7 Video Games That Aren't About What You Think

The dating sim genre is one that doesn't tend to surprise or shock. They're normally simple and cheery experiences, with the 'gameplay' mainly consisting of text-reading, as the player encounters lots of likeable characters living relatively normal lives.

2017's Doki Doki Literature Club initially seems to fit neatly into this category, with its bouncy music, smiling Japanese schoolgirls, and typical visual novel gameplay loop giving off the impression that there really isn't anything special or noteworthy here, especially if you've played a lot of games in this genre.

But the perception that this is an ordinary dating sim is shattered as the story ticks on, with the whimsy and triviality soon giving way to darkness and bloody violence.

People commit suicide by stabbing themselves or via hanging, the game's visuals and sound glitch out in a variety of chilling ways, and one of the characters breaks the fourth wall by revealing that she has been manipulating the game's code the entire time, forcing the player to do the same in order to fight back.

Even though the game's trailer opens with the statement that it isn't suitable for children, the vast majority of people will definitely overlook this, or forget about it entirely after the first few portions of the game, which are all sweet and innocent.

And even if you do remember that warning, there isn't anything that can prepare you for the psychological trippiness that Doki Doki Literature Club soon devolves into.