It’s safe to say that Undertale is one of the most important indie RPGs ever made. With its quirky characters, unique fusion of turn-based combat and bullet hell action, and mind-blowing morality system, Toby Fox’s masterpiece has been making an impact on gamers since 2015. Naturally, those who have played it many times since its release may be looking to play something similar.
Most video games that inspired Undertale (or were inspired by it) are in 2D, which leaves the catalog of 3D alternatives quite bare-bones. Nevertheless, there still are some solid options. The following games are perfect for players who want to experience something similar to Undertale, but in full 3D, as they all share one or two of its most prominent aspects.
The Kingdom Hearts Series
Cartoony Adventures About A Boy Who Vanquishes Darkness
Some people may find this to be a strange comparison, but Undertale actually has a lot in common with Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix’s and Disney’s classic crossover series. The series comprises colorful adventures about a young kid named Sora who ventures to other worlds and has to save their inhabitants from darkness, not to mention that there are constant conversations about light, hearts, and friendship.
Undertale has a more modern sense of humor influenced by the internet, while Kingdom Hearts feels more like a Disney movie in terms of tone and atmosphere. However, there are still a lot of narrative elements that fans of Toby Fox’s game will enjoy. Gameplay-wise, Kingdom Hearts is an action RPG with real-time combat. It gets so chaotic and fast-paced at times that it’s perfect for players who enjoy the challenging bullet-hell battles of Undertale.
Costume Quest
A Wacky Halloween-Themed RPG
Undertale fans will enjoy any game by Double Fine Productions, as Tim Schafer’s absurd but morbid writing style is reminiscent of Toby Fox’s sense of humor. Both Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2 are excellent choices, but the studio’s game that has the most in common with Undertale is Costume Quest, seeing as it’s also a turn-based RPG with a vibrant cartoony art style.
In Costume Quest, players take control of a party of children who have to explore their neighborhood on Halloween and collect a variety of costumes that have different effects on battle. It’s a silly, lighthearted, and funny game (albeit a very short one). Its 2014 sequel, Costume Quest 2, is even bigger and better.
The Wolf Among Us
Cinematic Decision-Making At Its Absolute Finest
One of the many things that turned Undertale into a massive cultural icon is its mind-blowing decision-making gameplay. Almost everything the player does will affect the outcome of the story and its ending, which raises a lot of questions about morality and control in gaming. Players who are looking for a similar mechanic should look no further than the vast catalog of Telltale Games.
This studio has made several high-quality point-and-click adventures, but The Wolf Among Us is undoubtedly its best. Inspired by the comic book of the same name, players take control of Bigby Wolf, the werewolf sheriff of a town full of classic fantasy creatures who has to investigate a series of mysterious murders. Not only does it take place in a fantastical setting full of eccentric monsters, but its gameplay revolves around conversations with other characters, which can have different outcomes depending on the player’s choices.
Yume Nikki: Dream Diary
The 3D Reboot Of One Of The Most Important Indie RPGs Ever Made
If there’s one indie RPG that can be considered even more important and influential than Undertale, it’s Yume Nikki. This surreal dream-centric adventure, made with RPG Maker, blew the minds of gamers when it came out back in 2004. Toby Fox himself has cited it as one of his main sources of inspiration. The original Yume Nikki is a 2D free game, so those who are interested in it should check it out as soon as possible.
However, those who would prefer a 3D version should check out its 2018 reboot instead: Yume Nikki: Dream Diary. This is a complete reimagining of the classic narrative RPG, but with 3D environments and puzzles. It also has a few new elements, characters and locations that were not present in the original. While most fans seem to prefer the original game, Yume Nikki: Dream Diary is still a memorable, bizarre, and emotional adventure. It’s a very solid alternative, considering that there aren’t many 3D indie RPGs on the market.
Little Town Hero
A Turn-Based RPG With An Excellent Soundtrack By Toby Fox Himself
The massive success of Undertale made Toby Fox’s career grow very quickly and has led him to many interesting places. In 2019, he began collaborating with Game Freak and used his incredible music talents to compose a few songs for the Pokemon games, like Sword and Shield and Scarlet and Violet. He was also hired as the main composer of one of the studio’s non-Pokemon games: Little Town Hero.
This colorful and adorable fantasy RPG has a few interesting ideas in its combat system, but its biggest selling point (and the main reason it’s still remembered to this day) is its excellent soundtrack. Toby Fox made a collection of beautiful and energetic songs that are reminiscent of Undertale’s music, but still have their own identity. At the end of the day, Little Town Hero is a distinct turn-based RPG with memorable music, meaning that any fan of Toby Fox’s works will appreciate it.
The Most Chaotic 3D Fan Game In This Bullet Hell Series
- Released: April 30, 2020
- Genre: Action, Shoot ’em up
- System: PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
- Developer: Mikosan Manners
Toby Fox has confirmed that the Touhou Project franchise directly inspired the chaotic bullet-hell gameplay of Undertale, so that’s another good place fans who’re interested in experiencing something similar should take a look at. However, they will quickly find that all the official Touhou games are 2D shoot ’em ups, and only a few popular fan games are in full 3D.
Touhou Mechanical Scrollery is one of the best Touhou fan games. It takes the series’ classic bullet hell gameplay and implements it into a 3D environment, complete with free-roaming flying controls, frantic bullet patterns, and some close-ranged melee combat. It will definitely scratch an itch that no many other games can scratch. Players should be warned that its frame rate does suffer from occasional hiccups, but that’s understandable considering this is a fan-made game.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership
The Only 3D Entry In This Beloved RPG Series
Toby Fox has also confirmed that the Mario & Luigi series also served as inspiration for Undertale, which makes a lot of sense, seeing as these turn-based RPGs starring Nintendo’s iconic plumber duo shares a lot of elements with his debut game. For a long time, all the entries in this series were exclusively in 2D (although they admittedly had an impressive hand-drawn style). This finally changed in 2024, with the release of Mario & Luigi: Brothership.
This is the first and only entry in the Mario & Luigi series that’s in full 3D. It carries over all the elements that made the series so successful and popular in the first place, like its interactive and accessible turn-based combat, the dynamic teamwork attacks between the two titular brothers, the wacky characters, and its goofy sense of humor. Furthermore, the shift to 3D graphics allowed Brothership’s developers to create deeper exploration mechanics and build a more beautiful, colorful, and expansive world.
FREERIDE: The Personality Test
A Mind-Blowing Personality Test Hiding Behind A Narrative RPG
- Released: January 31, 2023
- Genre: RPG, adventure game
- System: Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS
- Developer: Flightyfelon Games Inc.
The success of Undertale directly inspired numerous other indie RPGs, most of which were made with a similar 2D art style. However, the game known as FREERIDE: The Personality Test stands out in the indie scene for being the closest thing to a 3D version of Undertale currently on the market.
FREERIDE is a narrative RPG, which means it focuses more on the story than the combat. The player character travels to a vibrant world full of weird but lovable characters and has to use their telekinesis to help them out in different scenarios. This gameplay loop is both entertaining and unique but, as its title implies, FREERIDE is constantly testing the player’s personality behind their back based on their decisions. This, in turn, affects the outcome of the story and encourages multiple playthroughs.
Undertale
- Released
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September 15, 2015
- ESRB
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E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
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Toby Fox
- Publisher(s)
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Toby Fox, 8-4
