Undertale and the Absurd Freedom of Being a Complete Menace in RPGs
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
A look at how Undertale uses a simple snowman side character and an inventory item to test player morality, highlighting the game's unique approach to freedom and consequence.
Developer Toby Fox crafted a masterpiece in Undertale by giving players a startling amount of freedom in how they interact with the world. While most RPGs funnel you toward a predetermined heroic path, Undertale famously branches into neutral, pacifist, and genocide routes. These choices extend far beyond the main cast of characters and into seemingly trivial side interactions. A prime example is the friendly snowman shivering in the woods near Snowdin, who asks you to take a piece of him out into the wider world so he can experience it vicariously through your travels.
That simple inventory item turns into a brilliant test of player morality. If you manage to carry the Snowman Piece all the way to the end of the game, you get a heartwarming nod from Sans. If you lose the item, you can awkwardly return for replacements until the snowman eventually loses hope and laments that monsterkind is doomed to stay underground forever. The real cruelty, however, comes from treating him like any other consumable. Eating the piece right in front of him triggers immediate heartbreak and horror, while the genocide route lets you strip him down entirely until he is nothing more than a pathetic pile of snow with a carrot stuck in it.
It is this willingness to let players be absolute monsters that makes choice-driven game design so compelling. Modern gaming is full of battle passes and cosmetics that encourage us to curate our virtual identities, but few titles lean into the sheer comedic and psychological weight of bad behavior quite like this. As originally explored by Jen Glennon over at Polygon, the snowman encapsulates the unique brand of player freedom that keeps indie classics relevant years after launch. You can read the full breakdown of this existential inventory item over at Polygon.
Tags: Undertale, RPG, Indie Games, Polygon, Gaming Culture
Original article: Polygon