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Undertale

An unforgettable journey that will shape storytelling in games, Undertale effortlessly resonates with players and fills its world with depth and joy.
Undertale Game Cover
94%Game Brain Score
story, music
grinding, stability
97% User Score Based on 175,257 reviews
Critic Score 91%Based on 32 reviews

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Undertale Game Cover

About

Undertale is a single player role playing game with horror, fantasy, drama and comedy themes. It was developed by tobyfox and was released on September 15, 2015. It received very positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Undertale is a unique RPG where you can experience a soulful story with memorable characters, featuring a battle system that allows you to spare enemies or engage in action-packed combat. The game is mostly created by one person and offers humor, skeleton dating, and a challenge to find all the dogs within the game. However, player discretion is advised due to potential images that may trigger photosensitive epilepsy.

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Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
Undertale screenshot
+7
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97%
Audience ScoreBased on 175,257 reviews
story16.7k positive mentions
grinding659 negative mentions
  • The soundtrack, composed by Toby Fox, is iconic and enhances the emotional depth of the game, with memorable tracks that resonate with players.
  • The story is praised for its emotional depth, humor, and unique narrative structure, with memorable characters and impactful player choices.
  • The game offers a unique blend of traditional RPG mechanics and bullet-hell elements, creating engaging gameplay that allows for both combat and non-violent interactions.
  • The graphics are criticized as simple and crude, detracting from the overall experience for some players.
  • The gameplay can feel repetitive and simplistic, with some players finding it tedious, especially in certain routes.
  • The dialogue and humor are polarizing, with some players finding them juvenile or unfunny, leading to a disconnect with the game's narrative.
  • story
    31,050 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of Undertale is widely praised for its emotional depth, humor, and unique narrative structure, where player choices significantly impact the outcome and character interactions. Many players find the characters memorable and relatable, with the game exploring themes of morality, compassion, and the consequences of one's actions. The combination of a compelling storyline, engaging gameplay, and an iconic soundtrack makes Undertale a standout title in the indie game scene, often regarded as one of the best story-driven games of all time.

    • “The story is so good that it will fully drag you in emotionally, the gameplay is so fun, the characters are all so unique and memorable.”
    • “The storytelling and soundtrack are second to none.”
    • “The story is amazing, the characters are so well built, and the worldbuilding is out of this world, if you have not played this game yet I recommend you go for the pacifist run.”
    • “The dialogue is horrendous; hearing people praise the story and interactions in this game and then playing it, it's just terrible. I honestly can't say I was moved once by any piece of dialogue, or that I laughed once.”
    • “Playing a short game that has nominal replayability just for some different endings and tiny changes to a cliché, boring storyline, only for the choices I made on the first playthrough not to matter and to be a waste of time.”
    • “The story is bland and the gameplay is repetitive.”
  • music
    24,318 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in Undertale is widely praised as one of its standout features, with many reviewers calling it iconic and unforgettable. Composed by Toby Fox, the soundtrack enhances the game's emotional depth and atmosphere, with tracks like "Megalovania" and "Hopes and Dreams" becoming particularly memorable. Players often express a deep emotional connection to the music, noting its ability to evoke nostalgia and complement the game's narrative and character development. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a masterpiece, contributing significantly to the game's lasting impact and popularity.

    • “The music is made out of iconic little masterpieces that fit each situation and give the game a soul and emotions that do not feel dull or over-dramatic.”
    • “From the unforgettable boss fights to that absolutely legendary soundtrack, every piece feels masterfully crafted to pull you into its world, it’s an experience that just sticks with you.”
    • “The soundtrack is a masterpiece on its own, composed by Toby Fox, enhancing the emotional impact of every moment.”
    • “The music is annoying at best, and the out of tune guitar drove me to the brink of insanity.”
    • “The soundtrack, while widely praised, is sometimes the only thing carrying the experience when the gameplay drags.”
    • “The graphics are simple, characters are unique and the soundtrack is a banger!”
  • gameplay
    12,293 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Undertale is characterized by its unique blend of traditional RPG mechanics and bullet-hell elements, allowing players to choose between combat and non-violent interactions, such as sparing enemies. While many players appreciate the innovative mechanics and emotional depth, some find the gameplay simplistic or repetitive, particularly in the context of its narrative-driven focus. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging story, memorable characters, and outstanding soundtrack, making it a standout title in the indie gaming landscape.

