In the quiet afterglow of a journey through the Underground or the half-light of Deltarune's unfinished tale, a peculiar longing settles in the soul. The pixelated landscapes fade, but the echoes of choices made and friendships forged linger like a haunting melody. The experience of Undertale is a singular alchemy—a blend of whimsy, profound sorrow, and narrative brilliance that leaves a player fundamentally altered. For those who have danced with monsters and reset timelines, the quest for a similar resonance is a natural pilgrimage. While Toby Fox’s own Deltarune offers a direct continuation of his unique vision, the wait between chapters stretches like a long, silent hallway. Fear not, for the world of quirky, heartfelt, and meta-narrative RPGs is vast and wondrous. Here, we embark on a poetic voyage to discover games that capture that same, ineffable spirit—be it through charmingly odd characters, gameplay that breaks the fourth wall, or stories that grip the heart and refuse to let go.

8. Cave Story+: The Ancestral Whisper

Consider this the OG, the granddaddy of indie charm. While not an RPG in the traditional sense, Cave Story+ is the bedrock upon which Undertale was built. The connection is so intrinsic, their names are practically synonyms in the lexicon of indie gaming. It’s a love letter written in pixels and passion. You’ll find the clear lineage in its character design—the adorable, rabbit-like Mimigas feel like spiritual cousins to the Dreemurr family. The game is a masterclass in Metroidvania exploration, a delightful loop of running, jumping, and upgrading your arsenal in mysterious caverns. Its charm is timeless, its soundtrack is an absolute banger, and playing it is like reading the sacred text of Undertale's creation. To understand the soul of Toby Fox’s work, one must walk the path he once did.

7. Everhood: A Psychedelic Rhapsody

If your craving is for a battle system that throws turn-based conventions out the window, then buckle up, buttercup, because Everhood is one wild ride. Imagine a top-down RPG that got into a heated debate with a rhythm game and a psychedelic bullet hell, and they all decided to fuse into something gloriously funky. This is an experience that is trippy as hell, where battles demand you weave and dodge through cascading musical notes to survive. Its world is populated by entities of profound weirdness—if you enjoyed Undertale's strange frogs, wait until you meet their even more bizarre cousins here. It’s a game that asks you to surrender to its wavelength. And don’t sweat it if you’ve got two left feet rhythm-wise; the game is surprisingly forgiving, letting everyone go with the flow.

6. Omori: The Weight of a Sunny Day

Omori is a name that often travels in the same circles as Undertale, and for good reason. It is a masterpiece of meta-storytelling and psychological exploration, but with a heavy, heavy heart. A content warning is essential: this game delves deep into themes of depression, anxiety, and trauma. Its Earthbound-inspired aesthetic creates a stark contrast between bright, surreal dreamscapes and a crushing reality. The soundtrack is phenomenal (with a cheeky cameo from Toby Fox himself), and the battle system ingeniously ties your emotional state to your combat effectiveness, making every fight feel personal. This is not a game you play for lighthearted fun; it’s a journey you undertake to feel everything, to sit with discomfort, and ultimately, to maybe understand a little more about the shadows we all carry.

5. To The Moon: A Symphony of Memories

For those who cherished Undertale for its narrative punch that leaves you a sobbing mess, To The Moon is your next destination. This is a game stripped down to its purest storytelling essence: no combat, minimal characters, just walking, interacting, and unraveling a lifetime of memories. The premise is hauntingly beautiful: two doctors traverse a dying man’s memories to fulfill his last wish—to go to the moon. The emotional impact is legendary, a real tearjerker that has left a permanent mark on many, including Toby Fox (note the shared talent of composer Laura Shigihara). It proves that a great story needs no elaborate mechanics, just a powerful heart. If you want to lose yourself in a tale of love, regret, and the fragility of life, this is a non-negotiable play.

