Visual novels are one of the most niche gaming genres around, with some games in this genre featuring stellar artwork, riveting stories, and incredible characters that make for a memorable experience. This is where Doki Doki Literature Club ends up being quite a unique specimen. The game presents itself as a run-of-the-mill visual novel right before things end up taking a rather violent turn into the realm of pure horror.
The unique nature of this game has led to the title attaining a massive fan following, resulting in the creation of several excellent mods that are an absolute treat to play through. Here are some of the best mods that players can try out if they love Doki Doki Literature Club.
Updated January 12, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Doki Doki Literature Club is one of the most unique visual novels that any fan can check out. The game takes on the guise of a simple generic title with a harem of girls that the player can romance, only for the title to reveal an incredibly dark side that is quite jarring and horrific. Watching the girls slowly understand the futility of their existence and slowly descend into the realm of madness makes for one of the most beautiful and imaginative train wrecks in quite some time. Players who get attached to the characters of the game can also spend more time with them courtesy of the many ddlc mods.
This list includes spoilers
20 Monika Before Story
Monika Before Story is a mod that was in development for a year before finally releasing to positive reception. The attention to detail in this mod is pretty great and gives one of the game's best characters some much-needed time in the normal spotlight.
In the original game, Monika became self-aware of her role as a video game character and messed around with the parameters of other girls in the Literature Club. This mod gives her some much-needed screen time as a normal member of the club that players can finally interact with without any self-awareness shenanigans!
19 The Yuri Parable
The Stanley Parable is a hilarious and great game that fans of hilarious video games should definitely check out. Players who want this style of gameplay to be replicated in Doki Doki Literature Club should definitely check out this mod!
The Yuri Parable places everyone's favorite purple-haired Literature Club member in the role of the protagonist. The mod takes many wild turns and is worth checking out for players who want a different experience with a DDLC mod.
18 SayoriDate
Sometimes, it's the simplest mods that end up being the most memorable. Players know the sad fate that awaits Sayori in the main game, so any mod that lets them spend time with this great character would be quite welcome.
This simple mod lets players spend some quality time with Sayori on a date. It's a pretty short mod, but it's the simple yet great interaction players have with Sayori that makes it such a short-yet-sweet tale.
17 After Sayori
Speaking of Sayori, another mod that lets players interact with this character is After Sayori. While this mod doesn't keep Sayori alive, it does explore how the characters of Doki Doki Literature Club would actually react after Sayori's untimely passing.
It's definitely a unique mod that explores a unique direction that DDLC ignored in favor of its transition to horror. Players who wanted to see how the game would've panned out as a normal visual novel will certainly get a ton of mileage with this mod.
16 Doki Doki Easter Hunt!
Spending time with the characters of the Literature Club is a blast, and players would love any excuse to go out on a festive adventure with the group. This is precisely what happens in Doki Doki Easter Hunt, which is a short yet fun mod that fans can check out.
Going out on an easter egg hunt with the game is a simple yet highly engaging prospect that this mod pulls off quite well. It might not be a game-changing mod, but Doki Doki Easter Egg has more than enough wholesome interactions to make it worth a playthrough.
15 Dimensions
Dimensions is one of the most ambitious mods for Doki Doki Literature Club. The sci-fi angle taken by this fan-made story is surprisingly riveting and makes for the best part of the overall experience.
The characters stay mostly true to their original counterparts, which is a testament to the smart writing of this mod. Fans of Doki Doki Literature Club will find a ton of things to like about this add-on.
14 Doki Doki Longer Roads
Players who want a more traditional approach in Doki Doki Literature Club without missing out on any of its dark themes should check out the Doki Doki Longer Roads mod.
It's a fan-favorite of many Doki Doki fans due to its smart writing and charming premise. Doki Doki Longer Roads will ensure that players spend hours with their favorite characters once again.
13 Sayori Says No To Suicide
The base game of Doki Doki Literature Club features a horrifying moment a fair ways into the game when the MC's childhood friend commits suicide. It's at this point that the game takes a turn for the terrifying.
With this mod, the player can embark on a short yet informative journey about how a person's mental health can deteriorate to the point where they choose this extreme option. It's a well-written mod with some unforgettable moments of its own that most fans of the game would absolutely adore.
12 The Fruits Of The Literature Club
Players looking for a story-heavy Doki Doki Literature Club mod should try out The Fruits of the Literature Club. It's a massive mod with a brand new story and a spanking new protagonist to boot!
The main character is easily one of the best changes in the overall experience, allowing players to experience the magic of Doki Doki through the eyes of a third party. It's a great mod that deserves more attention.
