Game: Undertale
Target Audience: RPG/narrative game players
Creator: Tobyfox
Platform: PC
Undertale creates a distinctive monster society through its shared history and social values, where monsters are vivid, sympathetic characters rather than stereotypical enemies. The game emphasizes society and culture, constructing its world through cultural background and interpersonal interactions. By combining mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics, Undertale subverts traditional RPG conventions and encourages players to experience individuals before judging them.
Cultual Traits
The first cultural trait is the Underground’s shared history, which establishes a coherent monster society. Mechanically, the game communicates this history through NPC conversations and readable books in libraries, allowing players to discover the monsters’ past while freely exploring the map. These pieces of environmental storytelling gradually reveal that humans once defeated monsters and monsters are trapped underground. This shared historical memory explains why many monsters initially fear or distrust humans and provides a believable social foundation for their behavior. Aesthetically, players naturally construct the world’s common knowledge by wandering, talking to residents, and reading historical records. The result is a rich and coherent narrative that makes the Underground feel like a living culture rather than merely a fantasy setting.
Frisk is reading Monster History in the library on Snowndin Town
The game’s second cultural trait is its social value of balancing initial hostility with the possibility of friendship. This is realized through the interaction system, where players may choose to Fight, Act, or Mercy during combat. Every encounter contains a peaceful solution if the player understands each monster’s personality. For example, the Dog Guards can be defeated peacefully by rolling in the snow and petting them instead of attacking. This mechanic gives players the freedom to decide what kind of person they wish to become. Although both violent and peaceful routes are available, completing the game through mercy is considerably easier and more rewarding than killing every enemy. Consequently, the interaction system produces diverse narrative outcomes while reinforcing the idea that empathy is often more effective than violence.
Deafeating the Dog Guard by petting
Breaking RPG Stereotypes
These cultural traits also allow Undertale to break traditional RPG stereotypes. First, monsters are not inherently evil. Flowey, the first character Frisk encounters, appears friendly before suddenly attempting to kill the player, creating a shocking contrast with his cheerful appearance. However, Toriel immediately overturns the player’s expectations by acting as a compassionate mother figure. She guides Frisk through the Ruins, cooks meals, provides shelter, and protects the child from danger despite Frisk being human. Through these contrasting characters, the game rejects the conventional assumption that all monsters are villains. Second, combat itself is no longer mandatory. Unlike traditional RPGs, where defeating enemies is the primary progression system, Undertale allows players to resolve conflicts through understanding and kindness, fundamentally redefining the role of combat.
The friendly & evil Flowey
Toriel guiding Frisk through the RUIN
Benefits and Potential Harmness
This character-centered design strengthens players’ emotional attachment to the world. Mechanically, every major monster possesses a unique personality. Sans is humorous and constantly jokes, whereas Papyrus tries to appear serious despite his clumsiness. Even individual characters display psychological complexity. Toriel lovingly protects Frisk like her own child, yet stubbornly refuses to let Frisk leave the Ruins because she longs for company. Through repeated interactions, players gradually understand not only each character but also the values of monster society itself. The Underground therefore feels populated by individuals who possess dreams, fears, and emotions comparable to humans. These vivid personalities create an emotionally immersive narrative that makes the fictional world memorable.
Toriel refusing to let Frisk leave
Nevertheless, the game’s moral framework has limitations. The Pacifist route often suggests that forgiveness is morally superior, potentially oversimplifying situations where violence may be unavoidable. However, Undertale partially resolves this issue through its player-choice mechanics. By allowing both violent and peaceful paths, the game invites players to reflect on the consequences of their own decisions rather than forcing a single interpretation. This interactive design gives the moral system greater depth than a fixed narrative alone could achieve.
Ethics
Ultimately, Undertale conveys the moral that understanding should precede judgment. Humans in the game’s history regard monsters as evil and naturally divide the two races into opposing camps. Likewise, many monsters initially fear humans because of their shared historical trauma. Yet these prejudices gradually disappear through personal interaction. For example, Papyrus first attempts to capture Frisk, but after discovering shared interests, he begins to desire friendship instead. This transformation reflects real-world misunderstandings between different races, cultures, and nations. By encouraging players to know individuals before judging entire groups, Undertale demonstrates how character-centered world building can communicate powerful social themes while creating an emotionally engaging fictional world.
Papyrus’ deep down desire of having a friend
