Computed from player tags · Not ranked by quality
24 games like Doki Doki Literature Club! (2026)
Every game below overlaps with Doki Doki Literature Club! on things players said about it rather than on our opinion of what feels alike. Each entry shows what it matched on, so you can throw out the ones matching on the part you did not care about.
The short version
- Closest match: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, which made by the same studio, Team Salvato.
- Doki Doki Literature Club! is tagged Psychological Horror, Visual Novel, Anime, Free to Play, Dating Sim, Cute, Horror, Dark by Steam players. Those tags are what the matching runs on.
- 24 games qualify, each with at least fifty player reviews behind its sentiment figure.
- 1 are free to download, so you can test the resemblance yourself at no cost.
- 1 are from the same studio: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!.
How these were matched
Steam tags carry the most weight, because players apply them and they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Souls-like, Atmospheric and Cozy exist as tags and as nothing else, which is exactly the vocabulary this question needs. Formal genres count for less, themes and a shared studio for more.
Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are thrown out before matching. Nearly everything is tagged Singleplayer, so matching on it is matching on nothing. That cutoff is computed from the catalogue rather than fixed, so it moves as the catalogue grows.
All 24, closest first
- 1
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Team Salvato; both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 12 player tags including Psychological Horror, Visual Novel and Anime; released around the same time (2021).
Welcome to the club! Write poems for your crush and experience the terror of school romance in this critically-acclaimed psychological horror story.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! at a glance Released 2021 Studio Team Salvato Player sentiment 97% positive of 32,198 Price $14.99 Psychological HorrorVisual NovelAnimeDating SimSexual ContentCuteRomanceStory Rich
- 2
The Fruit of Grisaia
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 11 player tags including Visual Novel, Anime and Story Rich; released around the same time (2015).
SIX FRUITS BARE THEIR FANGS AT THE WORLD. --The academy was their orchard. In this place of learning, protected by high walls from the outside world, there arrived a single young man who'd lost his purpose in life. He'd lost sight of what he wanted to protect.
The Fruit of Grisaia at a glance Released 2015 Studio Front Wing Player sentiment 92% positive of 1,119 Price $39.99 Visual NovelAnimeStory RichRomanceSexual ContentDating SimCuteCasual
- 3
Steins;Gate
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 10 player tags including Visual Novel, Story Rich and Anime.
Developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, STEINS;GATE was awarded Famitsu magazine's coveted annual Game of Excellence award and was voted one of the most emotionally charged “tear-inducing games” ever made, in a Famitsu poll. It is a gripping and moving Visual Novel, which has already spawned manga and anime adaptations.
Steins;Gate at a glance Released 2009 Studio 5pb. Inc. Player sentiment 97% positive of 26,892 Price $29.99 Visual NovelStory RichAnimeGreat SoundtrackRomancePsychological HorrorMemesDating Sim
- 4
Bendy and the Ink Machine
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 10 player tags including Horror, First-Person and Dark; released around the same time (2017).
Bendy and the Ink Machine® is the first person puzzle action horror game that will forever ruin your childhood love of cartoons.
Bendy and the Ink Machine at a glance Released 2017 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 89% positive of 36,934 Price $5.99 HorrorFirst-PersonDarkIndieStory RichGreat SoundtrackPsychological HorrorViolent
- 5
Clannad
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Anime and Story Rich.
From the world renowned visual novel studio Key, the highly rated story of CLANNAD is now available on Steam! Improved visuals, achievement integration, and Dangopedia make this the best version of CLANNAD to date.
Clannad at a glance Released 2004 Studio Key Player sentiment 98% positive of 10,936 Price $44.99 Visual NovelAnimeStory RichRomanceGreat SoundtrackDating SimCuteCasual
- 6
Muv-Luv
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Anime and Romance.
One of the most highly-acclaimed visual novel series arrives on Steam, newly revamped and officially in English! An interdimensional love story that takes high school romance on a roller-coaster ride through the depths of despair, culminating in a sci-fi grand finale of epic proportions.
Muv-Luv at a glance Released 2003 Studio âge Player sentiment 93% positive of 2,078 Price $11.99 Visual NovelAnimeRomanceStory RichCuteCasualSexual ContentPsychological Horror
- 7
The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Story Rich and Dating Sim.
He is a bandit who sells lives. She is a mute girl seeking revenge. In a famine-ravaged ancient China, a ruthless trafficker escorts four girls to a demon's feast. But when a deadly secret is revealed, a cold transaction turns into a journey of redemption. A dark visual novel about an unlikely bond.
The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty at a glance Released 2024 Studio 零创游戏(ZerocreationGame) Player sentiment 94% positive of 59,944 Price $9.99 Visual NovelStory RichDating SimDarkAnimeCuteRomancePsychological Horror
- 8
Steins;Gate 0
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Story Rich and Anime; released around the same time (2015).