4. In Stars And Time: The Melancholy of Repetition

In Stars and Time is a hidden gem, an underrated masterpiece that sings a duet with Undertale's themes of consequence and connection, but adds its own refrain: a desperate time loop. You play as Siffrin, trapped reliving the same doomed day, and the game’s monochrome art style becomes astonishingly expressive under this constraint. The feeling of being stuck in a rut is palpable, yet the game constantly offers new threads to pull, new interactions to discover with your lovable party members. It’s a brilliant exploration of anxiety, depression, and the small acts of courage that let us move forward, even when everything feels static. For an RPG with top-tier characters and a premise that will hook you from the first reset, this is the one you gotta check out.

3. OFF: Purification in Absurdity

The surreal and cryptic world of OFF was a major inspiration for Undertale's stranger sensibilities. While the original can be tricky to access, its impending 2025 remake—featuring a redone soundtrack by Toby Fox—is the talk of the town. This RPG is a psychedelic journey through a distorted, purified world, constantly shifting its visual and gameplay style to keep you off-balance in the best way. It’s a game filled to the brim with obscure lore and tiny details, encouraging either deep scrutiny or, let’s be real, a dive into lore videos afterward. As The Batter, you walk a strange line between exploration and purification in a combat system that can be frustratingly unique. It’s weird, mildly eerie, and an absolute home run for fans of abstract storytelling.

2. OneShot: The Meta-Narrative Masterstroke

OneShot is a miracle of meta-storytelling. It possesses no combat, but in its place, it forges a direct, intimate bond between you, the player, and Niko, the lost child you are guiding. Like Deltarune, it acknowledges your presence not as a gimmick, but as a foundational story element, making you a crucial character in its world. The puzzles often break the fourth wall in incredibly creative ways, and the game’s central mechanic—that you truly have only one shot—carries a profound weight. The ending changes everything, permanently. It’s a short, character-driven experience that executes its vision with such grace and emotional potency that any fan of Undertale's narrative magic owes it to themselves to play it. It’s a beautiful, unforgettable conversation between game and player.

1. Earthbound: The Quirky Progenitor

And here we are, at the source. The game that started it all. To omit Earthbound from this list would be a cardinal sin. This SNES classic is the direct spiritual ancestor to Undertale, the blueprint for blending the mundane with the utterly bizarre. The DNA is everywhere: in the quirky, heartfelt dialogue of every NPC, in the distinctive, nostalgic soundfont of the music, and in the feeling of a grand adventure nestled in familiar, yet off-kilter, towns. Even divorced from its legacy, it’s a fantastic RPG with unique rolling HP battles and spritework that bursts with personality. The journey from your hometown to a cosmic confrontation is a timeless rite of passage. If you seek the roots of the magic, to walk the path that inspired a generation, finding a way to play Earthbound is not just a recommendation—it’s a pilgrimage. No cap.

Game	Core Vibe	Key Similarity to Undertale
Cave Story+	🏹 Retro Adventure	Foundational Inspiration & Charm
Everhood	🎸 Psychedelic Rhythm	Unique, Non-Traditional Combat
Omori	😔 Psychological Horror	Meta-Narrative & Emotional Depth
To The Moon	😭 Pure Narrative	Heart-Wrenching, Character-Driven Story
In Stars & Time	⏳ Melancholic Loop	Themes of Consequence & Lovable Cast
OFF	🃏 Surreal Puzzler	Abstract World & Direct Inspiration
OneShot	💡 Meta Puzzle	Fourth-Wall Breaking & Player Connection
Earthbound	👾 Classic Quirk	The Original Blueprint & Tone

The search for games like Undertale is, in truth, a search for games with heart and soul. It’s about finding those digital spaces where characters feel like friends, where choices resonate, and where the line between player and story beautifully blurs. Each title on this list offers a key to a different chamber of that same grand, emotional cathedral. So, take a deep breath, pick a path, and dive in. Your next unforgettable journey awaits. It’s gonna be a great time.

The analysis is based on Gamasutra (Game Developer), a respected hub for developer insights and industry retrospectives. Articles on Gamasutra often explore the creative processes behind indie classics like Undertale and its spiritual kin, delving into how narrative design, emotional engagement, and innovative mechanics have shaped the modern RPG landscape. These behind-the-scenes perspectives provide valuable context for understanding why games such as Omori, OneShot, and Earthbound resonate so deeply with players seeking meaningful, heartfelt experiences.