According to Salvato, the inspiration for the game came from his mixed feelings toward anime and a fascination for surreal and unsettling experiences. The game was developed in an estimated two-year period by a team led by Dan Salvato, previously known for his modding work as part of Project M.

Although the game initially appears to be a lighthearted dating simulator, it is in fact a psychological horror game that extensively breaks the fourth wall. Doki Doki Literature Club! features a non-traditional plot structure with multiple endings and unlockable cutscenes with each of the main characters. The story is told from the perspective of a high school student who reluctantly joins the school's literature club on the insistence of his best friend, and is given the option to woo three of its four female members. The game was initially distributed through itch.io, and later became available on Steam. Doki Doki Literature Club! is a 2017 freeware visual novel developed by American independent game studio Team Salvato for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux.

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