Enacting Violence Towards Empathetic Ends; Undertale as a Case for Video Gaming Emotional Education

Abstract

This paper aims to demonstrate the potential of Indie RPG game Undertale as a powerful emotional intelligence and empathy building tool. To contextualize my case study Undertale, I will start this paper with a review of studies on the relevance of video games to therapeutic spaces and a survey of how video games have been used in empathy building experiments. By including these studies, I will situate Undertale as part of a medium with proven effect on emotional growth and empathy. In the second section of my paper, I will dissect how violent games have a reputation as anti-empathetic and desensitizing to violence. Undertale is a game that uses violence as a tool to build empathy rather than degrade it. I will delve into psychological studies that examine empathy and violence in video games. Overall, these studies indicate that when player violence is unjustified and/or when the consequences of this violence are made known in-world, players are more likely to build empathy rather than lose empathy. I will argue that video game violence that encourages player reflection can have the effect of building moral sensitivity rather than degrading it. In the third section of my paper, I will perform a close reading of Undertale. This case study will demonstrate how inflicting video game violence can be used to build empathy rather than destroy it. I will delve into the oppressive ideologically charged mechanics and tropes present in many violent mainstream games. I will explain how Undertale challenges theses mechanics and tropes. Combining psychological studies on video games with a close reading of Undertale, this paper will offer an understanding of why Undertale has revolutionary emotional and empathy building potential. Undertale is a step towards accessible, enjoyable, emotional, and empathetic education. Faculty Supervisor: Eric Chalfant