Visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club (DDLC) has been pulled from the Google Play Store for purportedly violating Google’s Terms of Service over how it depicts mental health issues.
Publisher Serenity Forge and developer Dan Salvato shared the news on Bluesky, and said they will fight to have the psychological horror title reinstated. They are also looking into other methods of distribution on Android devices.
“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,” reads the statement.
“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.”
Doki Doki Literature Club remains available on other platforms including iOS. It’s currently unclear what specific aspects of Google’s Terms of Service the title supposedly violated.
Game Developer has reached out to Serenity Forge and Google for more information.