User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5370 Ratings

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  1. Sep 26, 2015
    10
    I was honestly wondering why this game was getting such high scores. From screenshots & gameplay it didn't really seem all that amazing. Well, this is one of those games that you really can't judge by it's cover. It's got so much more to it than what's present on the store page. I urge you to NOT go too deep into learning about the game because spoilers will probably ruin it for you. IfI was honestly wondering why this game was getting such high scores. From screenshots & gameplay it didn't really seem all that amazing. Well, this is one of those games that you really can't judge by it's cover. It's got so much more to it than what's present on the store page. I urge you to NOT go too deep into learning about the game because spoilers will probably ruin it for you. If you enjoy RPG's, a great story, great gameplay, multiple endings or just a damn well polished good game it's a must have. Games like this just show that you don't need a AAA budget for AAA quality. Expand
  2. Sep 16, 2015
    10
    Clever, fun, and full of heart. The closest comparison I can think of in tone are the Mother series, and the games of Yoshirou Kimura. The type of game that uses weirdness, humour and innocence to teach you something about how you approach games and maybe a little bit about yourself.
  3. Sep 26, 2015
    9
    Never do I feel that there is a wasted moment in Undertale. Not in the writing, characters, etc.

    Never.

    This game is so undeniably pure, that you just have to stop and admire it.
  4. Sep 26, 2015
    10
    This game serves as 3 things: A great source of nostalgia for anyone who's ever played a Mother game, a middle finger to all of the AAA titles who spent more time on open world than creativity, and one of the greatest rpgs ever made and a clear case for game of the year.
  5. Oct 5, 2015
    10
    This may be one of the most important games you ever play. It's a horror game masquerading as something cute and funny.

    Reading some of the negative reviews, it's clear these reviewers either didn't touch the game or didn't give it a second glance. This game managed to move me and humble me and horrify me, and I am forever grateful for the experience. For the introspective soul, this
    This may be one of the most important games you ever play. It's a horror game masquerading as something cute and funny.

    Reading some of the negative reviews, it's clear these reviewers either didn't touch the game or didn't give it a second glance.

    This game managed to move me and humble me and horrify me, and I am forever grateful for the experience. For the introspective soul, this is a title that will both warm your heart and keep you up at night. It will make you laugh, it might make you cry, but most importantly, it will make you think.

    It also features some of the best boss fights I've ever had the pleasure of being pummeled by. While I don't recommend you "have a bad time," as it were, you're certain to run into what has to be one of the creepiest bosses since Giygas, only to unlock an even darker story underneath. The game is packed with absurd game design choices that will both surprise and delight.

    This is my new favorite game. I cannot recommend it enough. And it's only $10. You don't have much to lose!
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  6. Sep 26, 2015
    10
    This game is beyond perfect.

    This game is a giant middle finger to everything made since the dawn of gaming. It's...the standing RPG that I will judge all future "Story" driven games by. And, in my own personal opinion, Chrono Trigger doesn't come close to comparing to Undertale. Undertale does more to your look on life in an hour and thirty minutes than an entire series of games can
    This game is beyond perfect.

    This game is a giant middle finger to everything made since the dawn of gaming. It's...the standing RPG that I will judge all future "Story" driven games by. And, in my own personal opinion, Chrono Trigger doesn't come close to comparing to Undertale. Undertale does more to your look on life in an hour and thirty minutes than an entire series of games can try to do.

    Strange, is it? I honestly don't think so. Undertale is the story of when Man becomes the Monster's monster.

    You're a human child that falls down into the banished realm of the monsters. Every single thing you decide to do affects the lives of everyone around you. But not just them. How you are represented within this, too.

    It's hard to really talk about the story, as, amazingly enough, the internet unanimously avoids spoiling the game. I will continue that gesture by not furthering your knowledge of the game. Instead, I will talk about what first caught my attention about this game.

    The combat system.

    You have "Fight"___"Act"___"Items"___"Mercy"___ at your disposal. Your fight option mechanic consists of timed button presses to do more damage than you should.

    Items is self explanatory.

    Act...and Mercy...

