In 2015, Toby Fox releasedUndertale, a small game that made a huge impact. The title turned the concept of the RPG on its head, and gave players the power of destruction—or mercy. You could go through the title the traditional way, killing anything that comes between you and your goal. Or, you could choose to talk through disagreements and win fights by winning over your opponents with kindness.
That very same year, another game was released that achieved a similar effect, but flew muchfurther under the radar.Dropsywas created Tendershoot and A Jolly Corpse and published by Devolved Digital on June 10, 2025, just five days beforeUndertale.
The point-and-click adventure hasthe heart ofUndertalemixed with a grotesque and off-putting facadestraight out of Stephen King’sIT—and it’s a must-play for fans of either.
Dropsy Is A Strange Tale About The Power Of Kindness
A Warm Embrace Full Of Unsettling Art And Clowns
LikeUndertale,Dropsyis a game all aboutchoosing the pacifist route of an RPG progression.The premise reads like a children’s story: The titular Dropsy is a clown who just wants to spread joy with positivity and hugs. He travels around a colorful world full of quirky characters, offering a helping hand and a warm hug to anyone who needs it.
The reality of the game is much darker. Dropsy embarks on his journey after a devastating fire razes his circus to the ground and his father falls ill.
Every step along his path reveals thehorrors and darkness of human nature,and the terrible things that happen to often undeserving people. And it does so entirely without using a single written word, relying on evocative images and an emotive soundtrack.
The Best Of Undertale And IT In a Small Game About A Clown
Dropsy Is A Story About Humanity
Dropsyisn’t a horror game, butit is, at times, a horrifying game.Like a Stephen King work, the gamedelves deep into the psyche of the human being.Dropsy meets hatred and fear at every turn from characters who immediately judge him by his appearance and the (false) story the news has spread about him.
But Dropsy’s good nature can’t be broken, despite years of being misunderstood and shunned by society.Dropsypushes through, approaching every character with warmth and a desire to help, much in the same spirit asUndertale.
Ultimately, despite itsoften disturbing and surreal imagery,Dropsyis an uplifting story about the power of kindnessin an often unkind world. The titular clown never gives up on wanting to help and share joy with the people he encounters, even when they react to him with hatred and misunderstanding.
It’s a game about finding light in the darkness, a beautiful merging of the horrors ofITcombined with the underlying kindness ofUndertale.
