Toby Fox

Early Life

Robert F. "Toby" Fox was born on October 11, 1991, in Manchester, New Hampshire, as the third of four brothers. His journey into the world of video games began at the tender age of four when he was introduced to the RPG EarthBound, a game that not only captivated him but also helped him learn to read. By age five, he was already sketching fictional stage layouts inspired by the Mega Man X series. His passion for game development blossomed during elementary school when he and his brothers experimented with RPG Maker 2000, leading to the creation of Toby's Adventure, his first game. Fox's early exposure to the Touhou Project and his involvement in the EarthBound community through Starmen.net further fueled his creative ambitions.

Career

Toby Fox's career took a significant turn during his university years when he conceived the idea for Undertale in December 2012. The game, which he developed almost entirely by himself, was inspired by a Wikipedia article about array data structures. After launching a successful Kickstarter campaign in June 2013, Fox raised over $51,000, allowing him to expand the game's scope significantly. Undertale was released in September 2015 and quickly gained acclaim, being hailed as one of the greatest video games of all time. Following Undertale's success, Fox continued to develop Deltarune, a parallel story released in chapters starting in 2018, further solidifying his reputation in the gaming industry.

Personal Life

As of 2018, Toby Fox resides in Boston, Massachusetts. He is known for being a private individual, often avoiding the spotlight and wearing a mask to maintain his anonymity. Despite his popularity, he experiences social anxiety and prefers to limit his public appearances. Fox is multilingual, speaking Japanese, and has traveled to Japan for both work and leisure. He has also adapted to physical challenges during game development, utilizing voice-to-text software to assist with his work. While he identifies as a dog person, he has owned a cat named Kikky, showcasing his love for animals alongside his passion for gaming and music.