By If Toby Fox perceives his approach to game development as rather unproductive, it likely shouldn’t come as a major shock considering the number of years it has taken to deliver a little over half of Deltarune to gamers. Fox humorously claims that his method of crafting games is “foolish,” but he equally recognizes that it has bestowed them with a distinctive allure that has drawn in massive fandoms since Undertale.
When approached for an interview by Game Informer (paid article link), Fox was apparently reluctant partly due to that self-declared “foolish” method of game-making. However, once he ultimately consented to the interview, he quickly softened his stance. “I don’t genuinely believe [the way I create games is] foolish, at least not in a purely negative sense. Clearly, a lot of individuals are satisfied with the outcome,” Fox states.
Undertale and Deltarune are constructed from distinctive enemy confrontations that possess their own original mechanics, but “in other RPGs, it’s possible to encounter enemies throughout the games that primarily only utilize physical assaults,” Fox clarifies. “While the appearance and animations might differ, elements like vulnerabilities, HP, and other statistics can be swiftly modified in a database.”
But that isn’t how Fox’s games operate. “In Deltarune, we cannot rely solely on adjusting numbers. Everything in the game serves merely as a vessel for a previously unseen gimmick,” he elaborates.
“Each enemy features novel bullet patterns, new [actions], every area presents unique puzzles, etc. I don’t necessarily consider this a positive or negative aspect, given that Final Fantasies are among my favorite RPGs… but the approach I have selected is not very effective for development.”
With Deltarune Chapter 1 debuting in 2018, Chapter 2 in 2021, and Chapters 3+4 anticipated in 2025, it seems evident that Fox is correct about the effectiveness of this development model. Yet, the commitment to the intricacies is part of what has rendered these games so cherished, and Fox remarks, “it’s up to the players who have been patient to determine whether it was worthwhile.” It seems clear which side they have chosen.