    They are your non-combatant routes of dealing with foes. You can, in a strange idea, stop a monster from attacking you by telling a joke, stealing their hat, or getting close to a tsundere plane...but not too close.

    You can choose to spare your foe, or flee altogether with Mercy. When a monster no longer wishes to fight, they will be able to be spared.

    Although...You're not forced to stand still and take damage, unlike in most other RPGs. In the Mario RPG style, you're able to do actions to avoid ALL attacks. You can go through this entire game without being touched, although that'd take ridiculous amount of skill...Instead, you dodge attacks via bullet hell style. For those of us who have played games like Touhou and the sort will be in their zone. Although, the game is able to teach players who haven't played them (or like them) on a perfect difficulty ramp.

    One of my favorite things about games are bossfights.

    My opinion on Undertale's bossfights? Absolutely perfect. Each boss brings an entirely new dimension that is explained by subtle hints that the player WILL undertstand quickly. All of the bosses in the game deserve high, high amounts of praise, but there's a particular one that puts Touhou bosses at their very knees in comparing. I wish I could mention it here, but if I do, "you're going to have a bad time."

    This is also the only game I've given 300% of my ****s given for the characters. Every single one of them I cared for, cried for, cheered for, and was pissed off at (in a emotional way.)

    The game time is all over the place for people. Some people complete their first run in six hours, some in fourteen.

    The music is godlike. Beyond the levels of talent of those like ZUN and Two Steps From Hell. These songs are not "Song Walls Of Heroes" that you'd hear. Every single track in the game is built more for the moments, and play right when it's needed. There's over 100 songs that are unique, and none overstay their welcome.

    The humor of the game is just as perfect as the rest of the game, but I won't spoil them here.

    Not only this, but the game is aware of itself. It knows your actions, beyond multiple playthroughs.

    I highly reccomend this game to the highest degree. It's the first game to be "Perfect."

    As highly opinionated as that word is, that word is fact for this game.

    If I was forced to choose experiencing any game, and that'd be the final game I'd ever get to play, I'd be perfectly alright with this being the finale of games that I'd ever play.

    If you pirate this game, you're beyond cruel. For 10 US $, it's much cheaper than a AAA 60$ "experience."

    Many morals will be learned.
    You will learn to live.
    You will know pain.
    You will know sadness.
    You will know happiness, beyond the walls of the game. Is it even a game anymore? No. It isn't. It's the finale. Perfection.
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  7. Oct 6, 2015
    10
    I just wish to say you can ignore most of the negative reviews on this game; They're almost entirely people hating on a game they don't find visually appealing at first glance.

    (90% of them probably play CoD religiously and fancy themselves a critic because they can sign up for a website and type some stuff.) tl;dr Good game well worth the price.; Don't listen to the haters that
    I just wish to say you can ignore most of the negative reviews on this game; They're almost entirely people hating on a game they don't find visually appealing at first glance.

    (90% of them probably play CoD religiously and fancy themselves a critic because they can sign up for a website and type some stuff.)

    tl;dr Good game well worth the price.; Don't listen to the haters that think any sprite game was made in "Rpgmaker" because it's cool to have an opinion everyone else does on things.. 90% of the bad reviews are people that probably didn't play the game at all.
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  8. Oct 14, 2015
    10
    And this is why we play video games. This right here is what its all about. I can't imagine the sort of people ho give this a negative score. I could understand mixed maybe or even just a little on the positive side, but this game is far above what we've seen in a long time.
  9. Oct 6, 2015
    10
    A fantastic deconstruction of traditional JRPG tropes. I absolutely adore this game. Great twists and turns, fun non-standard "combat" mechanics, and some very meaningful choices and easter eggs.
  10. Sep 26, 2015
    10
    theres just something about this game, its enchanting in a quirky and unassuming sort of way--yes it looks like potato graphics but it doesnt matter, the person who wrote this was obviously a deep and interesting sort--just like the game. somehow, it manages to suck you in and get stuck in your head.. the music is incredibly good and the whole experience is just weirdly compelling.
  11. Oct 5, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me start by saying: this game had no right, NO RIGHT, to be as good as it was. It released the same month as several major AAA releases, sold for only $10, and this is what you got. It had no right, it just waltzed right in, barely even noticed among these other AAA giants... and then blew my expectations out of the water. Not to say I had expectations, but what this game gave me was an experience I will never, ever forget as long as I live.

