Doki Doki Literature Club, the dating sim-themed horror game, has been removed from the Google Play store. According to publisher Serenity Forge, the reasoning provided was that the game violated the storefront’s terms of service with its “depiction of sensitive themes.”
Doki Doki Literature Club was first released on Steam in 2017, and is notorious for its deceptively disturbing story. While it initially appears to be a traditional dating sim, following a high school boy as he joins an after school writing club and falls in love with the other members, dramatic plot twists give the game a dark turn. It includes, among other things, graphic depictions of suicide.
That said, the game has many content warnings, both on store pages and in the opening moments of the game. On iOS, the game is rated 17+ and its description includes the sentence “This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed” at both the beginning and the end.
Publisher Serenity Forge issued the following statement on its various social media platforms:
Click the image to enlarge.
Yesterday, Google chose to remove Doki Doki Literature Club from the Google Play Store. Their explanation is that the game’s content violates their Terms of Service in its depiction of sensitive themes.
DDLC is widely celebrated for portraying mental health in a way that meaningfully connects deeply with players around the world, helping them feel heard, understood, and less alone on their journey. Managing to achieve that—making a truly meaningful difference by using the power of fiction to connect to others—is what I’m most grateful for. It inspires me every day to keep making cool new things, things that can really reach others, especially those in need of connection.
DDLC is available on many different major platforms, including iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and more. We’re continuing to do everything we can to find a path forward for getting DDLC reinstated on the Google Play Store. Meanwhile, we’re also looking into potential options for alternate methods of distribution on Android devices.
We worked hard to bring DDLC to Android, and we’ve gotten to see so much love and enthusiasm from passionate Android users over these past few months. Thank you so much to the community for continuing to express your love and support for DDLC through the years. We’ll keep you updated on the future of DDLC for Android.
– Dan Salvato and the Serenity Forge Team
For now, it’s unclear if or when the game might return to the Google Play Store, but it remains on other platforms.