    • “The gameplay is charming and varied, the story is somehow subtle while also holding so much depth it could swallow you whole, and the music is beautiful.”
    • “The combat system is a unique blend of bullet-hell mechanics and traditional turn-based strategy, but with a twist – you don’t have to kill anyone.”
    • “The gameplay mixes turn-based combat with bullet-hell mechanics, which makes battles feel unique and actually fun instead of repetitive.”
    • “Boring gameplay, mediocre graphics, no sense of character development as you would expect from an RPG.”
    • “The game mechanics are not explained well, the movement speed is not quick enough to progress, and the constant dialogue that interrupts gameplay every 15 steps makes the game unplayable.”
    • “The gameplay is also pretty much nonexistent; just remove the boring combat and you get a barebones, poorly coded, meme RPG.”
  • humor
    11,180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in Undertale is a defining aspect, characterized by its quirky, clever writing and memorable characters that often deliver puns and absurd jokes. While many players find the humor genuinely funny and charming, some critiques highlight that it can feel juvenile or repetitive, particularly for those not aligned with its specific comedic style. Overall, the game balances humor with emotional depth, creating a unique experience that resonates with a wide audience.

    • “The humor is great and the hunt for neat little easter eggs that require thinking outside of the box or a lot of exploring never seems to end.”
    • “It's got a quirky, charming sense of humor, great character writing, a powerful message or two, and for me personally, it was genuinely life-changing.”
    • “The characters have different personalities, like Sans being a chill but powerful guy and Papyrus with his funny texts and actions, and every character has funny and serious moments but happy moments.”
    • “It's so unfunny and just, cringe, completely, 100% cringe, and painful to sit through especially the mountains and mountains of dialogue with characters like Papyrus or Mettaton.”
    • “The jokes were extremely unfunny, not even trying to be harsh or anything; I genuinely didn't even smile at a single one.”
    • “The humor in this game is garbage; it's not funny and the characters are so dumb.”
  • emotional
    8,293 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of *Undertale* is overwhelmingly praised by players, who describe it as a profound and unforgettable experience that evokes a wide range of feelings, from joy to heartbreak. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to create deep emotional connections with its characters, leading to genuine tears during pivotal moments, particularly in the true pacifist ending. The combination of a touching narrative, memorable soundtrack, and unique gameplay mechanics contributes to its status as a masterpiece that resonates with players long after their journey through the underground concludes.

    • “The story is so good that it will fully drag you in emotionally; the gameplay is fun, and the characters are all so unique and memorable.”
    • “Undertale is more than a game; it's an emotional journey that will change you forever, whether you like it or not.”
    • “This game made me cry multiple times, and it is genuinely the only game I have ever felt truly emotional after finishing.”
    • “It emotionally scarred me, for better or for worse.”
    • “Shitty graphics (mixture of several sizes of pixel art), incredibly linear boring story, large amount of boring and similar fights, choices don't really matter (the typical: either character is dead, or the character will live but stay at the same spot from now on...)”
    • “Just kind of a boring story and gameplay.”
  • graphics
    6,391 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of *Undertale* are characterized by a retro, pixel art style that evokes nostalgia for classic 8-bit and 16-bit games. While some players appreciate the charm and simplicity of the visuals, others criticize them as crude or unappealing, often feeling that they detract from the overall experience. Despite the mixed opinions on graphics, many reviewers emphasize that the game's compelling story, memorable characters, and outstanding soundtrack more than compensate for any visual shortcomings.

