Undertale is a game I went in with very low expectations but came out obsessed.

I had seen the hubbub arise when the game was new and first gained a following. I saw posts overtake my dashboard on tumblr and several of my friends fall down the hole of addiction. One of my close friends played a number of tracks from the OST to try to pique my interest. At first I felt uninterested and uninspired to even check out the game, let alone play it. However, several of my friends who have very similar tastes in storytelling and gameplay were urging me to play the game. I became interested, and lo and behold, a wonderful friend purchased the game for me.

Playing blind, I completed the entire game, both the True Pacifist Routes and Genocide Routes, in a week.

The first playthrough took me 16 hours. I can get through it in 3 hours now. I'm still playing the game, still enjoying it, and I have played over 143 hours to count since I received the game three months ago.

I am still obsessed with Undertale to this day. It is a game that is very enjoyable, very impacting, and resonates with the heart. There's a reason I call it one of my all time favorite games and all time favorite stories.

Do not be deceived by the game’s first hour of play. The RUINS, where you begin playing, is not very interesting to a first time player. Until you get to know her and finish the entire game, Toriel acts much like a simple tu-TORIEL. For me, I did not find that part of the game impressive at all for my first runthrough. It was only as I continued forward that I got sucked into the world of Undertale. As simple and basic as the game seems as first, I assure you, it will get far more complicated and far more engaging to the player.

Do not be deceived by the game’s graphics. While they seem so simple, basic, and uninteresting at first, the more you play, the more you will be able to appreciate the visual beauty of the screen. There is a lot of thought and design in the pixels. There are beautiful color palates, downright gorgeous rooms, and gloriously beautiful moments in the later battle sequences.

Do not be deceived by the basic MIDI soundtrack. As a trained music composer, at first I thought this music was very uninteresting. However, the more you play, the more charm the melodies give you. The more they get stuck in your head. The more you fall in love with them. The more you realize the music that was composed was EXACTLY what needed to be composed, and that they actually have very good form and compositional structure.

Undertale, in truth, is much more than meets the eye, ear, and first impression.

It’s a story beautifully told and full of impact.

This is a game that is full of charming and endearing humor. The terrible puns, the trolling teases, the ridiculous situations, the tongue-in-cheek, the irony, and the fourth wall references all combine into a distinct, lovable sense of comedy. This is a game that will make you facepalm, laugh, and at times howl in amusement.

This is a game that is full of lovable, three-dimensional characters. The characters are so three-dimensional and interesting that, with every playthrough, you learn something new about them. A bite of an implied backstory. The motivations behind their actions. The depths of their hearts. Their likes and dislikes. Their characterization. Their penchants, their tendencies, their manners of speech. Some stories have boring characters, some stories have interesting characters, and some stories – like Undertale – have living, breathing, lovable, unforgettable personalities.

This is a game that dives into the depth of the heart and explores the soul. Though there are many lighthearted moments in the game, it also is incredibly deep and full of mature concepts. It is a game by which a player can question morality or feel encouraged about the goodness of kindness. It is a game that demonstrates the power of love and the horrors of hate. It shows the meaning of forgiveness. It explores trauma, even gets into very solemn moments about depression, suicide contemplation, and handling a genocide. The game can go into many serious concepts while bringing the story, at the end, to a resolving and encouraging finish.

This game breaks some unexpected gaming boundaries. The fourth wall is something most people have never experienced the like before. The game CHANGES based upon your decisions – and even going back to a previous save file won’t be enough for you to escape your actions. The fourth wall is integrated into the very lore of the game, and there are moments that will legitimately surprise blind players because you do not anticipate some of the plot twists.

Frankly, this is a game that is very well-written from a literary perspective. The story’s trajectory is nicely balanced. Information and experience collide and slowly build up to surprising reveals and connections you never would have anticipated. In the game, you think you start with a simple journey. By the end, you are bawling from emotion at the experience.

This game is a true journey.

This game has everything I could want. Great, catchy music. Beautiful visuals. Entertaining humor. Heartwrenching pain. Memorable characters. Great representation of many types of individuals. A cool setting and world. An engaging and well-written storyline. Fun gameplay experience. Challenges. Depth, maturity, grit, encouragement, cheer, hope. A lot of hidden secrets, areas to explore, and juicy information to uncover for the truly dedicated player. Lore that brings you a lot of knowledge, but also leaves hoards of room for theories and discussion.

Please, if you haven’t already, go play Undertale. If you are someone who is at all interested in games with good stories, then this is meant for you.

I assume most people who are reading this have been spoiled on some aspects. For those of you who haven’t, I will only say one thing, if you want to have a little guidance (this is the guidance I got before playing and I think it was worth it to hear this): the best gameplay experience for first-time players is to start with what the fandom called the “Pacifist Route.” Don’t kill anyone. Play to the end. Then, when you have done that, do what the fandom calls the “Genocide Route.” Literally obliterate everyone in every area of the game before going forward; seek out every possible monster that lives there; make sure you see the line “But nobody came” before transitioning from one location to another. See what happens. Be patient and have FUN with those incredible boss fights.

