Doki Doki Literature Club is a unique kind of visual novel game that puts the player in the middle of four very different girls, whom they can grow close to overtime. The varied cast has its own merits, but there's one other reason why this game stands out among others, it's also a psychological horror story.

RELATED: Top 10 Doki Doki Literature Club Cosplay Straight From The Visual Novel

In DDLC, the game goes from innocent to twisted halfway through, showing off some rather gruesome imagery and the game's world becoming a terrifying shell of itself. The girls in the Literature Club don't exactly fair to well either, and with that in mind, there are also are better alternatives in terms of anime-style harems.

10 DOKI DOKI'S THE BEST: THE LITERATURE CLUB IS PRETTY COOL

Doki Doki Literature Club cast

For anyone whose favorite things to do is read and write, the Literature Club may be exactly what you're looking for. Monika, Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri help run this club so that anyone with an interest in literature is welcome.

On top of having members with great taste in books, the members are also encouraged to write their very own poetry and through that, you can get a peek into the hearts and souls that make up this club. The active members may be few, but they help make the Literature Club warm and inviting.

9 ALTERNATIVE: THE NEIGHBOR'S CLUB (HAGANAI)

While weird can be good, the kind of weird that transpires in DDLC might be a little too scary for some. For a much more endearing kind of weird, Haganai's Neighbor's Club is as fun as they are awkward.

RELATED: 10 Reverse Harem Anime You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

The mission statement of the club is to make friends through various social activities, which are admittedly a little less than successful more often than not. Regardless of how successful the club is or how socially inept the members are, they are all very likable underneath their strange personalities and just want some genuine friendship. It all comes from a good place.

8 DOKI DOKI'S THE BEST: CUPCAKES!

In times of desperation (that being low club membership) the Literature Club breaks out its secret weapon to bring up the membership count, Nastuki's cupcakes. If the appeal of reading and writing wasn't enough to sell anyone on the idea of the Literature Club, these cupcakes likely will.

Natsuki was already cute enough with her tsundere attitude and love of manga, but it turns out she's a great baker too. They not only apparently taste really good, but her cupcakes are decorated to look like adorable little cat faces. Not a bad way to find members.

7 ALTERNATIVE: THE NAKANO SISTERS (QUINTESSENTIAL QUINTUPLETS)

nakano sisters in quintessential quintuplets

After the horrors that persist through DDLC's second half, a slightly more normal harem might be in order. Fortunately, Quintessential QuintupletsNakano sisters, are just the right balance of unique and normal.

While their studying habits are absolutely terrible, there's sweetness in even the sourest of these sisters. Despite how much they look alike, no two sisters are alike, having varying personalities between all of them. They're quite the pranksters too, able to disguise themselves as each other with ease. Though it may take time for them to open up at first, all of the Nakano sisters are worth getting to know.

6 DOKI DOKI'S THE BEST: THEY'RE SYMPATHETIC TOO

Despite their outward appearances, and some scary things they do later, the members of the Literature Club can be a rather sympathetic bunch that make them feel like well-rounded characters despite not knowing them for long in the game.

RELATED: 10 Anime That Were Inspired By Visual Novels

Yuri is socially awkward, Natsuki has a clearly abusive homelife, Sayori suffers from depression, and Monika, despite what she does in Act 2, is sad and lonely being the only one aware that her reality is a simulation and knowing she's not a romantic option in the game. It does add some much-needed complexity to these characters.

5 ALTERNATIVE: RITO'S HAREM (TO LOVE RU)

If there was life out there, beyond the stars, how similar would they be to humans? In To Love Ru's case, very and that might be part of the charm. The girls that surround Rito are cute, funny, and out of this world whether they're from Earth or outer space.

There's many standout characters too, like the bubbly alien princess Lala, the sweet and kind Haruna, the strict but clumsy Yui, and even the quiet alien Golden Darkness. As crazy and weird as things get for Rito's harem, it'd be a lie to say they weren't one of the better ones out there.

4 DOKI DOKI'S THE BEST: NATSUKI, THE MOST TRUSTWORTHY MEMBER

 Doki Doki Literature Club - Soft horror gaming

Tsundere personalities can be something of a tightrope to walk, there's a balance between being mean with a sweeter side underneath and just being plain mean. While the game goes all sorts of wonky, Natsuki proves she's more than just an archetype to play out.

RELATED: The 10 Best Harem Anime Of The Decade, Ranked According To IMDb

While Natsuki does glitch out here and there, she ends up being one of the only girls to not become overwhelmed by Monika amplifying their negative traits and even tries to get help from the player when Yuri begins to act erratically. Natsuki was the only one to start catching on to Monika's scheme, making her something of an unsung heroine of this game.

3 ALTERNATIVE: MONSTER GIRLS (MONSTER MUSUME)

While the idea of a monster harem wouldn't be anyone's first choice, Monster Musume does roll with that idea in spectacular fashion while showcasing an interesting array of monster girls.

Among the cast is an overly affectionate, but loving lamia, a stoic yet shy centaur, a mermaid with a love for tragic romance, and even an adorable slime girl. The Monster Musume girls are a diverse cast unlike any other and even though they can get a little rowdy, they are a very caring group. An out-there harem, maybe, but great nonetheless.

2 DOKI DOKI'S THE BEST: JUST MONIKA

Just Monika from Doki Doki Literature Club

It's easy to see Monika as the villain of DDLC, given what she does throughout the game. She amplifies the worst traits of her club members to the point where two of them commit suicide, tries to force the player to choose her over the others, and completely breaks the game all so that Monika to be alone with the player. Her actions are pretty horrible, but if you can get past that, it all comes from a desire to be loved.

Sure, her actions to get to this point are morally grey at their best, but once she gets the player alone she only wants to spend all her time talking to them and with a variety of subjects. She even tries to comfort the player if she feels they are lonely or depressed, and it is eerily comforting.

1 ALTERNATIVE: THE HOST CLUB (OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB)

Who said all harems were made up of only women? The host club, of Ouran High School Host Club, is home to a group of guys as handsome as they are hilarious. The host club members are masters at making people feel welcome, having something of a flare for the dramatic to boot.

From the princely but childish Tamaki to calm and collected Kyoya and everyone in between, there's a type for just about anyone in this club. Charming, loveable, yet over-the-top, the boys of Ouran's host club are a great alternative to the horrors of DDLC. The best part is they don't become too self-aware and try to kill each other to get your attention.

NEXT: The 5 Best & 5 Worst Harems In Anime, Ranked