We’ve updated this guide to reflect the upcoming release of the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remaster and also added Born of Bread to the list. To enjoy!
If you’re a Paper Mario fan, then there’s one key thing you probably share with all other Paper Mario fans: disappointment. However, Paper Mario is set to make a big comeback in 2024 with a remaster of the GameCube classic, Paper Mario: Millennium Gate.
So far the series has been lacking a bit, taking the things we loved about the early games (turn-based combat! Witty writing! Amazing characters!) and turning them into things that are… just not that good. Endless parades of faceless Toads, combat that relies too much on gimmicks that don’t quite work, and writing that never reaches the heights of the Paper Marios of yore… Origami King was still pretty good.
It’s been a while since we had a special Paper Mario game. Lucky for us, game developers can also be fans of Paper Mario – and a few of them have taken the reins, creating Paper Mario-inspired games that harken back to the good old days of our flat friends. These are the indie games you should check out if you’re ever feeling nostalgic for Thousand-Year Door or the OG…
(Shout out to the excellent ones Paperversecommunity that follows games like Paper Mario, for helping us with this list!)
Publisher: DANGEN Entertainment / Programmer: Moonsprout Games
The most Paper Mario of the Paper Mario inspired games on this list, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling it’s not just a love letter Paper Mario: Millennium Gate; it’s a terrifying stalker of the GameCube classic. We cannot stress this enough; this is Paper Mario.
From top to bottom, it’s spiritually identical – from the writing style with numerous little comedic asides, the pop-up book graphics, the music (that “battle won” theme is shockingly evocative of Thousand-Year Door) right down to the individual animation; bee protagonist Vi’s little arm flail just Mario recalls. It’s so similar it’s almost disturbing; like Bug Fables he killed Paper Mario and wears his skin. But you know in a good way.
Publisher: tinyBuild / Programmer: Splash team
Tinykin’s more obvious inspiration is Pikmin, but this 3D platformer also has a healthy bit of Paper Mario DNA. This creature-fighting puzzler is a lesson in appreciating the simple things in life, including the help of those around you (like Paper Mario’s various NPC companions), with plenty of environmental puzzles that utilize the strengths of each of your tiny friends. It’s a sweet game with low stakes, but the charming text and inventive level design make it worth picking up.
Publisher: Graffiti games / Programmer: Snoozy Kazoo
This tax evasion action RPG may be the only one of its kind, but it draws inspiration from games like A Link to the Past to create a brilliantly written, surprisingly beautiful game that constantly delights players with quirky and witty dialogue and puzzles. We wouldn’t say that Turnip Boy is as clearly inspired by Papers Mario as, say, Bug Fables — but it certainly hits the right spot when it comes to writing.
Publisher: Digest / Programmer: Paper castle games
UnderHero, like one of its inspirations, Undertale, is an anti-RPG. You play as a subject of an evil overlord, who starts the game’s story by accidentally killing a real-life hero, then continues his own own search. It’s a 2D platformer with Paper Mario-like upgrades and coins to collect, and time-based combat that builds on the foundations Mario laid. Like many of the other games on this list, the writing is strong, the visuals are cracking, and the soundtrack is full of sounds. A true hidden gem of the paper genre!
Publisher: PQube / Programmer: Gentlebros
The better of the two Cat Quest games, Cat Quest II does for cats what Paper Mario did for paper. Get ready for plenty of quips, all about humanity’s favorite feline friends, in this comic action RPG with simple yet compelling combat. Now we just have to wait for Cat Mario and Paper Mario to finally meet…
Publisher: 8-4 / Programmer: 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 -flavored way. It’s definitely not the closest analog to the world of Paper Mario, but its heart is full of similar charm, silliness, and memorably unique moments — just be aware that it gets quite a bit darker than Mario would ever dare.
Publisher: Drinkbox Studios / Programmer: Drinkbox Studios
Drinkbox’s past work (Guacamelee!, Severed) has ranged from silly to gory, and sometimes both — but Nobody Saves The World errs on the comedic side of things, which earns it a spot on this list. Like many others here, it’s an action RPG, and the trick this time around is that you can use magic to metamorphose into different forms, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, unlike the Thousand-Year Door’s various companions. Combined with beautiful art and Drinkbox’s trademark quirky font, this game feels like a grown-up evolution of the Paper Mario oeuvre.
