Undertale (2015)
Undertale is a 2015 puzzle video game made by tobyfox and 8-4.
A child slips underground and lands in a world of monsters sealed away from the surface long ago. Getting home means crossing their whole kingdom, past a motherly goat woman, a swaggering skeleton, a fish-knight captain, and a comedian who knows more than he lets on. Battles play out in menus and dodged bullet-storms, but you set the terms: fight, or spare every creature you meet and talk your way through. Toby Fox wrote, drew, and scored nearly all of it alone, and the game remembers what you do. Funny, sad, and quietly aware that you are playing it.
Quick answers
What is Undertale about?
A child slips underground and lands in a world of monsters sealed away from the surface long ago. Getting home means crossing their whole kingdom, past a motherly goat woman, a swaggering skeleton, a fish-knight captain, and a comedian who knows more than he lets on. Battles play out in menus and dodged bullet-storms, but you set the terms: fight, or spare every creature you meet and talk your way through. Toby Fox wrote, drew, and scored nearly all of it alone, and the game remembers what you do. Funny, sad, and quietly aware that you are playing it.
When was Undertale released?
Undertale was released on 15 September 2015.
Who made Undertale?
Undertale was made by tobyfox and 8-4.
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Undertale in our writing
- Companion guide: Time Loops: The Complete Guide to Second Chances
A few thoughts on Undertale
Spirited Away sends another lost child through a spirit world of strange creatures who turn out kinder and sadder than they first seem. Steven Universe shares the core belief that empathy beats violence, its monsters worth understanding rather than killing. For the same eerie-sweet plunge into an underground, Coraline fits the mood.
Comedy albums with real heart hiding under the jokes
Undertale wraps real tenderness inside constant jokes, and its humor keeps circling back to something sincere. Bo Burnham's Inside performs an entire comedy special from inside one room, turning laughs into genuine ache. Tenacious D spins its own comic mythology, and Zappa's Apostrophe (') and Sheik Yerbouti take the same route: absurd on the surface, sharp and heartfelt underneath.