Question: What game engine was used to create Undertale?

Answer

Undertale, the indie hit known for its unique gameplay and story, was created using a game engine called GameMaker Studio. GameMaker Studio, developed by YoYo Games, is a popular choice among indie game developers because it's relatively easy to use and requires less programming knowledge compared to other game engines. It offers a drag-and-drop interface along with its scripting language, GML (GameMaker Language), for more advanced functionality.

The engine supports 2D game development and provides a suite of tools to manage graphics, sounds, and gameplay. Undertale's developer, Toby Fox, utilized GameMaker's capabilities to create the game's distinctive pixel art style, combat system, and branching narrative structure.

Here's a simple example of how you might begin setting up a small part of an Undertale-like game in GameMaker Studio:

// Create a new object for the player character
player = instance_create_layer(x, y, "Instances", obj_player);

// Set some properties for the player character
player.sprite_index = spr_player; // Set the player's sprite
player.speed = 4; // Set the player's movement speed

// Control player movement in the step event of the player object
if (keyboard_check(vk_left)) {
    player.x -= player.speed;
}
if (keyboard_check(vk_right)) {
    player.x += player.speed;
}
if (keyboard_check(vk_up)) {
    player.y -= player.speed;
}
if (keyboard_check(vk_down)) {
    player.y += player.speed;
}

In this rudimentary example, instance_create_layer is used to place the player character in the game world, and keyboard_check combined with virtual key constants (vk_left, vk_right, vk_up, vk_down) are used to move the player based on keyboard input. The actual Undertale game has much more complex logic and interactions, but this gives a glimpse into how GameMaker Studio's GML can be used to control game characters.

GameMaker Studio is versatile enough to allow developers to create a wide range of games, from simple 2D platformers to more complex projects like Undertale. Its accessibility has made it a gateway for many aspiring game developers to bring their ideas to life.