If you can't save the one you love… How can you save humanity? Sequel to the visual novel cult classic. Experience an alternate worldline of STEINS;GATE.
Steins;Gate 0 at a glance Released 2015 Studio Mages Player sentiment 96% positive of 8,409 Price $34.99 Visual NovelStory RichAnimeGreat SoundtrackPsychological HorrorRomanceViolentMemes
- 9
NEKOPARA Vol. 0
Why it matched: both story-rich and relaxing; shares 11 player tags including Anime, Sexual Content and Visual Novel; released around the same time (2015).
Please note that NEKOPARA Vol. 0 is a fandisc for NEKOPARA Vol. 1What's NEKOPARA? Why, it's a cat paradise! This is a story just before Kashou opened "La Soleil".Enjoy a page from the leisurely, daily lives of Shigure and the Minaduki household's catgirls!
NEKOPARA Vol. 0 at a glance Released 2015 Studio NEKO WORKs Player sentiment 94% positive of 17,786 Price $2.99 AnimeSexual ContentVisual NovelCuteFirst-PersonDating SimCasualStory Rich
- 10
Chaos;Child
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Anime and Story Rich; released around the same time (2014).
From the creators of the critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE comes a sensational new visual novel: CHAOS;CHILD. Set in Shibuya in 2015, a group of high school students who survived an earthquake six years ago find themselves at the center of a new series of bizarre murders in the city.
Chaos;Child at a glance Released 2014 Studio 5pb. Inc. Player sentiment 93% positive of 4,083 Price $24.99 Visual NovelAnimeStory RichGoreViolentPsychological HorrorGreat SoundtrackHorror
- 11
Outlast 2
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 9 player tags including Horror, Psychological Horror and First-Person; released around the same time (2017).
Outlast 2 introduces you to Sullivan Knoth and his followers, who left our wicked world behind to give birth to Temple Gate, a town, deep in the wilderness and hidden from civilization. Knoth and his flock are preparing for the tribulations of the end of times and you’re right in the thick of it.
Outlast 2 at a glance Released 2017 Studio Red Barrels Player sentiment 91% positive of 64,380 Price $4.99 HorrorPsychological HorrorFirst-PersonGoreDarkViolentSexual ContentStory Rich
- 12
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Anime and Story Rich; released around the same time (2017).
A new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony at a glance Released 2017 Studio Spike Chunsoft Player sentiment 83% positive of 23,187 Price $39.99 Visual NovelAnimeStory RichGreat SoundtrackPsychological HorrorHorrorDarkMemes
- 13
Undertale
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 9 player tags including Great Soundtrack, Story Rich and Indie; released around the same time (2015).
UNDERTALE! The RPG game where you don't have to destroy anyone.
Undertale at a glance Released 2015 Studio 8-4 Player sentiment 96% positive of 338,731 Price $9.99 Great SoundtrackStory RichIndieCuteMemesDarkPsychological HorrorDating Sim
- 14
Pony Island
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 9 player tags including Indie, Psychological Horror and Horror; released around the same time (2016).
Pony Island is a suspense puzzle game in disguise. You are in limbo, trapped in a malevolent and malfunctioning arcade machine devised by the devil himself. It is not a game about ponies.
Pony Island at a glance Released 2016 Studio Daniel Mullins Games Player sentiment 95% positive of 18,104 Price $4.99 IndiePsychological HorrorHorrorDarkGreat SoundtrackStory RichCuteMemes
- 15
Lobotomy Corporation | Monster Management Simulation
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 9 player tags including Psychological Horror, Story Rich and Horror; released around the same time (2018).
A roguelite monster-management simulation inspired by the likes of the SCP Foundation, Cabin in the Woods, and Warehouse 13. Order your employees to perform work with the creatures and watch as it unfolds; harness greater energy, and expand the facility
Lobotomy Corporation | Monster Management Simulation at a glance Released 2018 Studio ProjectMoon Player sentiment 94% positive of 56,811 Price $24.99 Psychological HorrorStory RichHorrorGoreGreat SoundtrackIndieCuteAnime
- 16
Everlasting Summer
Why it matched: both psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Story Rich and Free to Play; released around the same time (2014).
Visual novel loved by many – Everlasting Summer – now on Steam!
Everlasting Summer at a glance Released 2014 Studio Soviet Games Player sentiment 94% positive of 78,073 Price Free Visual NovelStory RichFree to PlayAnimeGreat SoundtrackRomanceDating SimIndie
- 17
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 9 player tags including Anime, Visual Novel and Story Rich.
Jabberwock Island—You and your classmates were ready for fun in the sun until Monokuma returned to restart his murderous game! Trapped in a kill-or-be-killed situation, your only hope rests in solving the island’s mysteries.
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair at a glance Released 2012 Studio Spike Chunsoft Player sentiment 96% positive of 32,628 Price $19.99 AnimeVisual NovelStory RichGreat SoundtrackPsychological HorrorHorrorDarkMemes
- 18
OneShot
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 7 player tags including Story Rich, Indie and Great Soundtrack; released around the same time (2016).
OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist.
OneShot at a glance Released 2016 Studio Future Cat LLC Player sentiment 98% positive of 64,849 Price $9.99 Story RichIndieGreat SoundtrackCutePsychological HorrorCasualAnime
- 19
HuniePop
Why it matched: both story-rich and relaxing; shares 10 player tags including Sexual Content, Anime and Dating Sim; released around the same time (2015).
HuniePop is a unique sim experience for PC, Mac and Linux. It's a gameplay first approach that's part dating sim, part puzzle game, with light RPG elements, a visual novel style of presentation, an abrasive western writing style and plenty of "plot".
HuniePop at a glance Released 2015 Studio HuniePot Player sentiment 96% positive of 31,679 Price $9.99 Sexual ContentAnimeDating SimRomanceCuteIndieCasualStory Rich
- 20
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S: HELP WANTED
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 7 player tags including Horror, First-Person and Psychological Horror; released around the same time (2019).
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted is a collection of classic and original mini-games set in the Five Nights universe. Experience the horror in flat (non-VR) mode or VR. Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are supported. A VR Headset is NOT required to play.
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S: HELP WANTED at a glance Released 2019 Studio Steel Wool Studios Player sentiment 96% positive of 13,118 Price $29.99 HorrorFirst-PersonPsychological HorrorDarkCasualStory RichIndie
- 21
Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location
Why it matched: both horror, psychological and story-rich; shares 8 player tags including Horror, First-Person and Dark; released around the same time (2016).
Welcome to Circus Baby's Pizza World, where family fun and interactivity go beyond anything you've seen at those *other* pizza places! Now hiring: Late night technician. Must enjoy cramped spaces and be comfortable around active machinery. Not responsible for death or dismemberment.
Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location at a glance Released 2016 Studio Scott Cawthon Player sentiment 90% positive of 12,642 Price $7.99 HorrorFirst-PersonDarkIndieStory RichPsychological HorrorMemesGore
- 22
Sakura Swim Club
Why it matched: both story-rich and relaxing; shares 10 player tags including Anime, Sexual Content and Visual Novel; released around the same time (2015).
In Sakura Swim Club, follow the story of Kaede, just your average guy. Upon transferring to a new school, he meets two beautiful girls in the swim club. Things haven't gone well for the swim club lately, but with Kaede's help, that all changes.
Sakura Swim Club at a glance Released 2015 Studio Winged Cloud Player sentiment 85% positive of 2,772 Price $9.99 AnimeSexual ContentVisual NovelDating SimIndieCasualCuteStory Rich
- 23
We Were Here Together
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and relaxing; shares 7 player tags including Story Rich, Horror and First-Person; released around the same time (2019).
As we explore these frozen wastes, misfortune strikes once again. Through the fierce blizzard, a flare lights the sky, followed by a cry for help over the radio - broken, dying... No one else can come to their rescue. Can we make it back - together?
We Were Here Together at a glance Released 2019 Studio Total Mayhem Games Player sentiment 82% positive of 17,696 Price $4.93 Story RichHorrorFirst-PersonPsychological HorrorDarkCasualIndie
- 24
Tricolour Lovestory
Why it matched: both story-rich and relaxing; shares 10 player tags including Visual Novel, Dating Sim and Sexual Content; released around the same time (2017).
Time flies and never comes back. But with an incredible 1-million-word script and 100+ original CGs, this game will take you back to when you were young, simple and pure. Go and get the love of your life back, start something new, or end everything in flame, that's for you to decide!
Tricolour Lovestory at a glance Released 2017 Studio HL-Galgame Player sentiment 81% positive of 28,058 Price $1.99 Visual NovelDating SimSexual ContentAnimeCasualGreat SoundtrackRomanceStory Rich
Common questions
What game is most like Doki Doki Literature Club!?
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, on the evidence we have. It made by the same studio, Team Salvato. That is a statement about overlap, not a promise you will like it as much: two games can share every tag and still feel different to play.
How is "similar to Doki Doki Literature Club!" decided?
By overlap on the tags Steam players applied to each game, the formal genres, the themes both sit in, and whether the same studio made them. Tags carry the most weight because players write them, so they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are ignored: matching on "Singleplayer" is matching on nothing. Every entry below shows exactly what it matched on.
Are these ranked by quality?
No. They are ordered by how much they overlap with Doki Doki Literature Club!. Where two games overlap equally, the better received one goes first, but that only moves a game a place or two. Each entry shows its own player sentiment so you can weigh that separately.
What else did the makers of Doki Doki Literature Club! do?
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is also from Team Salvato, and appears in the list below for that reason as well as on tag overlap.
Do you get paid for these recommendations?
No. The order is computed from tag and genre overlap and nothing else. No placement here can be bought, and a game appearing high on this page is a statement about resemblance rather than an endorsement.