Deltarune is an RPG created by American indie game developer Toby Fox. The game serves as a successor and "parallel story" to Toby Fox's previous critically acclaimed game, Undertale. Deltarune features many of the same characters and themes as its predecessor, but still manages to expand on them, while also adding a ton of new features!
The story of Deltarune follows the adventures of Kris the human and Susie the monster as they travel through mysterious places known as “Dark Worlds” and meet plenty of friends and foes along the way. The game is currently still in development, with only two of the seven promised chapters being released so far. The first two chapters of Deltarune are available for free on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PS4!
All of the pages beyond this little intro page will include spoilers for both Deltarune and Undertale! If you haven't played either of those games yet and don't want to be spoiled, turn back now!
Characters
Kris is a quiet, but mischievous, teenage human, as well as the only human living in a town full of monsters. Kris is controlled by the player for the majority of the game.
Susie is the local school bully and one of Kris’s classmates. After they both accidentally fall into the Dark World, she and Kris have to work together to get back home. She is very strong-willed and likes to fight.
Ralsei is the self-proclaimed “Prince of Darkness”, and lives in the dark world. He appears to know more about both the Light and Dark Worlds than any other character, and is very eager to help others in need.
Noelle is one of Kris’s classmates, and the sweet girl-next-door. The two of them were very close friends when they were younger, but have since become more distant. Noelle also has a crush on Susie, which Susie is oblivious to.
Gameplay
Deltarune’s gameplay includes a mix of bullet hell, puzzle, and traditional RPG mechanics. In the overworld, the player may have to flip switches or step on certain tiles so they can move on to the next area. Like many RPGs, the player can also talk to NPCs, buy items, and equip different armor and weapons.
The battles are where the true gameplay of Deltarune really gets to shine. Like in Undertale, the player controls a heart-shaped soul with the arrow keys, while dodging bullets fired by the enemies. Each one has its own set of bullet patterns, and there can be more than one pattern happening at a time if there’s multiple enemies.
The combat aspect has been greatly improved since Undertale. Battles now have a party system, so multiple characters that be used in battle at a time. Each party member has their own unique stats and abilities, so knowing which one to use in which situation is very important. The player can also now gain "TP" or "Tension Points" by getting close to the bullets without getting hit. That TP can then be spent on more powerful moves, similar to how mana works in other RPGs. This adds a fun but challenging, "risk vs reward" aspect to the game.