There’s a twist in this game, and the strangeness grows with each playthrough.

You’ll write poetry for the Literature Club, talk to one of the four “cute” girls, and go through all the motions of a trite dating sim. It’s a truly frightening experience, and if you want to experience the game spoiler-free, I suggest you stop reading now and go download the game, available totally for free on Steam, and play through it a few times before coming back. How do you even describe something like Doki Doki Literature Club? What appears to be a basic virtual novel dating simulator turns into something much more horrifying as you play.