Epic Games is bringing Serenity Forge’s Doki Doki Literature Club back to Android later today, we can reveal.
The cult visual novel will be announced as an Epic Games Store Android-exclusive, we’re told. Google caused a stir in April this year when it removed Doki Doki Literature Club from its Play Store due to its depiction of sensitive themes.
We understand Epic has been in dialogue with Serenity Forge over bringing the game back to Android devices exclusively through the Epic Games Store since it was removed from Google’s Play Store.
A placeholder Doki Doki Literature Club product page is already live on the Epic Games Store, but at the time of writing Android players can only wishlist the title, not download it. It is rated for 18+ players only, and the blurb contains the warning that it is “not suitable for those who are easily disturbed.”
In April, shortly after Doki Doki Literature Club was removed from Google’s Play Store, developer Serenity Forge put out a statement saying it was working to find a resolution with Google to get the game back on Android stores.
“We’re also looking into potential options for alternate methods of distribution on Android devices” the statement said.
Doki Doki Literature Club has remained on sale across most other digital storefronts, including Apple’s App Store, Nintendo’s eShop, the PlayStation Store and Steam. It is still unavailable on the Google Play Store.
While at first Doki Doki Literature Club appears to be a typical romance-themed visual novel, as the story unfolds it turns into more of a horror experience that explores its characters’ mental health and depicts self-harm.
On Apple’s App Store and other storefronts, where it has remained on sale since launch, it is labelled as a psychological horror and is rated 18+. As with its listing on the Epic Games Store, the game’s blurb warns: “This game is not suitable for children or those those who are easily disturbed”.
We have contacted Epic and Serenity Forge for official confirmation of this news but neither responded at the time of publication.
