Not that bad honestly. It's enjoyable if you go in with an open mind and the side stories are actually decent and add some legitimate depth that was needed to make the characters more than walking tropes and themes. I don't think this was ever supposed to be some damming deconstruction of VNs like some argued, but I see how it could hurt perception of the medium for first time readers (of which Doki Doki had many of).

For a first foray into the medium, I think Dan Salvato did a pretty solid job. The writing can be a little too tongue-in-cheek but it never REALLY tries to hide or act like something different than what it is despite the cute veneer; a short story with some meta horror aspects and a slight focus on mental health. Honestly, I do still think it would have been a much better story if the meta stuff never kicked in and it stayed a genuine story on handling grief and recognizing mental illness.