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Google has removed popular psychological horror game Doki Doki Literature Club!<\/em> from the Play Store. According to Dan Salvato, who led its development team, and publisher Serenity Forge, Google told them the visual novel was removed because it violated its Terms of Service in its depiction of sensitive themes. The game is \u201cwidely celebrated for portraying mental health in a way that meaningfully connects deeply with players around the world,\u201d they said in their announcement. Its free version, which came out first, has been downloaded at least 30 million times, while the paid \u201cPlus\u201d version has had at least one million downloads. The visual novel has repeatedly made Engadget\u2019s lists of favorite games over the years.<\/p>\n Doki Doki Literature Club! <\/em>has the drawing style and the makings of a typical dating sim, but players find themselves confronted with serious themes, including depression and suicide, soon after starting. Its Play listing was appropriately marked as \u201cMature 17+,\u201d which means that children won\u2019t be able to download it if their devices have parental controls. In addition, the developers clearly communicate that the game tackles serious issues. “This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed” is the first line of the game. “In-game content warnings for such material can be enabled in the Settings menu at any time,\u201d it also warns players. In settings, there\u2019s link to a page that lists content warnings that apply to the visual novel.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve asked Google for a statement on why the game was removed, and we\u2019ll update this post when we hear back. Salvator and Serenity Forge said they\u2019re doing everything they can to \u201cfind a path forward for getting DDLC reinstated on the Google Play Store.\u201d They\u2019re also looking at other methods of distribution for Android devices. At the moment, the game\u2019s Play listing shows that it\u2019s still not available, but it\u2019s still out on Steam, PlayStation, Switch eshop and iOS.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n