Psychology of Games

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The Best Game Ever?

Undertale is an indie game which was launched all the way back in 2015. The premise behind the game is simple – the player falls into another dimension and has to adapt to their responsibility as an entity with the capability of altering the fates of the inhabitants of that place.

On a superficial level, the overarching narrative isn’t unprecedented by any means. However, immediately post its release, the game received universal acclaim. The love for the game is so strong, that it was proclaimed the ‘Game of the Year’ by several forums.

Undertale’s flamboyant reception in the gaming community does raise some questions on what players want.?

Graphically, the game pays a great deal of homage to the Pokemon games of yore. This is notable because, in an era of photorealism, Undertale deliberately discards this idea to transport players to older times.

In terms of several of its core gameplay mechanisms, the game is a conventional RPG which asks the player to explore their surroundings, solve puzzles, and interact with demons (some of whom might initiate fights). Spectacular execution on all fronts, no doubt, but groundbreaking?

What sets Undertale apart?

The answer is simple – Undertale plays on the psychology of the player like no game ever.

Unlike just about any other game in this vein, Undertale allows the player the liberty to go through the entire game without killing anyone – a pacifist route.

There is a catch though – while the play can opt for the pacifist route, or the route of a morally neutral character, a huge 20-25% of the narrative lies in the Genocide route.

As the name suggests, the genocide route requires the player to indulge in killing just about everyone, including their in-game friends and acquaintance.

To elucidate further, most characters in Undertale are rather amiable. They seek to help the player, and only really initiate fights when they are provoked or when the player’s soul is absolutely essential to their lives.

In order to access this huge chunk of the narrative, the player needs to put all of them through the sword.

While the player is on the genocide route, every character in the game either expresses fear, or absolute resentment. However, despite virtually every in-game element screaming at the player to move them to abandon this bloody path, the player goes on.?

Why?

Zeigarnik effect

Whenever we desert any activity midway, there is an overpowering compulsion which motivates us to resume at promptly as possible. This is called the Zeigarnik effect.

Undertale triggers this impulse, and motivates the player to complete the entire game despite their moral inhibitions.

To put it into context, the player kills everyone just so they can finally complete the game.

To answer the question we posed earlier, Undertale is remarkable because it asks the players to confront their own moralities, and the resulting consequences.

At the end of the genocide route, the protagonist is forced to relinquish their soul, and the ability to reset for a happier ending.

This is the reward Undertale extends to the player for compromising with their moral compass. This is the reward awaiting those who wish to seek out the additional 20-25% of narrative.

Undertale is a great testament to video games’ power – the power to impact someone emotionally, the power to take people where they couldn’t anticipate themselves going in their wildest dreams.?

To everybody developing the next contender for Undertale’s throne, it is important to understand that video games aren’t just activities for recreation. You need to take players on a journey to build a memorable experience.

Further, to everyone reading this piece, Undertale was published independently and attained huge success. Therefore, don’t be afraid to resort to your own means even if no established publisher backs your vision.

Written by Laksh Sharma