    So Undertale is an RPG in the same vein as Earthbound, in fact many parallels can be drawn to the Mother series such as the art style and mood of the setting. But anyway it's an RPG where you play as a child that fell into an underground world populated by monsters who were driven underground many years ago by humans. But not all of these monsters want to kill you, in fact many of them are quite amiable and have their own lovable personalities, but then that's where the main mechanic of the game comes into play: you can either kill or spare these creatures. I never thought I would say this, but there legitimately is a "wrong" way to play this game in my opinion, if you play any way other than full pacifist route then you are cheating yourself out of the greatest video game experience I have ever felt. Going the aptly named "genocide" route, while an option, I feel will rob you of its intended themes: friendship, awful jokes, and how nobody is beyond redemption, no matter what.

    Combat revolves around either taking turns attacking "enemies" (if you wish to do the genocide route), while dodging their attacks by a wario-ware esque bullet hell minigame, or interacting with them to defeat them by...other means (for the pacifist route). Truth is the writing in this game is actually funny. Granted people find different things funny but this game got me laughing the whole way through (when it wasn't making me cry my eyes out). And that's the other thing: this game knows when to be funny, it knows when to be creepy, or when to be dramatic and it knows how to do all of those things very well.

    The soundtrack, like the game itself, had NO... RIGHT... to be as good as it is. Although they are simple 8 bit tunes for the most part, with some special effects at just the right moments in the game, the soundtrack is just phenomenally well done, and I frequently catch myself humming some of the delightful tunes you will hear throughout the game.

    Where do I even start with the story? As mentioned before you can either choose to kill enemies or "spare" them, going through the game without killing a single character grants you access to what I can only describe as the most fulfilling, intense, heartwarming and adrenaline pumping final boss battle I have ever witnessed in a video game to date. And I've pretty much played all of them, trust me on that one. The visuals mixing with the highly emotional and dynamic music along with the heartwarming dialogue really, really impressed me, and opened up entire new avenues for interacting with the player's emotions through the story. I simply cannot stress enough that if you are a gamer, this is something you NEED to experience at least once. The following conclusion is so heartwarming, if you don't at least choke up a bit, then you have a heart of steel... and I envy you!

    The retro style graphics might be turn off for many gamers, particularly with the prevalence of half-hearted indie games flooding the market, toting "retro graphics", but although Undertale uses these visuals as well, it does try some interesting effects and after a little while, you tend to forget about how simple the visuals can look at times.

    I shouldn't be giving this game a 10/10 because no game is literally perfect in every way, but since I can't give it a 9.9 I'll round it up to 10 because this game deserves it. It deserves every bit of praise it gets, and it deserves to be remembered for years to come, if not for its wonderful story that tugs at all the right heart strings, then for being an undoubtedly pure video game experience, crafted with love and meticulous attention to detail the likes of which only show up once in a very, very long time.
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  12. Oct 5, 2015
    10
    This game is a masterpiece, right next to Half-life and all those other highly praised games.
    When I first saw this game and its graphics I thought the game was a joke. But then I tried it. At the first 30 seconds I realised how good the game could be.. and it supassed my expectations. I'm not any fan of RPG's I usually get bored and quit them halfway through.. The same as the bullet hell
    This game is a masterpiece, right next to Half-life and all those other highly praised games.
    When I first saw this game and its graphics I thought the game was a joke. But then I tried it. At the first 30 seconds I realised how good the game could be.. and it supassed my expectations. I'm not any fan of RPG's I usually get bored and quit them halfway through.. The same as the bullet hell genre, I never really played any bullet hell extensively.. Somehow.. This game doesn't fit in those? It's more a narratively driven game game.
    People say this game is 5-7 hours long, but they forget the fact that the game doesn't end at the endings.. The game is bigger than itself. It's all just a matter of interpretation. So don't google up this and just buy it because knowing more may just hurt you. The music is fantastic. The graphics are clever, the gameplay is variate, the story is one of the best.
    This one is on the best games that I have played in the recent years.. And could easily win against all the AAA titles that have been released this year so far. Undertale knows very well when to joke and make you cry. It also knows everything.

