If you’re a Paper Mario fan, there’s one important thing you probably share with all other Paper Mario fans: Disappointment.
Unfortunately for all of us who love the antics of Intelligent Systems’ two-dimensional plumber, the Paper Mario series has slowly declined in quality, taking over the things we loved about the early games (turn-based combat! Witty writing! Incredible characters!) and they turn into things that… just aren’t that good. Endless parades of faceless Toads, battles that rely too heavily on a gimmick that doesn’t quite work, and writing that never quite reaches the heights of Paper Marios of yore… this is what we’ve had to endure for a while (although, admittedly) , Origami King was pretty good).
Luckily for us, game developers can also be fans of Paper Mario – and some of them are pulling the strings and creating Paper Mario-inspired games that hark back to the good old days of our flat friends. These are the indie games to check out if you’re ever nostalgic for Thousand-Year Door or the OG Paper Mario…
(Shout out to the excellent Paperverse, a community that monitors Paper Mario-style games, for helping us with this list!)
Publisher: DANGEN entertainment / Developer: Moonsprout games
The most Paper Marioiest of the Paper Mario-inspired games on this list, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is not just a love letter to Paper Mario: The Millennial Door; it’s the terrifying stalker from that GameCube classic. We cannot emphasize it enough; this is Paper Mario.
It’s spiritually identical from top to bottom – from the writing style with its many little comedic asides, the pop-up book graphics, the music (that “battle won” theme is shockingly reminiscent of Thousand-Year Door) all the way to the individual animations ; with main character Vi’s small arm flail precisely reminds of Marios. It’s so similar it’s almost unnerving; like Bug Fables Paper killed Mario and wears his skin. But you know, in a good way.
Publisher: tinyBuild / Developer: splash team
Tinykin’s more obvious inspiration is Pikmin, but this 3D platformer also packs a healthy slice of Paper Mario DNA. This critter puzzle game offers a lesson in appreciating the simple things in life, including the help of the people around you (like Paper Mario’s various NPC companions), with plenty of environmental puzzles that make use of the strengths of each from your little friends. It’s a fun low-stakes game, but charming writing and inventive level design make it worth picking up.
Publisher: Graffiti Games / Developer: Snoozy Kazoo
This tax-avoiding action RPG may be the only one of its kind, but it takes its inspiration from games like A Link to the Past to create a brilliantly written, surprisingly beautiful game that constantly delights players with weird and witty dialogues and puzzles. We wouldn’t say Turnip Boy is as obviously inspired by the Papers Mario as, say, Bug Fables, but it certainly hits the mark when it comes to writing.
Publisher: digestion / Developer: Paper Castle Games
UnderHero, like one of its sources of inspiration, Undertale, is an anti-RPG. You play as a minion of the evil overlord, who starts the game’s story by accidentally killing the actual hero and then on his own scavenger hunt. It’s a 2D platformer with Paper Mario-esque upgrades and coins to collect, and timing-based combat that builds on the foundation Mario has laid. Like many games on this list, the writing is a strong point, the visuals are great, and the soundtrack is filled with bangers. A real hidden gem of the papery genre!
Publisher: PQube / Developer: The Gentlebros
The better of the two Cat Quest games, Cat Quest II does to cats what Paper Mario did to stationery. Get ready for puns, all about humanity’s favorite feline friends, in this comedy action RPG with simple yet immersive combat. Now we just have to wait for Cat Mario and Paper Mario to combine, finally…
Publisher: 8-4 / Developer: 8-4
Where Paper Mario took the RPG formula and made it silly, weird, and self-referential, Undertale does the same in a more modern, meme-saturated, Earthbound-esque way. It’s certainly not the closest to the Paper Mario world, but its heart is full of similar charm, silliness and memorably unique moments – be warned it gets a lot darker than Mario ever dared.
Publisher: Fabraz / Developer: Umaiki games
The overworld of Link’s Awakening meets Paper Mario’s 2D guy-in-a-3D setting in Skellboy, a lively action RPG that flew under the radar due to poor launch performance. Since then it has been patched considerably and we hope that more people will try it as a result. You play a little skeleton boy named Skippy, with the ability to swap your body parts for new effects and abilities – so each battle is a potential new body part to steal.
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