Hey there, Undertale and Deltarune followers. Do you know that the Deltarune ARG has been occurring? Do you know that it is technically been occurring for 3 years now? Sure, I used to be too!
I first realized about Deltarune ARG (alternate actuality recreation) earlier this week when a video about it popped up in my YouTube suggestions. I began out with just a bit little bit of curiosity, however I rapidly fell down a rabbit gap that required me digging via large spreadsheets, digging via Reddit threads, and pouring into the bizarre nooks and crannies of Deltarune’s official web site. And now I’ll infect you too.
To completely unpack all the ARG in a approach that covers little by little what occurred and what it means, I would spoil all 4 chapters of Deltarune, perhaps a few of Undertale, and go deep, deep. deep Pitfalls of the Deltarune fan idea. Due to this fact, I’ll attempt to clarify on the highest stage doable whereas nonetheless understanding the that means. However as a warning prematurely: This consists of spoilers for Chapters 1 and a couple of of Deltarune, particularly “Unusual Route,” and really gentle allusions to characters and occasions in Chapters 3 and 4. In the event you proceed studying, you achieve this at your individual danger.
The Deltarune ARG really started in September 2022 throughout an occasion referred to as the Spamton Sweepstakes celebrating Undertale’s seventh anniversary, which raised cash for the charity Kid’s Play. Nearly all of the occasion was enjoyable, foolish, non-ARG-related, themed round Chapter 2’s quirky character Spamton, and included plenty of enjoyable new merchandise courtesy of Fangamer.
However on the time, the ever-vigilant Deltarune group got here throughout some uncommon hidden content material inside the sweepstakes-specific web page of the Deltarune web site. On the time, most of it consisted of enjoyable Easter eggs, all of which I do not wish to go into, however this was the primary large signal that one thing was occurring. It wasn’t till Might 2025 (two and a half years later) that issues actually began to take off. Followers all of the sudden realized there have been much more secrets and techniques on the Deltarune sweepstakes-only web site. There have been a lot of new hidden pages, all of which talked about the sport’s very creepy and hidden “bizarre routes,” however a very powerful one for ARG was deltarune.com/chapter4/Thankyou. Again then, web sites consisted of two very small clean areas the place customers may enter textual content and a clean button that allowed them to submit it. I had no clue as to what I wanted to fill within the blanks, apart from one query.
“How lengthy did it take for her to smile?”
Deltarune followers rapidly deduced that the “she” being referred to was the beloved character Noelle, the childhood greatest buddy of Deltarune protagonist Chris. She’s additionally on the middle of the aforementioned weird route, the place the participant (a separate character from Chris) manipulates Noelle into doing horrible issues as a way to turn out to be stronger. Followers additionally discovered that the primary clean was searching for an e mail tackle, and the second clean was the precise “reply” to the query. Sadly, this type was solely stay for in the future and was changed with textual content that merely stated “Thanks.” Individuals who e mail the shape now obtain a affirmation e mail that basically simply says “THEIR ANSWER.” There isn’t any additional clarification. there’s nothing! For months!
Remarkably, when all this occurred, Chapters 3 and 4 had not but been revealed. It was launched earlier this 12 months, and with it, consists of more unusual route content material and a few terrifying hidden scenes that focus particularly on Noelle. Then, two weeks in the past, those that initially obtained the affirmation e mail obtained a brand new e mail that merely stated “Second Probability,” letting them know the shape had been reactivated. Neighborhood efforts have been extra coordinated this time round, with individuals experimenting with totally different mixtures of time quantities in days, seconds, years, and different textual content responses that they felt made sense. Many group members tried to doc their submissions to keep away from duplication, however this was additionally tough because of the quick discover and quick interval the shape was revealed.
The shape was closed once more and the participant obtained the e-mail once more. However this time it was totally different. Every particular person obtained one in all a group of various responses that have been doubtless primarily based on their submission. For instance, somebody who solutions “in the future” will probably be informed, “Then, you will see her smile the following day.” An individual who enters a really small quantity, similar to 4 seconds, will probably be informed, “Meaning she by no means stopped smiling.” There are many different creepy solutions like, “Do you assume which means she will nonetheless do it?” “That is when she laughed for the primary time in her life.”
Many emails finish with one other sentence, “Please proceed with this reply,” which appears to point that the submission is heading in the right direction.
That was two weeks in the past and the shape has been closed ever since. I do not know if anybody answered appropriately, what the following step is, or if the shape will reopen. In preparation for a 3rd try, many content material creators are gathering followers into communities to trace what solutions garnered what reactions, and to attempt to piece collectively these reactions to search out the “proper” reply if the shape reopens. Now we have a number of massive spreadsheets that catalog verified responses, and even spreadsheets that assign totally different responses to every participant prematurely, so you do not waste duplicate responses.
However what precisely does that imply? I do not know precisely. The overall consensus is that every one of this has to do with the place Chapter 4’s “Unusual Route” leaves Noel, and there is hypothesis about what’s going to occur with the “Pageant” occasion we all know will happen in Chapter 5. However despite the fact that that is the almost certainly context, it is fairly uncommon. The unusual route may be very obscure with out the assistance of the Web, and its darkish penalties make it unlikely that almost all of gamers will see it or perceive what it’s. Even when this ARG reveals deep lore or impacts the sport not directly, only a few individuals will perceive or care in regards to the penalties.
Nonetheless, which may be by design. Importantly, when the shape is opened a second time, solely those that initially participated and obtained suggestions can use the shape once more. In the event you’re simply studying about this (like I used to be), it could be too late to become involved in any respect. Additionally it is doable that there will probably be no progress for months and even years. Now we have already waited a very long time for this.
I am actually simply scratching the floor right here, so I would sound utterly loopy. In the event you’ve performed Deltarune and did not know something about it, you in all probability had fun with a cool, well-written RPG with attention-grabbing and lovable characters, and left it at that. It is a quite common method to get pleasure from this recreation, and one which most individuals will in all probability expertise. However ever because the first chapter of Deltarune was launched, there’s been an entire ecosystem of secrets and techniques, fan theories, and conspiracies surrounding the query of what this recreation really is. enamel, How does it relate to Undertale, and the way does its hidden darkish story have an effect on the brighter facet of the sport? It is complicated, bizarre, and quite a lot of enjoyable to dig into, however we in all probability will not know its full story for years to return.
In brief, good luck to all you Secret Hunters! I am actually sorry that I am unable to enable you to. I inadvertently fell in love with this thriller, despite the fact that I had no intention of personally concerning the unusual route with a 10-foot pencil on my time off. Chapters 1 via 4 of Deltarune are actually out there, and collectively they make a fantastic place for anybody who has been placing it off. Chapter 5 is anticipated to be launched later this 12 months, probably later this 12 months.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter at videogameaddicted. Do you may have any story suggestions? Ship it to rvalentine@videogameaddicted.com.