    So don't play Undertale.... Let IT play you.
    And then.
    You'll look at all other RPG's differently.
    Stay determined.
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  13. Oct 6, 2015
    10
    The first thing you need to understand about Undertale, is that it is an experience, more than just a game. While the game itself is definitely entertaining, with a lot of influence from bullet hell shooters like Touhou, being at the forefront of examples. Beneath this, is a powerful narrative driven by -your- personal choices, rather than those of the protagonist. You're not a ride along.The first thing you need to understand about Undertale, is that it is an experience, more than just a game. While the game itself is definitely entertaining, with a lot of influence from bullet hell shooters like Touhou, being at the forefront of examples. Beneath this, is a powerful narrative driven by -your- personal choices, rather than those of the protagonist. You're not a ride along. And the game makes it very clear it is aware of this. The fourth wall is a plot device, and one that works really well in the given narrative. Buy this game. Play this game. Date a skeleton. Save the world, and feel really, really bad when you do. Expand
  14. Sep 26, 2015
    10
    Fun game, I cannot find a single thing to complain about. the way the battles play it is always interesting and fresh, little secrets hidden everywhere and choices changing things make replays feel more fresh.
  15. Sep 26, 2015
    10
    The review trend is the sort of thing that would make me suspicious. Tens everywhere, people saying I CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING BECAUSE IT'D BE A SPOILER, but for once I'd say it's justified.

    It's not a perfect game. The graphics, while stylized well, are fairly simple. Depending on who you are the humor may fall a little flat or be grating -- but the sheer breadth of work accomplished by
    The review trend is the sort of thing that would make me suspicious. Tens everywhere, people saying I CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING BECAUSE IT'D BE A SPOILER, but for once I'd say it's justified.

    It's not a perfect game. The graphics, while stylized well, are fairly simple. Depending on who you are the humor may fall a little flat or be grating -- but the sheer breadth of work accomplished by (largely) one person is astounding. It has the most entertaining battle system I've seen in an RPG since the Mario & Luigi games, and the soundtrack has quickly become one of my favourites. the number of possible outcome scenarios that the game successfully accounts for in any playthrough is both impressive and amusing. And when all is said and done, it's actually made me stop and ponder the sorts of things I take for granted with the deeply ingrained gamer mentality that applies to almost any other game.

    I laughed, I cried, I was caught off guard repeatedly, I had a barrel of fun, I felt things that no other game has made me feel, there wasn't anything about it that struck me as particularly underdeveloped or aggravating, and for those reasons it earns a 10 from me.
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  16. Sep 20, 2015
    10
    Undertale is the kind of game that comes once every few years that is TRULY a masterpiece. It has witty writing, loveable characters, and amazing music to say the least! The game never treats you like an idiot like most modern games do, though the characters themselves might treat you that way! Every single interaction has been put together so perfectly that you'll find yourself smilingUndertale is the kind of game that comes once every few years that is TRULY a masterpiece. It has witty writing, loveable characters, and amazing music to say the least! The game never treats you like an idiot like most modern games do, though the characters themselves might treat you that way! Every single interaction has been put together so perfectly that you'll find yourself smiling and laughing during the highs, and feeling genuinely sad and empathetic during the lows.

    The game is also FULL of little secrets and special interactions that players are still just scratching the surface of. Depending on how you play, the game itself changes drastically. You can spare or kill EVERYONE in this game, and actually have to do both of those things for the True ending and Genocide ending respectively. Though be warned, if you go the genocide route and then do other routes, you can never have the "true" ending. So if you want to see that, you HAVE to do pacifist!