11 Doki Doki Fallen Angel
Speaking of mods with great stories, it would be hard not to mention the brilliance of Doki Doki Fallen Angel. It's a great mod that allows players to experience the dark sides of their favorite book club members without things taking a horrifying turn.
Fallen Angel features a new story and a deeper dive into the characters of the game and what motivates them. Helping these characters through certain traumatic moments is surprisingly engaging.
10 Monika After Story
The ending of Doki Doki Literature Club sees the player in a simulated environment with Monika that can only be escaped from if the player deletes her file from the game's directory itself. With this being the case, one has to wonder – what if players could interact with Monika endlessly after being stuck in a room with her?
Well, Monica After Story aims to explore this aspect of the game. It's the first mod that was ever released for Doki Doki Literature Club and features an endless stream of amazing content that will keep players occupied with their favorite DDLC waifu for hours on end.
9 Doki Doki Blue Skies
One of the most ambitious mods for Doki Doki Literature Club, Blue Skies is a great way to experience a normal school life with the cast of the game. Its emphasis on mental health is especially commendable.
The creator of this mod was inspired by Katawa Shoujo, and this shows in the excellent story of this mod. It's a great choice for players who are tired of the horror elements of Doki Doki Literature Club.
8 DDLC Purist Mod
This mod is another way to turn Doki Doki Literature Club into a normal visual novel. However, it's the emotions present in this mod that make it such a standout mod in every sense of the word.
Each and every character in this mod is fleshed out extensively, with their personalities and issues being explored with immense sensitivity and grace. It makes for a genuinely heart-wrenching experience that any fan of Doki Doki Literature Club will be right at home with.
7 True Route
True Route is another great mod made by the Reddit user CompleteMonochrome. This mod features a version of Monika who will instantly realize the true nature of her existence and merge with the base version of Monika to create a character who won't become self-aware.
This lets players play through the game as usual...although the horrifying aspects of the game can still be left intact if the player takes wrong decisions throughout the game. However, players who go down a good route will allow each and every character to enjoy a happy ending, especially Natsuki and Sayori.
6 Doki Doki: Encore!
There was a time when Doki Doki: Encore! was nothing more than a demo that most players couldn't wait to see get completed. However, the demo was constantly pushed back for a whole host of reasons, which was infuriating since the writing present in the game was excellent.
Thankfully, the mod was finally released in June 2020 to widespread acclaim. Doki Doki: Encore! provided a sense of closure that was missing from the original game for obvious reasons. It might have its nightmarish moments, but this mod is still a great and fun way to revisit the cast of the game in a new light.
5 DDLC, The Normal VN
One of the purest mods on this list, DDLC, The Normal VN mod is a great way to allow players to enjoy the game as most people expected. Instead of the horrifying glitchfest that the game devolves into throughout the vanilla playthrough, this mod allows players to play a normal visual novel.
Monika's character is worked upon the most, removing her self-aware nature and allowing her to become another dateable character as well. This mod still keeps the issues that all characters have but explores them in a more meaningful manner.
4 Special Days
Special Days is a fan-made expansion that continues the story of Doki Doki Literature Club after its ending. Suffice it to say, it's got its fair share of scary moments that would startle even the most hardened players around.
That being said, the mod still has its fair share of fun moments as well. It's currently in a beta state but is still worth a go for any fan of the game.
3 A Brand New Day
One of the craziest mods on this list, A Brand New Day is a mod for players of Doki Doki Literature Club who want a bit more fun to be injected into their game.
This mod has everything one would want from an off-the-rails experience. From out-of-place pop-culture references to unique changes, A Brand New Day is a great mod for fans of Doki Doki Literature Club.
2 Doki Doki! Rainclouds
Doki Doki! Rainclouds is considered by many to be one of the best mods for the game, and for good reason. The hook of this mod is enough to convince most players to give it a whirl, with players trying out the game from Sayori's point-of-view instead.
This already makes for a unique experience, with the sublime writing of the mod being especially notable. All in all, Doki Doki! Rainclouds is a must-play for any fan of well-written fan-made content.
1 DDLC – Time To Be An Epic Hero
Players who wanted Doki Doki Literature Club to be more action-oriented will find themselves quite content with the Time to be an Epic Hero mod. The sheer amount of content in this mod is quite incredible and makes for what feels like a totally new experience.
From detective minigames to RPG-esque gameplay, this mod has it all. Uncovering all the secrets in this mod is surprisingly entertaining, and there's even a sequel for players who want more.
Doki Doki Literature Club! is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.