And above all, my friends… stay DETERMINED.

Undertale is a game I went in with very low expectations but came out obsessed. I had seen the hubbub arise when the game was new and first gained a following. I saw posts overtake my dashboard on tumblr and several of my friends fall down the hole of addiction. One of my close friends played a number of tracks from the OST to try to pique my interest. At first I felt uninterested and uninspired to even check out the game, let alone play it. However, several of my friends who have very similar tastes in storytelling and gameplay were urging me to play the game. I became interested, and lo and behold, a wonderful friend purchased the game for me. Playing blind, I completed the entire game, both the True Pacifist Routes and Genocide Routes, in a week. The first playthrough took me 16 hours. I can get through it in 3 hours now. I'm still playing the game, still enjoying it, and I have played over 143 hours to count since I received the game three months ago. I am still obsessed with Undertale to this day. It is a game that is very enjoyable, very impacting, and resonates with the heart. There's a reason I call it one of my all time favorite games and all time favorite stories. Do not be deceived by the game’s first hour of play. The RUINS, where you begin playing, is not very interesting to a first time player. Until you get to know her and finish the entire game, Toriel acts much like a simple tu-TORIEL. For me, I did not find that part of the game impressive at all for my first runthrough. It was only as I continued forward that I got sucked into the world of Undertale. As simple and basic as the game seems as first, I assure you, it will get far more complicated and far more engaging to the player. Do not be deceived by the game’s graphics. While they seem so simple, basic, and uninteresting at first, the more you play, the more you will be able to appreciate the visual beauty of the screen. There is a lot of thought and design in the pixels. There are beautiful color palates, downright gorgeous rooms, and gloriously beautiful moments in the later battle sequences. Do not be deceived by the basic MIDI soundtrack. As a trained music composer, at first I thought this music was very uninteresting. However, the more you play, the more charm the melodies give you. The more they get stuck in your head. The more you fall in love with them. The more you realize the music that was composed was EXACTLY what needed to be composed, and that they actually have very good form and compositional structure. Undertale, in truth, is much more than meets the eye, ear, and first impression. It’s a story beautifully told and full of impact. This is a game that is full of charming and endearing humor. The terrible puns, the trolling teases, the ridiculous situations, the tongue-in-cheek, the irony, and the fourth wall references all combine into a distinct, lovable sense of comedy. This is a game that will make you facepalm, laugh, and at times howl in amusement. This is a game that is full of lovable, three-dimensional characters. The characters are so three-dimensional and interesting that, with every playthrough, you learn something new about them. A bite of an implied backstory. The motivations behind their actions. The depths of their hearts. Their likes and dislikes. Their characterization. Their penchants, their tendencies, their manners of speech. Some stories have boring characters, some stories have interesting characters, and some stories – like Undertale – have living, breathing, lovable, unforgettable personalities. This is a game that dives into the depth of the heart and explores the soul. Though there are many lighthearted moments in the game, it also is incredibly deep and full of mature concepts. It is a game by which a player can question morality or feel encouraged about the goodness of kindness. It is a game that demonstrates the power of love and the horrors of hate. It shows the meaning of forgiveness. It explores trauma, even gets into very solemn moments about depression, suicide contemplation, and handling a genocide. The game can go into many serious concepts while bringing the story, at the end, to a resolving and encouraging finish. This game breaks some unexpected gaming boundaries. The fourth wall is something most people have never experienced the like before. The game CHANGES based upon your decisions – and even going back to a previous save file won’t be enough for you to escape your actions. The fourth wall is integrated into the very lore of the game, and there are moments that will legitimately surprise blind players because you do not anticipate some of the plot twists. Frankly, this is a game that is very well-written from a literary perspective. The story’s trajectory is nicely balanced. Information and experience collide and slowly build up to surprising reveals and connections you never would have anticipated. In the game, you think you start with a simple journey. By the end, you are bawling from emotion at the experience. This game is a true journey. This game has everything I could want. Great, catchy music. Beautiful visuals. Entertaining humor. Heartwrenching pain. Memorable characters. Great representation of many types of individuals. A cool setting and world. An engaging and well-written storyline. Fun gameplay experience. Challenges. Depth, maturity, grit, encouragement, cheer, hope. A lot of hidden secrets, areas to explore, and juicy information to uncover for the truly dedicated player. Lore that brings you a lot of knowledge, but also leaves hoards of room for theories and discussion. Please, if you haven’t already, go play Undertale. If you are someone who is at all interested in games with good stories, then this is meant for you. I assume most people who are reading this have been spoiled on some aspects. For those of you who haven’t, I will only say one thing, if you want to have a little guidance (this is the guidance I got before playing and I think it was worth it to hear this): the best gameplay experience for first-time players is to start with what the fandom called the “Pacifist Route.” Don’t kill anyone. Play to the end. Then, when you have done that, do what the fandom calls the “Genocide Route.” Literally obliterate everyone in every area of the game before going forward; seek out every possible monster that lives there; make sure you see the line “But nobody came” before transitioning from one location to another. See what happens. Be patient and have FUN with those incredible boss fights. And above all, my friends… stay DETERMINED.