    Either way, the game is so wonderfully crafted, and filled with so many loveable characters that I can guarantee you that you will not regret playing this game ever. It will be the kind of experience that you'll remember for a lifetime.
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  17. Oct 11, 2015
    10
    Undertale is a game where you don't have to kill anyone. On the the other hand, you can kill everyone. Or you could do something in-between. And all of these options will change your experience. If you kill just one enemy, the game will remember. And it will remind you. The game also features fun and refreshing combat, with a mix of traditional RPG combat with bullet hell. I'd recommendUndertale is a game where you don't have to kill anyone. On the the other hand, you can kill everyone. Or you could do something in-between. And all of these options will change your experience. If you kill just one enemy, the game will remember. And it will remind you. The game also features fun and refreshing combat, with a mix of traditional RPG combat with bullet hell. I'd recommend this game to anyone who's looking for a fun game to play. Just... don't have a bad time. Expand
  18. Oct 15, 2015
    10
    Amazing character development with a great OST to back it. Combat is decent. There are unique dialogue options for every enemy in the game. The endings left me with goosebumps and a feeling of sadness since I won't be able to experience this for the first time ever again.
  19. Oct 8, 2015
    10
    Essentially perfect.

    Clever gameplay, amazing writing, and masterfully scored, Undertale is a dark horse candidate for best game of 2015.

    I could say more, but it'd spoil the game, and why would I do that to you? At only 10 dollars, it's worth skipping a fast food lunch.
  20. Oct 6, 2015
    8
    Game was great. Not by any means a 10/10 game, but still so childishly charming. Somehow I remember a lot of the games characters really well. Maybe they were that memorable.
  21. Sep 17, 2015
    9
    A brilliant and engaging tale that keeps surprising! The enemies are fun and varied and the game even breaks the 4th wall. Really unique and punny! The combat is simplistic but fun but might put some people off
  22. Oct 10, 2015
    10
    Honestly, I can't even explain how this game made me feel.

    The character depth, the story... I don't know how they managed it but I couldn't find even ONE character dislikeable. Each had a unique charm and personality to them which served well in making a lot of the scenes memorable. Even the comic reliefs possessed flaws and traits that made them more than just a comedy insert. It also
    Honestly, I can't even explain how this game made me feel.

    The character depth, the story... I don't know how they managed it but I couldn't find even ONE character dislikeable. Each had a unique charm and personality to them which served well in making a lot of the scenes memorable. Even the comic reliefs possessed flaws and traits that made them more than just a comedy insert. It also convinced me to try and view people from a different perspective, to find the good in anybody.

    It left me changed and maybe attracted to a skeleton. Sure to tug at your heartstrings, leaving you feeling satisfied or proud of yourself. Only if you didn't take the genocide route though. That makes you feel horrible. I don't recommend that route.
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  23. Oct 14, 2015
    10
    I'm absolutely flabbergasted by this game. I already knew what I was getting into just by the demo alone -- astounding soundtrack, cutesy pseudo-retro graphics that call back to games of yore and are riddled with slightly more modern references (Toby Fox is a Homestuck alumnus, after all), and a plot that promised to be full of meta references and acknowledgement of the player's power to,I'm absolutely flabbergasted by this game. I already knew what I was getting into just by the demo alone -- astounding soundtrack, cutesy pseudo-retro graphics that call back to games of yore and are riddled with slightly more modern references (Toby Fox is a Homestuck alumnus, after all), and a plot that promised to be full of meta references and acknowledgement of the player's power to, well, play the game.

    I certainly wasn't expecting how deep the rabbit hole would wind up being, nor how interesting the combat mechanic of the game would be once it was fully explored. This was the best money I've spent on a video game in quite some time, and I would recommend to anyone that loves video games to give this game at least one chance to see what kind of experience they get from it.

    Kind of like how we always joked about the NetHack dev team having thought of everything, I think that Toby Fox definitely thought of everything when he put this game together, and I'm very happy he did.
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  24. Oct 11, 2015
    10
    I have never had an emotional response to a video game. However this game really **** me up. Especially the end. Not to mention the well crafted characters and genius humour. This game deserves all the credit it gets.
  25. Oct 6, 2015
    10
    As a lifelong gamer, I have experienced gaming highs and lows. I have played games and made me jump out of my chair and exclaim "AWESOME" and games that made me weep like a child. Games have become an important part of who I am and I can say without reservation that Undertale is a game like no other.
  26. Oct 2, 2015
    10
    Undertale, where do I start.
    This game is bloody(or less bloody if you choose so) genius.
    It's been inspired by Earthbound. It's full of silliness and witty jokes, also dogs. The mechanics are simple yet the developer manages to pull of some great and unique stuff with these mechanics. For one you control a heart in a small box while dodging projectiles while you fight. Well I have
    Undertale, where do I start.
    This game is bloody(or less bloody if you choose so) genius.
    It's been inspired by Earthbound.
    It's full of silliness and witty jokes, also dogs.
    The mechanics are simple yet the developer manages to pull of some great and unique stuff with these mechanics. For one you control a heart in a small box while dodging projectiles while you fight. Well I have seen this small sequence turn into platforming, bullet hell and frogger.

