleeper hit back in 2017. Players and critics alike enjoyed the game for its subversive take on the visual novel genre, and it quickly garnered downloads in the millions. Likely due to this success, developer Dan Salvato revealed an updated rerelease for the game, dubbed Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, via a Twitter thread and during IGN’s Summer of Gaming.
The rerelease boasts a whole host of extra features not found in the original game. One addition comes in the form of new Side Stories, which Salvato describes as “stories of friendship and literature, set outside the timeline of the original game.” The update includes six Side Stories, each of which focuses on a specific pair of characters and their relationships with each other. Salvato also promised both an in-game music player containing 26 tracks and a collection of 100 images to unlock, which should increase the game’s replayability significantly. Finally, the game features the obligatory HD upgrade, although Salvato ensured the story and gameplay will remain “as authentic and true to the original as possible.”
Competitive player turned visual novel developer
Salvato previously played Super Smash Bros. Melee competitively and helped develop the popular Project M mod. His conflicted feelings on anime combined with his adoration for the bizarre motivated him to work on the original Doki Doki Literature Club. The game quickly became known for its contrasting tones. Initially, the game presents itself as a typical, lighthearted visual novel, but it later introduces more and more horror elements and fourth wall breaks.
Salvato teased additional content for the game back in 2020, but the scale of the update nonetheless comes off as surprising. Fans will undoubtedly love the sheer number of features Doki Doki Literature Club Plus adds to the original experience. Players can expect to get their hands on this update starting June 30.
