Why a little indie game continues to teach us about being kind in a prejudiced world

For those who know me, you'll be aware I don't "game" that much, nor would I consider myself a "gamer" by any stretch. But there are a few exceptions to that rule - a select few games that have impacted me in a way I could never imagine, whether from story, characters, soundtrack, or the central focus on choice-based gameplay, which determines what kind of ending the player will get.

There are many games that have incorporated the choice-based mechanic, with varying methods and results. Examples of this include Life is Strange, Night in the Woods and Mass Effect. However, in my view, there is only one game that has not only mastered the choice-based mechanic, but perhaps revolutionised it and therefore influenced games that came after it. 

That game is "Undertale", an 8-bit-style indie game created by Toby Fox. 

 

Undertale was released in 2015 and is set in a world where humans and "monsters" live side-by-side until a war breaks out, and the victorious humans banish the losing monsters to live underground for eternity as punishment. The player controls a human protagonist who has mistakenly fallen into the underworld and must find a way to return home, all while encountering various characters/enemies on their journey.

This game plays on the classic genre of an RPG, turning the usual mechanics on their head by giving the player the option to spare enemies they encounter in battle, instead of only being able to win fights by killing their opponents. At the time, this was groundbreaking as it was unheard of for RPGs, and made the player psychologically question their moral choices while playing. Completely based on the player's choices throughout their journey, the game will end with either a Pacifist, Neutral or Genocide ending, where you will either have spared all enemies, killed all enemies, or a mix of the two. 

At first glance, the visuals of Undertale as well as the pun-based humour could put people off, regardless of the unique gameplay, but part of why I wanted to talk about it so much after ten years is to tell anyone - whether you're a veteran gamer or have never played a video game once in your life - that you should never judge a book by its cover and go into it with an open mind, and see how your own journey impacts you. 

Ironically, not judging a book by its cover is, in my opinion, one of the main themes of Undertale. It's hard to explain what I mean without spoilers, but ultimately the choice of sparing or killing enemies is deliberate, because it makes the player question whether they will take life just to get ahead or reach a particular goal. Regardless of what you choose, it affects the outcome of the game, and the outcome will leave you satisfied, empty, or on another plane of existence as you realise the impact of your mercy.

Another reason I wanted to talk about Undertale is because we are living in a very difficult world in 2026: politically, economically, environmentally, and of course in relation to war. I can only speak for the UK specifically here, but there is also a constant fear of judgement, bias and hostility because of who you are, based on your race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, disability etc., which means those on the receiving end are treading on eggshells all the time. However, most of those who are judgemental due to certain characteristics are not 'bad people', but simply misinformed, influenced by old-fashioned ideas or preconceptions about those who are 'not like them'.

One of the purposes behind Undertale is to make the player question their judgements, and stop to think before they make their opinions about the creatures they meet. If given the choice to kill or spare a person you'd just met, what would you do? What reasons do you have that makes your decision truly worth it? In other words, would killing every creature you meet in a genocide run of this game make you feel good about yourself? I can't touch on the results of that route without spoiling the story, but if you've played it, you know exactly how you'll feel. 

If you haven't played it, then I highly suggest you give Undertale a go. Even if you're someone who has rarely played games, or never played games in your life, don't let that put you off. The tutorials (tu-Toriels, I should say) teach the tactics well without influencing your choices too heavily, and the world-building, character depth, charm and humour is enough to pull in even the most sceptical of first-time players.

Undertale is a beautiful indie game that can be enjoyed for its fun and light tones as a way to help players escape from the intensity of the world right now. Because of all that, I don't want to make my promotion of it entirely heavy or politically-fuelled, but I will say that my recent nostalgic play-through reminded me of the times we live in and how we could learn a lot from a 'little indie game' like this, and how the smallest acts of kindness and non-judgmental attitudes can go a long way in making the world better than the one we live in right now.