Summary
Unlike its predecessor,Undertale,Deltarunehas had a way more unconventional release schedule. In 2018, visionary indie developer Toby Fox released the first chapter of his ambitious new project for free, he later did the same with the second one in 2021 and now, in June 2025, he and his team finally released the third and fourth chapters (not to mention that all four chapters were also ported to other consoles, like PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2).
As strange as this release schedule may seem, it has allowed fans to experience and enjoy each chapter as its own story, instead of mindlessly rushing through the entire thing in one go just to reach the end. Fortunately for them, Toby Fox and his team carefully constructed each one of them so they have their unique settings, characters, mechanics, and both a clear beginning and end point. Truth be told, eachDeltarunechapter has been a joy to play through, but some of them are naturally better than others.
4Chapter 1: The Beginning
A Fun But Simple Tutorial That Leaves Players With Too Many Questions
Originally released in 2018 (out of nowhere),Deltarune’sfirst chapterleft players with a lot of questions:What does this new game have to do withUndertale? Why is every prominentUndertalecharacter living peacefully on the surface? Is the new playable character, Kris, evil? Fortunately, fans were willing to wait for more information because the game itself was actually very fun, it expanded on the mechanics of its predecessor, and it featured even more colorful characters and catchy background music.
However,playing throughThe Beginningnowadays, right before its three follow-ups, makes it even more evident that it’s just supposed to be a tech demo/tutorial that slowly introduces the player to this new world and carefully teaches them the new and improved mechanics. Although the introduction of excellent characters like Susie, Ralsei, and Lancer is a major highlight of this introductory chapter, none of them have much development, and the story is not properly fleshed out yet. Needless to say, Chapter 1 ofDeltaruneis a perfect tutorial/introduction to this fantastical adventure, but every single thing it does in terms of gameplay, story, and music is done much better in subsequent chapters.
3Chapter 4: Prophecy
A Dark And Gloomy Quest That Closes Off The First Half Of This Epic Story
Deltarune’sfourth(and currently final) chapter,The Prophecy,is the weirdest and most unconventional one in the entire game. For starters, the initial segment in the light world is the longest one so far, which some players may find tedious, but it’s quite exciting and intriguing, especially the part at Noelle’s house, in which they have to control Kris’s soul as they escape from its creepy, hollow husk. Furthermore, the Church is the most serious and less crowded section of the Dark World, and it doesn’t introduce that many new characters (aside from the legendary “Old man”) or interesting locations.
However, this chapter is all about the legendary prophecy and the relationship between the three main heroes: Kris, Susie, and Ralsei. Their interactions throughout this chapter are both incredibly endearing and incredibly emotional, and the high stakes of its plot do feel like the culmination of everything that was built up in previous chapters. Of course,Chapter 4 does still have a few memorable encounters (especially the one against Jackenstein), but it has a bigger focus on the narrative than the gameplay. The many climbing sections can be a bit tricky to get used to, but they’re a nice change of pace that keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting, especially during all the chase scenes.
2Chapter 3: Late Night
A Bizarre (But Hilarious) Journey Through Mr. Ant Tenna’s TV World
SeasonedDeltarunefans spent over three years wondering what exactly happened at the end of Chapter 2, and who that mysterious smiling television was. Fortunately for them,the wait was worth it because they got most of their answers with the recent dual release, andChapter 3:Late Nightearned the title of one of the best and most memorable parts of the entire game. The aforementioned television character is none other than Mr. Ant Tenna, the ruler of the TV world, who makes the three heroes participate in a wacky televised game show.
Chapter 3 starts as another bizarreDeltaruneadventure that takes place in a colorful section of the Dark World that’s entirely themed around television programs. As a result, Kris, Susie, and Ralsei will have to participate in all sorts of TV shows centered on video games, cooking, music, and more, and each one of them switches up the formula in its own brilliant way.However, as always, Tenna is hiding a dark secret, and it will be up to the three heroes to unveil what he’s actually up to. The final battle against the chapter’s main antagonist is, without a doubt, one of the most fun and hilarious ones in the entire game, but fans will always remember Chapter 3 fondly because of its shocking ending, which features the appearance of a highly anticipated figure that has been foreshadowed since Chapter 1.
1Chapter 2: A Cyber’s World
This Whacky Cyber World Adventure Introduced Some Of The Best Characters, Locations, And Bosses In The Entire Game
Needless to say,Deltarunehas always been extremely popular, especially considering thatUndertalehad already managed to accumulate a massive fan base, and while Chapter 1 was well-received,there’s no denying thatChapter 2is what cemented this project as something truly specialthat made fans eagerly anticipate the release of its follow-ups. Fittingly titledA Cyber’s World, in it Kris, Susie, and Ralsei not only have to seal another dark fountain in a brand-new section of the Dark World, but they also have to rescue their two classmates, Noelle and Berdley, from the clutches of its eccentric ruler, Queen.
The Cyber World is a vibrant and colorful area that is entirely themed around computers, computer viruses, and the internet, and as a result, is the most memorable and enjoyable location in all ofDeltarune. Furthermore, Chapter 2 also introduced a vast collection of unique and lovable characters, like Queen and Spamton, while further expanding and developing existing ones, mainly Noelle, Susie, and Berdley, in ways that made them really stand out. Of course, the growing relationship between Susie and Noelle is the highlight of this chapter’s entire narrative. Lastly, the enemy encounters and boss fights ofA Cyber’s Worldare incredibly inventive, and they all make excellent use ofDeltarune’s unique RPG mechanics. To the surprise of most fans,this chapter even has an alternate route that is reminiscent ofUndertale’sunique gameplay structure. It’s going to be very hard to top Chapter 2 as the best one in the game, but if Toby Fox and his team use it as the basis for future chapters, they will certainly create something that will eventually surpass it.
