Image: Future Cat LLC via HGG
My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
Deltarune finally released its second chapter back in September 2021, and to say it’s an amazing experience is an understatement. Unfortunately, it looks like Toby Fox won’t be releasing any new chapters until 2023 at the earliest.
While it’s easy to get impatient waiting for Deltarune’s full release, we can look at this from a more positive angle. There are plenty of games like Deltarune and its predecessor, Undertale, out there — now is the perfect time to let them fill the holes in our hearts left by Undertale. In this article, we’ve rounded up our favorite games like Undertale and Deltarune.
Let’s get started!
10/10
Later Alligator
Starting us off is the 2019 game Later Alligator, made by Pillow Fight. This is a point-and-click adventure game that sees you travel to the charming and adorable Alligator New York City! You’ve been hired to help an anxious gator named Pat, who believes that his family is conspiring against him.
If you loved the wholesome and funny characters from Toby Fox’s RPGs, you’ll feel right at home playing Later Alligator. The way you progress the game requires you to visit each of Pat’s family members, helping them out in various odd tasks as you learn about them and their unique personalities.
- Average playtime: 2–3 hours
- Price: $17.99 (we recommend waiting until it goes on sale)
- Platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch
9/10
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
The next one up is a personal favorite of mine. Released in November of 2019, we have Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling. This is a tactical RPG with heavy inspiration from the Paper Mario series. You play as a small team of explorers in Bugaria, a dangerous land that takes place in your own backyard!
The three main cast members — Kabbu, Vi, and Lief — are as lovable and interesting as they are small. Each of them is dynamic and fleshed out, and they all have some kind of character development, similar to Deltarune. Not only is the story good, but the combat is engaging and strategic, and it puts many tactical RPGs to shame.
- Average Playtime: ~25 hours (50 if you’re a completionist)
- Price: $19.99
- Platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Amazon Luna
8/10
Smile For Me
For number eight, we have the first-person adventure game Smile For Me. This 2019 game sees you visit “The Habitat,” a sort of mental health clinic where troubled souls come to smile again. Don’t let its innocent and cartoony appearance fool you — not everything is as it seems…
Your job is to cheer up the residents (or Habiticians) by helping them out with various tasks and chores. A neat little gimmick about this game is the ability to nod your cursor up and down or side to side to answer yes and no questions. If you loved the quirky characters and physiological horror of Undertale, you’re sure to smile when playing this game!
- Average Playtime: ~4 hours
- Price: $12.99
- Platforms: Steam, Mac, PC
7/10
Pikuniku
Pikuniku is a 2D adventure/puzzle game that follows the story of Piku. Piku is a strange, red, two-legged…thing…who finds himself getting wrapped up in a revolution against Mr. Sunshine and his army of robots, who are stealing all the resources of the island for their own mysterious purposes.
The game will see you doing everything from platforming, to solving puzzles, to break dancing with a robot. There are so many whacky side activities that I can’t possibly cover them all in one paragraph! If you love the humor and funky soundtracks of Undertale and Deltarune, then this is your game.
- Average Playtime: 3–5 hours
- Price: $12.99
- Platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Google Stadia
6/10
Shivering Hearts
Here’s a game you probably haven’t heard of. Shivering Hearts is an RPG-maker game released back in July 2020. It is without a doubt the least-known game on this list, which is a shame. If you aren’t already intrigued by its watercolor graphics, wait until you hear about the gameplay.
The game is a 2D adventure with dialogue choices, multiple endings, and lots of interesting characters to meet. Shivering Hearts shares a few things with Undertale: different choices that lead to different endings, lots of well-written dialogue to read, light-horror elements, and even a talking skeleton!
- Average Playtime: 2 hours
- Price: $7.99
- Platforms: Steam
5/10
To the Moon
Halfway through our list of the top ten games like Undertale and Deltarune, we have To the Moon. This is another RPG-maker game and features incredible pixel art graphics. It follows the story of two scientists tasked with helping a dying man complete his last wish by going deep into his old memories.
To the Moon is a psychological drama and an adventure game. The game isn’t very action-focused. That’s okay, however, because its story and premise more than make up for it. If you love the art style and touching moments of Toby Fox’s games, then pickup To the Moon today.
- Average Playtime: 4 –4.5 hours
- Price: $9.99
- Platform: Steam, Android, IOS, Nintendo Switch
4/10
Omori
Our number four pick is the EarthBound-inspired RPG Omori. This is a deep, heavy-hitting game with themes of mental health, such as depression and anxiety. You follow the story of a boy called Sunny and his darker counterpart, Omori, as they struggle to overcome their insecurities.
If that sounds vague, it’s because you really should experience this game for yourself. One thing I will tell you is that it shares some psychological horror elements from Undertale, and features multiple different endings depending on your choices. It also features a turn-based battle system and it does plenty of things differently to stay fresh.
- Average Playtime: 20–68 hours
- Price: $19.99
- Platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
3/10
Chrono Trigger
What better way to start out our top three than with one of the main influences for Deltarune? Chrono Trigger was originally released for the SNES back in 1995. This JRPG tells the story of a boy traveling through time to save a friend after she is teleported away by a science experiment gone wrong.
Pixel art is one of the best art styles, as it ages so well. Despite coming out decades ago, this game still looks great. Chrono Trigger has a party-based combat system, 2D exploration, and plenty of puzzles to solve. After playing it, you’ll see where Toby Fox got much of his inspiration for Deltarune.
- Average Playtime: 23–44 hours (if you’re a completionist)
- Price: $14.99
- Platform: Steam
2/10
OneShot
Second place on our list of games like Undertale and Deltarune goes to OneShot. The game begins with our hero Niko (he’s not a cat!) waking up inside a dark and empty house. He quickly learns that you — the player — exist and actively communicates with you for help solving puzzles and progressing through a dying world that has lost its sun.
One of the things that made Undertale unique was the way it broke the fourth wall to outsmart the player and give them a sense of shock. OneShot cranks this up to the next level, as it forces you to interact with files outside the game in order to progress the story. Not only that, but the fact you “exist” in the game world creates a better sense of connection with Niko, making him all the more engaging as a character.
- Average Playtime: 4 hours
- Price: $9.99
- Platforms: PC exclusive, available for download on Steam (newer version) or RPGMaker.net (older version)
1/10
Buddy Simulator 1984
Last and absolutely not least, we have Buddy Simulator 1984. I really, really don’t want to talk about this game. Not because it’s bad (quite the opposite, actually), but because this is one of the few games that made me feel true despair and loneliness. The game beings by giving you an AI companion, who quickly takes over the program and begins making new “games” for you two to play together.
Much like Deltarune, the latter half of the game is a 2D adventure with puzzles and a party-based combat system. And like Undertale, it is a physiological horror that plays with your expectations. The story contains themes of loneliness and friendship, and it tells it in a way that leaves you heartbroken and in tears.
Join the High Ground
What did you think of this list for the top ten games like Undertale and Deltarune? Have you played any of these games before? Let us know your thoughts on them down below!
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Stay determined, and happy gaming!
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