Horror visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club has suddenly been removed from the Google Play Store, prompting a response from the game’s creator and publisher. The move seems to have come as a surprise to the team behind Doki Doki Literature Club, with seemingly little-to-no forward notice from Google.
Though Doki Doki Literature Club was originally made available way back in 2017, it was only added to Google Play and the iOS App Store at the end of 2025. The psychological horror game has shocked players and streamers all over the world for its unexpected twists, graphic content, and mature themes in what initially appears to be a lighthearted romance visual novel. However, it seems those themes are the reason for its removal from the Google Play Store.
Great Games With Cross-Save
Games with cross-save are becoming the norm, thanks to cloud storage and multiplatform gamers who don’t want to start over on different systems.
Doki Doki Literature Club Disappears from Google Play Store
On April 8, some keen-eyed gamers noticed that Doki Doki Literature Club had seemingly disappeared from the Google Play Store out of the blue. A day later, game creator Dan Salvato and publisher Serenity Forge made an official statement, revealing that Google had removed the game from the store, claiming that the content of the game violated their Terms of Service agreement for its “depiction of sensitive themes.” The team has defended the game, saying that its themes have been meaningful to players and have helped those struggling with their mental health to feel seen and understood.
Doki Doki Literature Club is still available on all other major platforms, including iOS, for the time being. However, the team is already looking into ways to get the game onto Android devices without involving the Google Play Store. From the sound of it, Android gamers don’t need to worry about only being given access to a censored or altered version of the game. However, there may be some time to wait before it becomes widely available on Android devices again.
Numerous players have shared comments on the matter, expressing that they’re disappointed that it was pulled from the Google Play Store. Several have noted that they had already picked up the game and installed it, and are grateful that the game is still on their devices and playable. Many have also noted that the sudden decision from Google is a bit odd, since Doki Doki Literature Club has had a reputation for its dark and macabre themes for a long time. For whatever reason, it seems the game’s content wasn’t seen as an issue until three months after it was added to the platform.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Thankfully, gamers are spoiled for choice when it comes to where they want to play Doki Doki Literature Club. The game has been made available on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, the Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, and iOS. Although a new version of the game with additional content launched in 2021 as Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, the original version of the title is still available on Steam for completely free, as well. Hopefully, those who don’t have any other devices to access the game on will be able to get it on their Android phones and tablets again soon.
- Released
-
September 22, 2017
- Developer(s)
-
Team Salvato
- Publisher(s)
-
Team Salvato
