It’s kinda remarkable how much of an impact Toby Fox’s UNDERTALE has made on the industry. Since its release in 2015, this game which was inspired by Shigesato Itoi’s Mother / Earthbound, has influenced a legion of fans to make their own works inspired by the events of UNDERTALE.
Top 11 UNDERTALE-Inspired Fan Games
And, what’s more, not only are these new creations inspired by Fox’s magnum opus, some serve as prequels or sequels that are permitted thanks to his laissez-fair attitude regarding such spinoffs. According to a Reddit thread posted on January 2, 2016, the only things Fox cares about when it comes to fan-created spinoffs are:
- that fans not use the original game’s music
- that they not remake the entire game
- that they do not sell their works
- and lastly, that they make it very clear that it’s unofficial and provide a link to the original game.
In a world where a great many developers and publishers watch their IPs like a hawk — *coughcough Nintendo coughcough* — it’s very pleasing to see a creator who remembers where they came from. So, let’s take a look at the eleven best examples of fan-games based on Toby Fox’s UNDERTALE.
11. UsualTale Sans Fight
It’s honestly appropriate that this is the first title on today’s docket. Because it’s important, when talking about UNDERTALE, to mention the various AUs, or alternate universes. In the UNDERTALE fandom, there are countless AUs where things are … swapped around, so to speak. In this specific example, while I can’t find any concrete information about UsualTale, it would seem this is an AU set in a cyberpunk dystopia.
I must admit, this one is only included because it looks really cool. I am not nearly good enough at video games to stand a chance against UsualTale’s version of Sans. Plus, all the text is in Chinese, but according to the developer, the text is inconsequential to the enjoyment of the fight itself. I have no idea if the dev intends on making more mini-games in this style, but I would be wholly unopposed to it.
10. Dreamtale
Dreamtale is a short epilogue meant to take place after the Pacifist Ending of UNDERTALE. I say short because I managed to complete it within about ten minutes. And, when I say it’s an epilogue, I mean it’s an epilogue. It’s set one night in Toriel’s house on the surface world, and the goal is to explore as much or as little as you want to. What’s more, it can be played entirely within your browser via HTML5.
I really appreciate how much love and attention to detail went into this one. There are so many items to interact with and each item’s description is flavored with Fox’s trademark style. I imagine there’s so much more to find in this brief experience that I missed out on, so I definitely challenge y’all to dive in!
9. FUNKINTALE
Friday Night Funkin’ seems to have taken over the rhythm game scene since developers everywhere just … stopped making them*. It’s admittedly not my favorite of the genre; between us, I’m still waiting for Project Rap Rabbit to come out of the ether. But, if any crossover makes sense, it’s FNF and UNDERTALE.
UNDERTALE’s soundtrack has over 100 loopable songs that would be perfect in a rhythm game. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that there’s a crossover between FNF and UNDERTALE called FUNKINTALE. As of writing, there is only a demo available, but there’s enough here to determine if you’ll be sticking around. If you’ve played Friday Night Funkin’, and if you’ve heard the UNDERTALE OST, you know what to expect.
*I am aware that developers still make rhythm games, this was a joke.
8. Bonely Hearts Club
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there is also an UNDERTALE-themed dating sim/visual novel. In Bonely Hearts Club, you play as a nameless, faceless human who must determine which of the various AU Sans’ and Papyrus’ you’d like to date. It currently has a demo available, but it’s been over a year since it was posted, so there’s a good chance it’s either on hiatus or has been cancelled.
7. Bad Time Simulator
I genuinely adore this one, but only because it lets me fight Sans without suffering through a No Mercy Route. In Bad Time Simulator, you can emulate the dreaded fight against Sans without harming a single monster in the underground. What’s more, it can all be done from the comfort of your browser! Well — that is, as long as your browser supports webGL. If it doesn’t … it becomes the Worst Time Simulator.
6. UNDERTALE: NIHILISM
If UNDERTALE is to Earthbound/Mother 2, then UNDERTALE: NIHILISM is to the elusive Mother 3 (in terms of visuals, at least). In this new take on a classic No Mercy Route merged with a Pacifist Route, players will be able to encounter new and familiar monsters whilst reaching for the ultimate goal.
If that sounds vague, that’s because this one doesn’t have a publicly available demo as of writing, but its screenshots look extremely promising. I will be watching this one like a hawk as development continues.
5. DONTFORGET / DF Connected
DONTFORGET is one of the most ambitious projects on this list. I say that because, in addition to being a hybrid UNDERTALE and DELTARUNE-inspired fan game, it includes a full-on MMORPG set in the world of UNDERTALE. DONTFORGET isn’t fully out yet, though players can jump into the MMO as of writing. It’s not the most exciting thing ever, but if you’re already a fan of UNDERTALE’s world, you’ll probably dig it.
4. AFTERTALE
In AFTERTALE, which is based on a comic posted via tumblr, players find themselves trapped once again in the underground, and they must overcome a repeating timeline. It’s also not available as of writing, but its art style alone makes me want to watch this one’s development with great interest.
3. Deltatraveler
Peanut Butter & Jelly. LEGO and Star Wars. Undertale & Deltarune?! In this delightful crossover, Kris, Susie and Noelle find that they’ve been isekai’d to the world of UNDERTALE, and they have to figure out why. It would seem that, in each of the many planned chapters, the triumphant trio will wake up in a new game; for example, in chapter one it’s UNDERTALE, but in chapter two, it’s Earthbound/Mother 2.
In future installments, the dev team will bring these characters to the worlds of A Link to the Past, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, and Toontown Online, among others. I honestly can’t wait to see more from this ambitious crossover, and I highly advise that y’all give the first two chapters a try.
2. TS!UNDERSWAP
In what might be the second most ambitious project on this list — but it’s close regardless — we have a full game set within one of the many UNDERTALE AUs, UNDERSWAP. In this AU, we have the characters that we know and love from the base game, but their role is substantially different than we remember.
For example; the player character, instead of Frisk, is Chara. And, what’s more, instead of Toriel, the character who helps us out of the Ruins is actually Asgore. This doesn’t mean that Frisk and Toriel don’t exist in this world, but rather, they will assume the opposite roles: the fallen child and Queen, respectfully.
As of writing, there is a massive demo available with new environments, characters, and sidequests. That’s right! Not even UNDERTALE had sidequests. I am extremely ready for TS!UNDERSWAP to be fully released, because it honestly has the potential to be even longer than the main game.
1. Undertale Yellow
And then, there was one. I almost want to make this as vague as possible so more of y’all will check this one out, but … as that goes against my best interest, let’s not. Undertale Yellow is meant to be a prequel telling the story of the yellow soul at the end of the base game’s story. If Frisk was but the red soul, then that means there were other humans who came before, right? That’s the idea.
I can’t decide if it’s the fully original story, brand new environments, enemies, or the full animation used in its trailer, but this one has been on my radar for half of a decade. It does have a demo available, but as it was published at the end of 2016, the final game may differ significantly. I would advise checking out the newer trailers showcasing the current build, and keeping an eye out for more news on Undertale Yellow.