    • “I am in love with the art style, soundtrack, story, characters, gameplay; literally everything about it is perfect.”
    • “The art style is deliberately minimalist, but that's precisely its strength: it sets the mood and helps you focus on the characters and emotions, not just the details.”
    • “The graphics may be simple, but they are incredibly rich in content and leave you with that amazing feeling of wanting more!”
    • “Boring gameplay, mediocre graphics, no sense of character development as you would expect from an RPG.”
    • “The graphics are awful, but they do give a certain old-school charm, I guess.”
    • “The graphics look like they were drawn by a four-year-old.”
  • replayability
    1,840 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The replayability of "Undertale" is a significant aspect of its appeal, with many players praising its multiple endings and the impact of player choices on the narrative. While some reviews note that the game can feel less replayable after completing all major routes, the variety of interactions, secrets, and character dialogues encourage players to revisit the game for different experiences. Overall, it is regarded as highly replayable, with many players expressing a desire to explore all possible outcomes and hidden content.

    • “Very replayable whether you do the same route over and over or try different routes.”
    • “The choices the player can make also create replay value that rewards subsequent playthroughs.”
    • “The game has a wonderful set of characters, a banger soundtrack, and massive replay value and secrets.”
    • “Playing a short game that has nominal replayability just for some different endings and tiny changes to a cliché, boring storyline, only for the choices I made on the first playthrough not to matter and to be a waste of time but to become necessary on the second playthrough.”
    • “Main drawback of this game is that it's not too replayable at all and its focus on multiple endings suffers from it.”
    • “After you've finished the 3 endings, replay value is zero.”
  • grinding
    958 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The aspect of "grinding" in Undertale has received mixed feedback from players. While many appreciate the game's innovative mechanics that allow for minimal grinding, especially in pacifist runs, others find the genocide route excessively tedious due to the required grinding to defeat all enemies. Overall, players note that while grinding can be present, particularly in certain endings, the game often subverts traditional RPG expectations by allowing players to progress without it, making the experience feel less like a grind and more focused on narrative and character interactions.

    • “No tedious grind, just good story and vibes, unless you're a monster.”
    • “I recommend this game if you are looking for relatively straightforward gameplay, little-to-no grinding, and want to focus on story interactions and the consequences of your actions.”
    • “This is an amazing old-style RPG with a great story, lovable characters, unique fight system, interesting concepts, and no grinding.”
    • “The mechanics are honestly just tedious and annoying.”
    • “The 'pacifist' route seems extremely tedious unless you use a walkthrough, which is pointless to me.”
    • “The gameplay, combat, and boss fights become frustratingly difficult and tedious at times, which I interpret to be part of the game's commentary.”
  • atmosphere
    686 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of Undertale is widely praised for its unique blend of charm, emotional depth, and immersive storytelling, enhanced by a phenomenal soundtrack that complements the game's various moods. Players appreciate how the atmosphere shifts dramatically based on their choices, creating a rich and engaging experience that evokes a range of emotions, from joy to melancholy. Despite its retro graphics, the game's art style and music work together to create a captivating world that resonates with players long after they finish the game.

    • “The atmosphere, with the music and the characters, is just special.”
    • “From the cozy 'home' to the epic 'megalovania,' the soundtrack defines the atmosphere.”
    • “The music perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, creating a nostalgic and enchanting experience.”
    • “The atmosphere doesn't do it for me, and as I wrote before, I don't really get this game.”
    • “Everywhere you go looks the same; repetitive atmosphere and visuals.”
    • “The atmosphere, characters, and story just weren't there.”
  • character development
    640 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in "Undertale" is widely praised for its depth and emotional impact, with players noting that even minor characters possess rich backstories and unique personalities. Many reviews highlight how the game's narrative choices significantly affect character arcs, fostering strong emotional connections that enhance the overall experience. Despite some critiques regarding the simplicity of graphics, the character designs and development are celebrated as standout features that contribute to the game's lasting appeal and replayability.

