10 Trailers That Misled You About Awesome Video Games
6. Doki Doki Literature Club! (2017)
At first glance, Doki Doki Literature Club! is a cutesy dating sim and visual novel where players befriend a group of anime highschoolers and use their poetry skills to win their affections. With its upbeat soundtrack and focus on the personalities of the player's would-be love interests, the trailer doubled down on this wholesome premise.
The opening hours are as innocent as players would expect. It's only after playing for some time that the reason for the ominous content warning seen at the start of the trailer becomes clear.
After spending the first few club meetings getting to know the members, the conversations players have with them become increasingly macabre. Events then take a sinister turn, with tragedy soon following. Although this harrowing moment is implied to be a potential ending, this game is only just beginning.
Things only get weirder after reloading. The menu is glitchy and characters start to vanish from existence. Even the game's real-life files are impacted as the true horror is revealed.
Doki Doki Literature Club! is a genius slice of meta psychological horror disguised as an adorable dating sim. Anyone who experienced this release after only watching the trailer would have no idea what they were in for.