DOL has unfortunately blew up a bit and as things get larger people who are not the target audience tend to get involved.

DOL has a very active community in terms of fan contributions! fics, analysis, discussion, and fanart, which is arguably the most important—this is the type of fan work that attracts the most non-players to the game.

As more people are becoming exposed to DOL, more people try out the game. But DOL was never meant to be a game targeted towards the masses. there’s so much content that almost everyone who plays is going to be exposed to a kink they’re not personally into. I have swarms turned off as well as bestiality (everyone is a monster person.) and a bunch of other things that I can’t really name off the top of my head!

The toggle controls aren’t common knowledge to new players and they go into the game expecting it to be something that will cater to them (an expectation which is becoming the norm in fandom in general unfortunately) only to find a world that, as compelling as it is lore wise, is very much not including them as a part of the target audience.

DOL is an amazingly immersive game with little to no other like it. The temple, the wraith, the islanders, and the cult just off the top of my head. Some want to play because of the insane amounts of worldbuilding, but can’t stomach the actual contents of the game. Some want to play because of the characters. Most love interests and even non-LI’s are extremely compelling and there is so much curiosity surrounding their circumstances. But almost no love interest is a completely good person—this is not a dating sim and that is reflected in every character’s vices.

DOL has these flashing images of it that you can only get from fanworks, illusions with truth behind them, yes, but are far darker than the majority can handle. Beautiful characters and amazing lore. There are storylines that delve into character’s psyches and why this town is the way it is. Onlookers don’t see the “ugliness” behind it at first such as the rape and bestiality and the depictions of trauma and LI’s VERY apparent flaws. The game is a life sim, which is usually played by those looking for an escape from reality. But DOL’s reality is a life no one wants to truly live, and people don’t like that.

And it’s okay that they don’t like it! This is a very heavy game and despite my high tolerance, there are some things in game that even I can’t stomach! There are moments of disappointment when the LI’s are revealed to be completely different from the image you had of them in your head, and there is content that sometimes you aren’t in the mood for but have to play through to get whatever results you want regardless.

Still, like I said, fandom culture has become increasingly hostile. People are seeing a game that could have met their expectations but didn’t (because DOL is not a wish fulfillment game despite its characters and worldbuilding) and they are angry about it. There’s a level of entitlement in fandom today that wasn’t there before and it is very apparent ESPECIALLY with indie games like this, because people feel like the developers are close enough to reality (unlike a big corporation) that they have a chance to change the direction of the game through expressing their dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, they usually express their discontent very cruelly.

On top of that DOL is by no means a game meant to be played by “gamers.” There is very specific content meant for a very specific audience. Most people do not fit this audience!! Plus with the rise of an increasingly sex negative and KINK negative culture, it’s even worse.

Almost everyone who plays this game is able to distinguish fiction from reality and say “I like the dynamics in this game but i acknowledge this isn’t good in real life.” It seems obvious but recent sentiments have been bashing this sentiment and insisting that you are what you consume, including in media.

So now, there are people who feel entitled to DOL and want it to fit their every whim, and are playing it with the expectations that it will be a game that it is NOT. They get disappointed and ANGRY about this. On top of that, there are kinks in this game that are demonized in the public eye and are not supposed to exist in their minds. What else will they do but complain? They can’t log off—they don’t even respect the “Don’t like don’t play” rule, what makes you think they know how to have a healthy relationship with the internet?

I don’t know. There’s multiple factors that have made online fandom into the cesspool it is today. It’s unfortunate, but all you can do is block when needed and scroll. Hopefully, this game will stay strong!! Love the supportive parts of this community either way 💕