Music is at the heart of Undertale’s narrative, acting as more than just background ambiance. Each track is carefully crafted to reflect characters’ personalities, key emotional moments, and the overall mood of the game’s world. Especially, the use of leitmotif has helped to build emotional continuity and deepens the player’s connection to the story. This blog post is based on the excellent video analysis "How the song 'Undertale' Hits Home" by Game Score Fanfare, which explores the musical techniques that make Undertale's soundtrack so emotionally powerful.
In 2015, an indie developer named Toby Fox released Undertale, a critically acclaimed RPG that he both developed and composed the soundtrack for. What makes Fox's achievement particularly remarkable is that he is a self-taught musician who composed the entire soundtrack himself, taking on the monumental task of creating all the tracks that would become one of gaming history's most beloved soundtracks. Fox's journey to Undertale began with early work composing music for the webcomic Homestuck. Before that, he had also worked on Earthbound’s Halloween ROM hack, in which he had released the very first version of “Megalovania”. The success of Undertale's soundtrack lies not just in its catchy melodies, but in Fox's sophisticated understanding of how music can manipulate emotion and create genuine connection between player and story. As we'll explore, one track in particular, which is the game's titular song, demonstrates a masterclass in emotional composition that transforms what could have been a simple scene into something truly moving.
Undertale faces a unique challenge in its final act, New Home. How does a game that has spent most of its runtime being absurd and fanciful suddenly pivot to deliver genuine human emotion? The answer lies in one of the most powerful tools in any composer's arsenal: an acoustic guitar.
This seemingly simple instrument becomes the key to unlocking the game's emotional core, transforming what could have been a contrived moment into something that truly resonates with players.
Picture by: Game Score Fanfare
Before diving into the emotional impact of the titular track, it's essential to understand Undertale's relationship with music history. The game serves as both a love letter to JRPGs of the 80s and early 90s and a subversive commentary on the genre's conventions.
The musical journey begins with "Once Upon a Time," an authentic 8-bit track that could have been pulled straight from an NES cartridge. This opening theme deliberately evokes the original Mother game, establishing Undertale's place within the JRPG tradition while hinting at its willingness to both honor and challenge that heritage.
As the game progresses, the soundtrack evolves through different console generations, incorporating 16-bit sounds reminiscent of Super Nintendo classics like Earthbound and Final Fantasy VI. This musical evolution mirrors the game's narrative progression, with each era bringing new possibilities while maintaining respect for what came before.
Picture by: SUPERJUMP
One of Undertale's most sophisticated musical techniques is its extensive use of leitmotifs, which are recurring musical themes that represent characters, ideas, or emotions. Out of 101 tracks in the game, only 12 lack any trace of other music from the game, and most of these are brief jingles or ambient pieces.
The song "Undertale" itself contains two crucial motifs. The first is "His Theme," played by the acoustic guitar, which represents Asriel, the monster prince whose actions set the entire story in motion. This theme has been subtly hinted at throughout the game but only reaches full realization when players finally learn Asriel's true identity and role in the tragedy.
The second motif, heard in the piano line, is the game's main theme—a melody that music analyst Jason Yu suggests evokes safety and comfort. This theme appears in places of shelter and rest, from Toriel's home at the beginning to the Hotel before the final area, creating a musical thread that connects moments of peace throughout the player's journey.
Picture by: Game Score Fanfare
The true genius of Undertale's emotional climax lies in its use of a live acoustic guitar performance by Stephanie MacIntire. This is the only live recording of an instrument on the entire soundtrack, and its impact cannot be overstated.
After hours of digital instruments and synthesized sounds, the introduction of a real human performance creates an immediate shift in the game's emotional landscape. The subtle imperfections inherent in human performance, including the tiny timing variations, the slightly out-of-tune strings, and the sound of the pick against the strings, all of which serve to ground the scene in reality.
These human elements create what the original video describes as a "personal atmosphere" that brings the game's emotional punch hurtling back down to Earth. The organic nature of the acoustic guitar stands in stark contrast to the digital world players have inhabited, emphasizing the humanity at the heart of the story.