Undertale burst onto the indie gaming scene in 2015 and quickly gathered a huge following. By the time console ports arrived in 2017, it felt as though Undertale was one of the most popular releases in the world; the Internet hosted plenty of glowing reviews, as well as countless pieces of Undertale fan art, memes, and merchandise.
Over five years have passed since 2015, and to those who only followed Undertale it may seem like creator Robert "Toby" Fox has been quiet. However, Fox has been busily working on Undertale’s follow-up Deltarune, which is being released episodically, as well as contributing to the soundtracks of an array of other video games.
How Toby Fox and Undertale Took the World by Storm
Toby Fox was born in 1991 and began his career in the games industry working on the soundtrack for Homestuck (a webcomic written, illustrated, and animated by Andrew Hussie). He also cut his teeth in game development by working with his three brothers to create games in RPG Maker 2000, infamously including the romhack "Earthbound Halloween Hack."
His breakthrough hit Undertale is a top-down 2D RPG that casts the player as a child who has fallen into “the Underground,” a secret region beneath the Earth’s surface protected by a magical barrier. Billed as “the friendly RPG where nobody has to die,” the title sees the player exploring the Underground while interacting with a diverse cast of monsters. Although these can be battled in the traditional way, the player can also choose to engage them in conversation, completing bullet hell-style minigames to better understand the creature’s motivations, needs, and issues.
These unique mechanics, which reward a nonviolent approach to playing the game, were widely commended by critics and fans. Also lauded was Undertale’s warm and often hilarious dialogue, fourth wall-breaking boss encounters, and moving story. Also singled out for praise was the game’s soundtrack.
The game was built in the GameMaker Studio engine, with Toby Fox responsible for everything from the dialogue to the music, and Temmie Chang contributing to the RPG’s distinctive artwork. Undertale’s graphical style owes much to titles like Earthbound, and fans have warmed to its lovingly crafted pixel art characters. Papyrus and Sans have proven to be particular favorites, and their skeleton puns have appeared on everything from T-shirts to paperweights alongside other in-game catchphrases like how the player is, “Filled with determination.”
The game received multiple Game Of The Year nominations and has sold over a million copies, cementing Toby Fox as a force to be reckoned with in the indie game scene. Although he has continued his output in the years since this debut title, his activities have slowed with delays in the development of Deltarune due to issues such as chronic wrist and hand pain.
Toby Fox Has Been Busy Since Undertale
Since Undertale, Toby Fox has released Chapters 1 and 2 of Deltarune. Observant fans will notice the follow-up’s title is an anagram of Undertale, and the similarities between the games don’t end there. Although Deltarune has been positively received so far, there is criticism for it not diversifying far from the original Undertale formula.
Deltarune casts the player as teenage human Kris. The game revisits Undertale’s bullet hell combat, although this iteration of the action is closer to the fighting mechanics of the Final Fantasy series, and random encounters of the previous game has been removed. Once again, players are able to resolve each of these encounters using either violence or by pursuing a peaceful alternative.
Deltarune actually began development before Undertale, with work commencing in 2012. The game takes place in a different setting, although some Undertale characters have made appearances in Deltarune, including Sans. Toby Fox plans to release three more chapters for the game, which is currently available for PC, PS4, and Switch.
Aside from his work on the first two chapters of Deltarune, the multi-talented Toby Fox has also been pursuing his career as a video game composer. His works span a number of indie games, as well as contributions to major releases like Pokemon Sword and Shield and Super Smash Bros. Fox’s musical talents are certainly in demand after the acclaim for his Undertale soundtrack, with tracks like “Megalovania” going on to inspire a large number of fan covers and remixes.
Fans are now awaiting the third installment of Deltarune, as well as news of any other upcoming Toby Fox projects. He has yet to announce his plans beyond the conclusion of Deltarune, but one thing is certain: there is much more to come, whether it be game development, musical composition, or any other field he chooses to try.
Undertale is available now for PC, PS4, PS Vita, Switch, and Xbox One.