    The story, not gonna say a thing because of spoilers, but it's really charming.

    The soundtrack, it had me up in tears quite a few times, it's just that heartfelt.

    This game is one of the prime examples why I love indie games so much, this game proves yet again that you don't need a big budget to pull of a great game.
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  27. Sep 24, 2015
    10
    I cannot understate how clever this game is. It taps directly into what made me enjoy things like Earthbound, and then takes every opportunity to subvert my expectations. I appreciate that the author appears to have understood exactly why people enjoyed all those 8-bit RPG's in the first place, and more importantly, understood just how to build off of that to make an engaging story onI cannot understate how clever this game is. It taps directly into what made me enjoy things like Earthbound, and then takes every opportunity to subvert my expectations. I appreciate that the author appears to have understood exactly why people enjoyed all those 8-bit RPG's in the first place, and more importantly, understood just how to build off of that to make an engaging story on modern hardware. One that holds up (and even evolves) on multiple playthroughs. Expand
  28. Sep 26, 2015
    10
    Went in not expecting much but ended up with one of my favorite games. The gameplay is fun and stands out from other turn-based RPGs by having you actively avoid enemy attacks during your turn in a bullet hell style minigame. The cast of characters are very likable and the game's world is full of secrets to help expand on the story. There is a free demo available on the game's website ifWent in not expecting much but ended up with one of my favorite games. The gameplay is fun and stands out from other turn-based RPGs by having you actively avoid enemy attacks during your turn in a bullet hell style minigame. The cast of characters are very likable and the game's world is full of secrets to help expand on the story. There is a free demo available on the game's website if you want to try before you buy, but try to avoid spoilers and go in to the game knowing as little as possible about the story for the best experience. Expand
  29. Oct 7, 2015
    10
    This game is just a Big middle Finger to the AAA Industry. You can make amazing things with Just a great story! amazing characters, unique gameplay and you date a Skeleton!
  30. Oct 7, 2015
    10
    After reading reviews that the game was "uninspiring" and that it was just another trend (despite the good reviews this game was getting), I became curious and decided to try the game out for myself.

    So, after I played the game and got the best possible ending, I started to wonder whether those people actually finished the game at all (or even played). This game is more than just a
    After reading reviews that the game was "uninspiring" and that it was just another trend (despite the good reviews this game was getting), I became curious and decided to try the game out for myself.

    So, after I played the game and got the best possible ending, I started to wonder whether those people actually finished the game at all (or even played).

    This game is more than just a "game". It dissects and comments on rpgs as a whole and even made me question my own morals and decisions.

    Even though others may not like it, Undertale is my game of the year.
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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 43
  2. Negative: 0 out of 43
  1. Jan 16, 2017
    89
    Undertale is absolutely unique. It's a RPG masterpiece full of weird characters and a moving message.
  2. Mar 4, 2016
    90
    With multiple endings based on how you choose to play out your run, set pieces that can play out very differently based on your actions and so many incredible moments that we’d love to share but daren’t do so for risk of spoiling anything, Undertale is easily one of the indie standouts of last year.
  3. Feb 23, 2016
    100
    Through a combination of often relaxed but sometimes tense gameplay, a dreamy atmosphere, and genuine characters that feel like they’re actually alive and all living together in this isolated society of longing, Undertale transcends its medium and becomes a genuinely moving experience I would recommend to anyone who is open to a sometimes sorrowful, sometimes hilarious, always bizarre and engaging emotional journey.