Yes, you can start a fresh Undertale run before finishing the current one, but the method is not a hidden in-game option. It is clearing the game’s local save data, a file-level reset you perform outside the game. The True Reset option that many guides present as the secret route is locked behind the True Pacifist Route, so it cannot help with an unfinished run.
Players often ask whether there is a way to reset the game completely without replaying everything. The answer depends on which reset you use, so the sections below separate the three options before giving platform steps.
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The three options and what each one clears
Undertale has two in-game resets and one file-level method. They behave differently, and only the last one reliably works on an unfinished run.
| Option | Where it happens | What it clears | When it is available | What may persist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menu Reset | The game’s menu | Most saved progress, but not every remembered variable | Ordinary menu option, usable during an unfinished run | Some details, such as the protagonist’s name; the post-Genocide state is not stated to be cleared |
| True Reset | In-game, as an option | Most relevant game data | Only after completing the True Pacifist Route | The post-Genocide state, which is stored separately and is not removed by this option |
| Clearing save data | Your platform’s save storage, outside the game | Local save files, which produces a fresh run without finishing the current one | Any time you can reach the save location | Cloud-synchronized copies, such as Steam Cloud, and any post-Genocide state covered in the sections below |
Menu Reset is the least disruptive choice and the one to try first if you only want a new start and do not mind some residual details. If it leaves behind more than you want, clearing save data is the method that matches the goal of a truly new run.
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Back up the save data before you delete anything
Clearing save data cannot be undone once the files are gone, and the same folder holds your progress for every save slot. Make a copy first:
- Quit Undertale completely, including any launcher or store client that may still be running the game.
- Copy the platform’s Undertale save folder (the locations are listed below) to a separate drive, a cloud folder you control, or another directory on the same machine.
- Confirm the copy opens and contains the files you expect before you change the original.
Clearing save data by platform
The paths below come from the official Undertale help page and the community-maintained Undertale Wiki. Paths can change with game versions, so check them against your own installation before you delete anything.
Windows
- Quit Undertale completely.
- Open File Explorer and click the navigation bar at the top of the window.
- Type
%localappdata%and press Enter. The official help page gives this location. - Find the
Undertalefolder and back it up as described above. - Delete the folder’s contents, or move the whole folder somewhere else.
- Launch the game. A fresh run should start with no saved progress.
macOS
The official help page sends Mac players to a separate guide rather than listing the path directly. The Undertale Wiki gives the default save location as ~/Library/Application Support/com.tobyfox.undertale/. The Library folder is hidden by default, so open Finder, choose Go, then Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), paste the path, and press Return. Back up the folder, then remove its contents or move it out of the way before relaunching the game.
Linux
The Undertale Wiki lists ~/.config/UNDERTALE for version 1.02 and later. Older pre-1.02 distributions use separate paths that the Wiki lists, so confirm your version before deleting anything. To inspect the folder and make a backup in a terminal:
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ls ~/.config/UNDERTALEto confirm the folder exists and see its contents.mv ~/.config/UNDERTALE ~/UNDERTALE-backup-$(date +%F)to move it aside. Moving the folder keeps a restorable copy, unlike deleting it.- Launch the game. It should create a new save folder on startup.
Consoles
Do not use the PC paths above on a console. The Undertale Wiki says the Genocide consequences can be removed by deleting Undertale save data from the console’s storage, or by deleting the game’s player-profile data. Menu names differ between console systems and this guide does not establish step-by-step menus for each one. Open your console’s system storage or save-data management screen, select only the Undertale entry, and check that the entry matches the title before you delete it. The console manufacturer’s support pages list the current labels.
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Steam
The Undertale Wiki warns that Steam Cloud may restore the system_information_962 file after you delete it locally, even when cloud synchronization is disabled. Because of this, a local deletion alone may not give you a clean start on Steam.
- Back up the local save folder for your platform before anything else.
- In the Steam client, open your Library, right-click Undertale, and choose Properties. In the General tab, review the Steam Cloud setting for the game.
- Delete the local save data as described for your operating system.
- Launch the game and check whether the old state has returned. If it has, see the troubleshooting section below.
Treat the Wiki’s Steam guidance as community-maintained technical information, not official support. Turning off cloud synchronization reduces the risk of restoration but does not guarantee it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The post-Genocide exception
A Genocide route creates a post-Genocide state that the ordinary True Reset does not remove. Accepting the in-game offer afterward changes what later True Pacifist and Genocide endings look like, so a reset that appears to work may still carry those consequences forward. Menu Reset is not stated to clear this state either.
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Quick Recap
If the old run comes back
- Steam: Check the Steam Cloud setting in the game’s Properties, then delete the local files again and relaunch.
- Console: Look for the game’s save data in the console’s storage and confirm you deleted the entry for Undertale, not a different title.
- Linux: Confirm your version, because pre-1.02 installations use different folders than the one listed above.
- Any platform: If you restored a backup by accident, delete the folder again before launching the game.
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