Undertale is an indie role-playing game by Toby Fox that launched on September 15th, 2015 after a successful Kickstarter in 2013[1]. The pacifist-friendly combat system, SNES-style sprite work, and emotional soundtrack built one of the most devoted fandoms on Tumblr and Reddit, cemented when it beat Ocarina of Time in a GameFAQs best-game-ever poll[2].
Origin
Undertale was created by Toby Fox, a composer best known for contributing music to the webcomic Homestuck and for the 2009 EarthBound ROM hack Radiation's Halloween Hack[3]. Fox launched the Kickstarter campaign on June 24th, 2013, with a $5,000 goal that funded in under 24 hours and finished at $51,124 pledged by July 24th[1].
After roughly two years of development, Undertale was approved on Steam Greenlight on January 20th, 2015, and released on September 15th, 2015[1]. The game got strong early reception from the /v/ board on 4chan during the beta period and from Let's Play channels like Vinesauce's Joel and Game Grumps' Steam Train who streamed full playthroughs around launch[1].
- Platform: Kickstarter (crowdfunding) / Tumblr (fandom spread)
- Creator: Toby Fox
- Date: 2015
Overview
Undertale drops the player into an underground world of monsters with a bullet-hell style combat screen where every enemy can be spared instead of killed[1]. The player's choices split the game into three main routes, pacifist, neutral, and genocide, each with wildly different endings and self-aware reactions from characters like the skeleton brothers Sans and Papyrus[2]. The 8-bit visual style and chiptune-leaning soundtrack, both handled almost entirely by creator Toby Fox, gave the game a look and sound that fans could easily remix into fan art, animations, and music covers[1].
As a meme ecosystem, Undertale is less a single joke and more a sprawling fandom shorthand. Characters like Sans, Papyrus, Flowey, and Mettaton became reaction image staples, with lines like Sans' "you're gonna have a bad time" showing up as a reusable warning template[3]. The pacifist versus genocide moral split also became its own running gag, with players debating runs the way other fandoms argue ships.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Undertale?
Undertale is an indie role-playing game made by Toby Fox where the player can win every fight without killing anyone, released September 15th, 2015[1].
Where did Undertale come from?
Toby Fox crowdfunded it on Kickstarter starting June 24th, 2013, raising $51,124 before launching the full game in 2015[2].
What does Undertale mean?
The name refers to the game's underground monster world, and in fandom shorthand it points to the broader Toby Fox universe including the 2018 follow-up Deltarune[3].
How do you use Undertale?
Fans typically remix Undertale through character fan art, song covers, and reaction images built around Sans, Papyrus, and quotes like 'you're gonna have a bad time'[1].
Is Undertale still popular?
The game held a 'universal acclaim' Metacritic score of 97 and the GameFAQs best-game-ever win in December 2015, with the fandom reactivating around the Deltarune reveal on October 31st, 2018[1].
