Is there an overall message? SPOILERS

[TOKE SMOKEM]

Perhaps, learning to empathize with unhinged people, the dangers of sentient ai, or pehaps suicide prevention?

[Strider VM]

Well, for me I treat it as a meta commentary of the nature of Visual Novels. They're designed to empower the player. And the game turns it upside down with the idea that what if the inhabitants realize they're in a game and they're programmed to fall in love with the player?

Lesson? Video games are awesome and their interactivity makes them unique compared to movies in which there's no audience participation. =P

[rathalos]

Obvious and *untagged* spoilers FROM ALL ACTS AND SOME DDLC SECRETS:

It's 4 AM and I've lost control of my life, so bear with the cringe auchismo as I type out an incoherent essay about a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ anime game about cute girls who are creepy glitchy computer programs.

Anyway, I knew that something was bugging me about this game! Thank you for leading me towards the right direction. The simple answer would be that DDLC is merely a jab at common VNs (and that comes with its own legitimate set of messages! Role shifts, taking power away from the player, having no choice actually matters, be good to your companions, etc), but I have a different opinion riddled with uncertainty.

There are factors like the characters'/AIs' real motivations (aside from Monika's), their history, the setting and the game's/story's rules that aren't given a satisfying conclusion. It simultaneously gives the sensation that the game was "meta" for the sake of being "meta", but then Project Libitina and the whole (potential) ARG behind it that we're yet to experience fully could bring purpose to DDLC, nullifying that nagging feeling but also giving reason to insert loads of doubt on why, how and when a lot of things in this game happen.

I pointed out the AI's motivations first because the implication that Monika exists makes it reasonable that others like her exist - indeed, when Sayori becomes president, she immediately becomes self-aware and targets the player directly like Monika did, but far more aggressively. This sounds too deliberate because of how quick it happens, which raises some questions: what does the LC do to the characters? Is the AI bound to the LC, or do the characters have their own AI waiting to be ~~awakened~~?

Maybe I'm reaching too deep into this - after all, the supposed AI imitates a dating simulator character, right? Then, the question I'm afraid to ask is: if the AI is a horndog robot that wants a piece of MC meat, THEN WHY? What could anyone possibly gain from this? Is the game suddenly about the dangers of sexbots because of this implication?

Okay, I was kidding with that last question. My point is that there's something that Team Salvato isn't letting us in on and the game doesn't make a good job at hinting at it either, especially since the AI insists at pushing the topic of romantic involvement with the player for no good reason, unless DDLC really is meant to just be a jab at VNs.

About the mental issues part, you should notice that they were *greatly* amplified by the AI in order for it to achieve its goals and we don't know how sudden that amplification was, but it's heavily implied that it was randomly gradual (Yuri doesn't immediately confess+suicide, Sayori's depression got worse at an exponential rate, Natsuki doesn't even have a proper route). It's fair to assume that the message there could range anywhere from "Don't let a person's problems get worse with time" to "lol someone ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up".

Therefore, you cannot discern a coherent message from DDLC outside of the simple answer because the "WHY" is confusing, the "HOW" is not properly explained but shown, and the "WHEN" is not even addressed.

...But it does stay in your head for a while even after playing and experiencing everything that it has to immediately offer.

[Laeradr]

Originally posted by kaelan! meme magic is real:

It's 4 AM and I've lost control of my life, so bear with the cringe auchismo as I type out an incoherent essay about a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ anime game about cute girls who are creepy glitchy computer programs.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 5:35 am for me

Originally posted by kaelan! meme magic is real:

Therefore, you cannot discern a coherent message from DDLC outside of the simple answer because the "WHY" is confusing, the "HOW" is not properly explained but shown, and the "WHEN" is not even addressed.

...But it does stay in your head for a while even after playing and experiencing everything that it has to immediately offer.

ye, id also say the game is probably too vague to gather and isolate a straight main theme. its probably just a satire regarding visual novels with some twists and side-topics, but who knows.
it makes you think about it and thats already an archievement - it certainly leaves an lasting impression and there are dozens of threads talking about theories and even a subreddit for unraveling all the hidden secrets within the games files ;)
i personally see it as an playground for toying with unorthodox ways of storytelling and immersion-techniques, which is refined by topics that are probably important to Dan.

Ah, and @schiz0id:
would you please consider putting a spoiler tag in your thread title? thanks ;)

[rathalos]

DDLC could very well just be the start of something much bigger, too.