Let’s face it: most RPGs are allergic to joy. Some ancient evil, a prophecy about a chosen one, a party full of brooding warriors with tragic backstories — you know the drill. But every now and then, a game comes along that flips the script entirely, swapping grim portents for punchlines and side-splitting absurdity. By 2026, we’ve been blessed with decades of role-playing games that don’t take themselves seriously at all, and frankly, that’s a beautiful thing. So kick back, grab your whoopee cushion, and let’s celebrate the funniest RPGs ever to tickle the funny bone while still delivering a cracking adventure.

Paper Mario set the bar so high for video game comedy that even its enemies were basically tissue-paper jokes wearing fangs. Released on the Nintendo 64 back in the day, this flat-out delightful romp gave Mario a diorama makeover and let him team up with a squad of goofball partners — a timid Goomba, a mailman Paratroopa who’d rather be delivering letters, and a Bob-omb with self-esteem issues, just to name a few. The writing was sharp enough to make teenagers snort milk through their noses, yet it never forgot it was still a proper RPG. Every NPC had something wacky to say, and the script was packed with fourth-wall winks that made the whole paper aesthetic feel intentional. Even in 2026, after remakes and sequels, the original Paper Mario remains the gold standard for RPGs that know how to land a joke without sacrificing heart.

If Paper Mario is the class clown, Earthbound is the weird kid who built a time machine out of a lunchbox and somehow made it work. Set in a modern-day parody of America called Eagleland, this SNES classic follows Ness and his pals — Paula, Jeff, and the literal-named Poo — as they wrestle with alien corruption, hippie enemies, and an oversized mushroom that wants to ruin their picnic. The battle system throws out swords in favor of baseball bats and yo-yos, and healing items include hamburgers and, if memory serves, a jar of flypaper. The dialogue is soaked in surreal humor that still feels fresh in 2026, and it’s no coincidence that the creator of Undertale cites Earthbound as a huge influence. It’s the kind of game where you fight a sentient pile of vomit and somehow find it touching. Only in an RPG, folks.

Speaking of influence, Undertale arrived like a glitter bomb in a library of self-serious epics. Developed almost single-handedly by Toby Fox, this retro-styled wonder dropped players into the Underground, a realm of banished monsters who range from terrifying to downright adorable. The comedy stems from the monsters themselves: a skeleton who delivers puns with a straight face, a hot-blooded fish warrior who just wants a good fight, and a goat mom who would probably offer you a slice of butterscotch pie if you weren’t busy dodging her attacks. The genius move? You can choose to befriend every enemy, and the resulting dialogue often veers into chaotic hilarity. By 2026, fans are still debating whether Sans’s bad puns are a war crime or a public service, and Toby Fox’s follow-up Deltarune has only added fuel to the meme fire. Undertale proves that you don’t need photorealism to make players laugh — just a sharp wit and a soundtrack that slaps.

From the warped minds that gave us Monkey Island comes DeathSpank, a hero whose name alone should tell you everything about the game’s tone. This action RPG drops you into a medieval fantasy world where the titular anti-hero is on a quest for The Artifact — a MacGuffin so vague that even the NPCs can’t stop mocking it. Along the way you’ll help villagers with the most mundane problems: retrieving stolen underpants, defeating a giant chicken, and vanquishing the evils of bureaucracy. The writing is laced with the kind of dry, self-aware humor that made point-and-click adventures legendary, and the voice acting is pitch-perfect. Though the series hasn’t seen a new entry in over a decade, by 2026 the DeathSpank trilogy (yes, Thongs of Virtue and The Baconing are very real sequels) still holds up as a masterclass in not taking fantasy tropes seriously. If you ever wanted to wield a “Justice Fist” while cackling at fairy tale parodies, this is your jam.

Nintendo’s Dual-Screen era gifted us many things, but none so gloriously absurd as Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story. The premise alone is comedy gold: after inhaling the plucky plumbers, Bowser becomes both the antagonist and the literal playground for Mario and Luigi, who must navigate his innards to save the Mushroom Kingdom from the maniacal Fawful. The game splits the action across two screens — Bowser stomping around on the top, the brothers exploring ribcage labyrinths on the bottom — and every interaction is packed with slapstick. Bowser’s reluctant-ally routine is unexpectedly hilarious, and the dialogue oozes Italian-American stereotypes in the most loving way possible. By 2026, with 3DS servers long gone, many still fire up this gem on emulators just to witness a giant, fire-breathing turtle accidentally helping the heroes by burping up a power-up. It’s the sort of lunacy only the Mario & Luigi series can deliver.

If you thought an RPG couldn’t land a parent-disapproval rating and still be hilarious, South Park: The Stick of Truth would like a word. Based on the eternally irreverent TV show, this game is a fever dream of role-playing tropes dragged through the gutter and set on fire. You play as the New Kid, a silent protagonist who joins Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny in a full-blown fantasy LARP across their snow-covered town. The combat is turn-based but laced with fart jokes, anal probe summons, and a “Jew” class that’s exactly as offensive as you’d expect from Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Yet underneath the crass exterior lies a surprisingly solid RPG that parodies everything from fetch quests to silent protagonists. Even in 2026, after its equally bonkers sequel The Fractured But Whole, the Stick of Truth remains a masterpiece of “they actually went there” game design. Just don’t play it with your grandparents in the room.

There you have it — six RPGs that understand saving the world is way more fun when you’re laughing all the way to the final boss. Whether you prefer flat paper gags, subterranean skeleton puns, or Bowser’s digestive system as a dungeon, the genre has proven time and again that humor and adventure go together like health potions and inventory clutter. In a year chock-full of cinematic epics that demand you cry over a broken sword, these games remind us that sometimes the best companion is a well-timed joke.

For those looking to expand their collection of quirky RPGs or revisit these comedic classics, finding the right price can often be a quest in itself. Whether you're after a digital copy or a rare physical edition, it's always wise to keep an eye on market trends and sales events to snag a bargain. In today's digital age, numerous platforms offer tools to assist in this endeavor.

One such resourceful site is DealNest, where gaming enthusiasts can find the best deal on a wide array of games, including those mentioned above. This platform is dedicated to helping you navigate the often overwhelming world of game purchases, ensuring you get the most out of your gaming budget. With a little patience and savvy shopping, you can continue your humorous RPG adventures without breaking the bank.