    • “The character development is so good in this game, it makes me love all the characters so much!”
    • “This game is a masterclass in storytelling, character development, and unique gameplay mechanics.”
    • “The character development is absolutely genius, making it unmatched when compared to any other game in history.”
    • “Boring gameplay, mediocre graphics, no sense of character development as you would expect from an RPG.”
    • “At a certain point, character development turns into filler dialogue, and it’s a line Undertale does cross every once in a while.”
    • “Character development is very complicated and difficult to explain without spoiling the game.”
  • stability
    81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game receives mixed feedback from users, with some praising its smooth performance and minimal glitches, particularly on console versions, while others report frequent freezes, audio issues, and various bugs, especially in the Steam version. Despite these complaints, many players still find the overall experience enjoyable, highlighting the game's strong mechanics and storytelling. Overall, while some users encounter significant stability issues, others report a largely bug-free experience, suggesting variability based on platform and individual hardware.

    • “The game is perfect, no glitches at all.”
    • “As far as gameplay is concerned, all the mechanics run smoothly and the game is mostly bug free.”
    • “Programming: the game is bug free as far as I can tell during my 15 hours.”
    • “I believe (although I could be wrong) that the Steam version is far more buggy than any console port of the game.”
    • “On top of that, I experienced several bugs: music playing but the screen is black, transition from room to room freezes the game (only alt+tab to move to another window and then alt+tab again to come back unfreezes), game freeze for some minutes and then coming back by itself.”
    • “The game is buggy, provides limited entertainment, and crashed (for me) more than 5 times.”
  • optimization
    53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance even on low-end systems, some have encountered significant bugs and issues, such as stuttering and frame rate drops. The game is praised for its ability to run well on devices like the Steam Deck, but there are also complaints about poor optimization in certain areas, leading to a less than ideal experience for some users. Despite these issues, the game's charming art and music contribute positively to its overall performance.

    • “Performance: ran flawless with extremely long battery life”
    • “The game runs smoothly as expected, and apparently it works well on the Steam Deck too, which might be the main reason to get it on Steam.”
    • “The art style and music are amazing and the game can run smoothly even on a potato.”
    • “It is just a poorly optimized game.”
    • “0/10 poorly optimized.”
    • “The game is so unoptimized it only runs at 30fps.”
  • monetization
    39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is highly praised, with multiple reviews highlighting the absence of microtransactions and downloadable content (DLC), which sets it apart from many contemporary titles often criticized for being cash grabs. Players appreciate the game's focus on creativity and emotional depth rather than profit-driven mechanics, emphasizing that it offers a genuine experience without the burden of in-game purchases. Overall, the game's commitment to a fair monetization model is seen as a refreshing change in the gaming landscape.

    • “10/10 no in-game purchases!”
    • “This is potentially my game of the year for 2015. It's ironic really how all these $60 - $120 (collector's edition) games come out and try to impress us, and here comes this sweet little game that just takes Steam by storm, no DLC, no microtransactions, no pretentious indie stuff, just a sweet game that's really nice to play.”
    • “Wish there were more games like this in this day and age that have a lot of heart and soul in it rather than being cash grabs.”
    • “This is a game made with heart, creativity, and a sheer passion one doesn't often see in a medium slowly filling with loot boxes and microtransactions.”
    • “It's ironic really how all these $60 - $120 (collector's edition) games come out and try to impress us, and here comes this sweet little game that just takes Steam by storm, no DLC, no microtransactions, no pretentious indie stuff, just a sweet game that's really nice to play.”
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91%Critics’ scoreBased on 32 critic reviews
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13h Median play time
66h Average play time
7h Main story
21h Completionist
7-50h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 492 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Undertale is a role playing game with horror, fantasy, drama and comedy themes.

Undertale is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 7 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 21 hours to finish. On average players spend around 66 hours playing Undertale.

Undertale was released on September 15, 2015.

Undertale was developed by tobyfox.

Undertale has received very positive reviews from players and very positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Undertale is a single player game.

Similar games include DELTARUNE, Omori, Vs. Alfie: Moonlit Melodies (+ 2 Bonus Songs), Everhood, Hollow Knight and others.