Doki Doki Literature Club was a smash hit when it released in 2017, spawning a whole sub-genre of visual novels that look cute on the outside while subversively exploring some serious, horrific themes. Dan Salvato is the creator of DDLC and the founder of development studio Team Salvato, which has since released an updated version of the game for consoles. In this interview, we discussed upcoming projects, game design philosophies, and more.

 

JF: How has the virality of Doki Doki Literature Club affected your future games? It's been announced that one of Team Salvato's upcoming projects is a visual novel. Seeing as how DDLC has been incredibly influential to the visual novel genre, is there more pressure with your next VN to subvert the conventions of the medium in a whole new way?

 

Dan Salvato: In short, there is indeed more pressure. My original goal for the next VN was to write a story that was at least "pretty good". I think if I write something "pretty good", then a small number of people might love it, and that's enough for me!

 

However, I feel that I'm now in a spot where "pretty good" might not be good enough, because it is unavoidable for my future writing to be compared to the unexpected impact that DDLC had. The plus side is that I think I'm a better writer now, and I also have more resources to bring my ideas to life. So, I think it's appropriate to increase the scope of my next VN.

 

It's against my principles to let DDLC influence the content [of] my future creative work just because DDLC was popular. So, although I feel pressure to produce high-quality work, I don't feel pressured to create something similar to DDLC. I have some new ideas that I think are very cool, and I'd love to be able to execute them well.

JF: DDLC was first released on itch.io before being ported to Steam and elsewhere. Was there anything that you learned from the initial itch release that better equipped you to bring DDLC to other platforms?

 

DS: DDLC released on Steam just a few weeks after the itch.io release. It was a very modest release with not much marketing, and I think it only started to really explode a couple months later. In general, it was very straightforward to release on both platforms. I kind of just put it out there, without doing any "publisher" stuff like tracking engagement and all that. I was more focused on fixing bugs as they came up.

JF: What was the biggest challenge when porting DDLC to consoles for the expanded version of the game, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus?

 

DS: The biggest challenge with DDLC Plus was on the business side of things. I was a solo developer up until that point, so all of a sudden I was thrust into this world full of deadlines, advance planning, and forced compromises. It would have gone more smoothly if I had the experience to make better business decisions, but that's hindsight, and I still have fond memories of the level of passion and care that we were able to put into every detail of DDLC Plus.

JF: There is a lot of discourse online about the meaning behind the narrative of Doki Doki Literature Club and what the characters represent. Have you had concerns that players might not be taking away the intended message?

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DS: What matters to me is that DDLC can be a personal experience for players that really means something to them, whether through the game itself or through the passionate fan community. That said, though, one of DDLC's strengths is that it doesn't take itself too seriously, and I never took it too seriously, either. For some it has a very deep personal meaning to them, and for others it's just a fun horror game. I'm just incredibly grateful that it has provided a positive experience to so many people.

JF: It takes a very versatile artist to be willing and able to draw both cutesy anime characters and graphic, disturbing content. How do you find team members and collaborators who can share your vision, even when that vision is unconventional?

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DS: I think pretty much everyone I pitched DDLC to was on board with it from the start! On paper, it was just a very fun idea that got people excited. There are only a couple scenes with highly graphic content, so it wasn't a huge ask, I don't think. In general, I really try to let my passion shine through when presenting my ideas for others, because I want them to understand not just the content of the game, but the emotions I feel around it, and why it's so important to me.

JF: You have a very diverse background in gaming, being heavily involved in the modding, retro gaming, and speedrunning communities even before Team Salvato had its first official release. Your games showcase some of these interests: DDLC has an active modding scene and Magicore Anomala is very explicitly inspired by your love for the retro Amiga computer. Do you have any desire to complete the trifecta and create a game that is targeted towards speedrunners?

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DS: My philosophy with speedrunning is that it's an amazing way to get more out of the games we love the most, taking the game a step beyond its original design after we've exhausted all the content but want to keep replaying it forever. I would be absolutely thrilled of one of my future games has a speedrunning community grow around it, whether it's Magicore or something else. As a speedrunner, I understand how to add features to games that would be helpful or enticing for a speedrunning community. But I don't see myself starting with "speedrunning" as a concept and building a game around it. Speedrunning and modding are just a couple of many ways to passionately enjoy a game beyond its original contents.

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JF: Finally, DePaul University has a very sizable Game Design program which is consistently ranked among the best in the country. Is there any advice you would like to share with aspiring game developers who will be beginning their careers in the industry within the next few years?

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DS: There are so many paths into game development, because just about any creative skill imaginable can be applied to games or interactive media in some way. I want to help aspiring creators understand that no single path is correct. Your drive and passion to create is the ultimate tool for building skills and strengthening your portfolio. That is what will create the most opportunity for you in the years and decades to come. Just make sure that through the boring or tedious parts, you are always creating things that you love, because it will really show, and it will help bring you happiness.