Word-of-Mouth and Sales Both Flourish

As more and more players got their hands on Undertale, the game's data skyrocketed.

On several third-party gaming platforms, Undertale had already climbed onto some recommendation lists.

Though Chen Xu felt the same disdain for these parallel-world channels as he had in his past life.

For now, though, putting Undertale on these platforms brought nothing but benefits. No money earned was money wasted.

Even if he wanted to shake up the gaming industry's landscape, one thing was unavoidable:

Capital.

So Chen Xu chose a few third-party platforms willing to compromise.

In the gaming circle, Chen Xu was a newcomer.

But he was still different from ordinary game designers.

First, Magic Mirror provided a guaranteed baseline in sales. Second, the hype with Zhong Mei had given Undertale built-in traffic.

So when it came to revenue splits, some third-party channels were willing to make concessions.

That was one reason Chen Xu agreed to launch there.

And judging by the current results, Undertale's sales growth was quite gratifying.

While Chen Xu kept an eye on Undertale's sales.

Many indie game designers were also shaken by Undertale.

In a small indie game designer chat group.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! I can only use three 'holy shits' to describe Undertale. Before this, I thought Zhong Mei was right—what good game could Chen Xu make? But now I can only say it's insane!"

"What's going on? Is it really that exaggerated? That score wasn't bought?"

"What are you thinking? How could it be bought? Third-party maybe, but try buying one on the official platform."

"Exactly, stop talking nonsense. Faked? Show me a faked score on the official platform. Don't you fear getting your designer title revoked and blacklisted?"

"I suggest anyone who hasn't played it give it a try. I was truly blown away. The only word is 'unbelievable'!"

"Honestly, my new game was supposed to launch next week, but now I think I'll need to polish it a bit longer."

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

"How to put it... On the surface, it's an ordinary game, but there are several different endings inside. The first playthrough is shocking, the pacifist ending is heartwarming, and the genocide ending made me cry."

"I used to laugh when people said Magic Mirror changed the gentleman's game scene, but I think Undertale might spark a trend for this kind of gameplay!"

"Isn't that overstating it? Founding a new school?"

"Founding a school? No. But carrying it forward? Absolutely. And I believe from now on, whenever this type of game is mentioned, Undertale will be an unavoidable name."

As the chatter went on, someone in the group suddenly shared a public account article.

"Stop talking, check Chen Xu's official blog!"

"Holy shit! Is this guy even human?"

"Both sales and reviews are booming!?"

"Three days and sales have already broken 100,000? Isn't that too crazy?"

Everyone clicked in and saw Chen Xu's official blog.

A simple thank-you post, still related to Undertale.

'Thank you all for your support. Undertale's sales have broken 100,000, but I believe this is not the end!'

Chen Xu wasn't hiding these numbers.

On one hand, it wasn't a huge secret. In a few days, third-party research firms would release their data anyway. Though it might differ from reality, it wouldn't be far off.

On the other hand, it was for publicity. With such good word-of-mouth, this was the perfect time to fan the flames.

Revealing the data was clearly a great way to spark discussion.

As Chen Xu publicized the sales figures, it wasn't just the indie game designers who were shocked.

Major media outlets paying attention were also stunned.

A little-known game, a designer previously known for gentleman's games, and a public spat with another designer.

The topic was just too hot.

And Undertale's data performance was explosive.

Before this, some gaming media had dismissed Undertale as nothing special. Now their faces were thoroughly slapped.

For ordinary players who had played the game, there was only one feeling.

That Undertale's score and success were simply: well-deserved.

The memorable characters in the game, especially the final endings, were just too impactful.

Before playing this game, no player could have imagined a game could be made this way!

All players felt a single sensation—that of witnessing history in the making.

This "Undertale" might leave a brilliant mark in the history of indie games.

At the same time, other media outlets scrambled to release follow-up news.

"10,000 copies sold in 3 days! Rating as high as 9.9!"

"An indie game masterpiece, a must-play for all gamers!"

"A unique RPG that overturns players' perception of what an RPG can be!"

"Players: 'This game played me!'"

"An unbelievable game! Unbelievable results!"

"The first playthrough brings shock, the second brings warmth, the third brings pain, and the fourth brings reflection."

There was no doubt that "Undertale" had blown up. It started with praise from some media outlets and players.

Then it spread through the game designer community, because "Undertale" was completely different from any other game before it.

Not just in terms of story, but also in its methods of presentation.

For example, Flowey's words in the game felt like they were speaking directly to the player through the screen.

This kind of design made every game designer feel as if a skylight had been opened in their minds.

To be honest, in the previous world, "Undertale" wasn't a game with very heavy meta elements.

Because aside from the beginning and the ending, the interruptions in between mostly focused on telling the stories of various characters in the game, like Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and others.

And precisely because of this, "Undertale" had a stronger sense of immersion than most meta games.

When the secrets of the game's ending were revealed, players felt an extremely intense shock.

And after each ending, there was also a hidden philosophical reflection and a moment of introspection.

This is the biggest characteristic of meta games.

In terms of meta elements alone, "Undertale" actually couldn't compare to "The Stanley Parable" or "Pony Island."

But in a parallel world, the concept of meta games hadn't even sprouted yet.

The meta setting of "Undertale" itself, combined with its story, delivered an impact to players that was countless times stronger than in the previous world.

Especially when streaming platforms and video platforms showcased some of the content from "Undertale" to players, it only fanned the flames even higher.