Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 300 sampled Steam reviews (297 positive / 3 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing12% mention it
- Visuals & art5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
Negative reviews don't converge on specific aspects.
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
99%
71 reviews
5-15h
99%
151 reviews
15-40h
100%
71 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 87 | 29 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 80 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 97% | 92 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 84 | 97 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 98% | 94 | 175 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 91.2, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 32,707 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 501 total reviews in window · weighted 218.2 up / 3.7 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (42)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Don't discount Doki Doki Literature Club because it's cute, because it's pink, or because it's an anime dating game, this is one of the most unnerving, effective horror games on the Nintendo Switch to date. The extra content adds nicely to the creeping anxiety and the heartbreaking story, but the Switch version does end up feeling slightly inferior to the PC version, despite fantastic effort on the port. You won't lose anything by playing this version, though, if it's the one you want, go for it!”
read full review ↗ - 90
“First developing quite a notorious reputation as a free title, DDLC has finally made its disturbing way to Switch… and with a few extra bits of content to boot, though they’re just niceties and don’t really move the needle much...”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is a unique and troubling experience. Not everyone should play it as the themes are profoundly serious and mature and the psychological horror part doubles down on that. However, it tells a very compelling story surrounded by an immersive atmosphere. Be ready to come out highly impacted by its ending.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Doki Doki Literature Club is still a fantastic visual novel, but the Plus version on PS5 struggles to find a purpose besides being a new way to play the original. Existing fans will appreciate some of the new content, such as the side stories and concept art, but locking the content behind multiple playthroughs of a game that loses its appeal after the first time around is a tough pill to swallow. On the other hand, newcomers have no reason to play this version instead of the freeware PC release, since some core PC features were compromised for this port. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is still a great experience that should be played by anyone remotely interested, but this specific version struggles to be a worthwhile purchase for any fan, new or old.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Doki Doki Literature Club doesn’t disappoint as an off-kilter visual novel. If you, like me, tend to avoid this genre, you might consider DDLC as an exception to the rule if you can handle some disturbing content.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Doki Doki: Literature Club Plus! is a unique game. An experience difficult to describe to those who have not yet played it, but who certainly remain engraved in the retinas of those who play it.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“'Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!' is not much special comparing its free edition which already has shown off a unique experience. However, for fans who want to dig deeper into related stories, it will be like a Christmas gift.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is a great way to revisit a visual novel that made quite a splash. For newcomers, it’s easy to hop into and enjoy, even offering the PC “workarounds.” For people who’ve joined the club before, the extra stories and media are enjoyable. The sole downside is that, with all its accessibility, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is difficult to read on the Switch and has an unfriendly UI. It also lacks easy one-button controls for things like auto-advancing or checking the history, as its contemporaries do. Still, it’s a fascinating read and story.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Near four years since its original release and Doki Doki Literature Club has still stood the test of time thanks to this ‘Plus!’ edition. Where there are some shortcomings in the fact that it takes a little while to get the ball rolling and will be even harder to enter unspoiled, it’s worth it when you consider what’s on offer. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is a delight. It’s horrific. It’s heartbreaking. But most of all, it’s a wonderful model of how to take the visual novel formula and absolutely turn it on its head. Just be aware, there’s some sadness behind those anime characters’ eyes.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Whether you’re an old fan of Doki Doki Literature Club or someone checking it out for the first time, this new release has something for everyone to enjoy.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Overall, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is an excellent re-release that handled its console versions well from a design standpoint. The value and time you find inside will far outweigh its asking price. Just be prepared for some of the moments in the main game as some will shock or make you uncomfortable. It is not advised for children or anyone experiencing mental issues to play this game, so be forewarned.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! starts a bit slow but quickly establishes itself after that as a must-play visual novel. Everything starts all cute and fun but when the dark side of these girls starts coming out, you’ll want to keep playing until the end to see what happens. The game touches on a lot of dark subject matter and it is very much a pure visual novel experience so if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy those things then this won’t be the game for you. For those who do enjoy this genre you’ll get a multi-hour long experience that will stay with you long after the conclusion.”
read full review ↗
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INVEN
Siliconera
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MonsterVine
Lords Of Gaming 
ThisGenGaming…and 30 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch Notes for 6/7/2023Jun 7, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes for 6/22/2022Jun 23, 2022
- Update Notes for 8/2/2021Aug 2, 2021
- Update Notes for 7/22/2021Jul 23, 2021
- Update Notes for 7/16/2021Jul 16, 2021
- Update Notes for 7/15/2021Jul 15, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- 7/1: Unlock/Data Collection FixesJul 1, 2021