Delving into the Weird: Understanding the Snowgrave Route in Deltarune

The Snowgrave route, often dubbed the “Weird route” or sometimes inaccurately called the “Genocide route,” is an alternate and significantly darker storyline in Deltarune Chapter 2. It’s triggered by manipulating Noelle Holiday into using her ice magic in increasingly cruel ways, culminating in her casting the devastating SnowGrave spell on a key character. Unlike the game’s primary narrative, which suggests choices don’t matter, the Snowgrave route demonstrates that specific player actions can drastically alter events and character relationships, adding a layer of moral complexity to Deltarune’s world.

Unraveling the Route’s Mechanics

The Snowgrave route deviates sharply from the main storyline, presenting a chilling exploration of coercion, manipulation, and the potential for even seemingly kind characters to inflict harm under the wrong influence. Here’s a deeper look at its mechanics:

Triggering the Nightmare

The path to Snowgrave doesn’t begin until Noelle joins your party in Cyber City. Before this point, your actions have little bearing on the route’s activation. However, optional steps can be taken early on to ease its progression later. The key ingredients are:

• Backtracking: Ignoring Noelle’s protests and heading back to the Trash Zone in Cyber City is an early indicator of the path ahead.
• The Freeze Ring: Acquiring the Freeze Ring from the shop is crucial for enabling Noelle to learn more powerful ice magic.
• Relentless Persuasion: The defining element of the Snowgrave route is the consistent selection of the “Proceed” dialogue option when prompting Noelle to use her magic. You must repeatedly push her beyond her comfort zone.
• The Thorn Ring: Purchasing the Thorn Ring and equipping it to Noelle is essential for her to cast SnowGrave. This ring reduces the TP cost of the spell.
• SnowGrave: The climax of the route involves convincing Noelle to cast SnowGrave on Berdly, a fellow student. This act irrevocably alters the course of the chapter.

The Fallout

The Snowgrave route has profound consequences:

• Character Alteration: Noelle becomes increasingly withdrawn and traumatized by her actions, displaying signs of mental distress.
• Boss Replacement: Spamton NEO becomes the final boss of the route, replacing Queen. He is fought by Kris alone, and cannot be spared.
• Atmospheric Shift: The overall tone of the game darkens significantly, with unsettling music and altered dialogue.
• Unique Dialogue: Certain characters react to the changes in the environment and Noelle’s behavior, providing unique dialogue not found in other routes.
• Missed Content: By pursuing the Snowgrave route, you miss out on experiencing the standard boss fights and character interactions of the main storyline.

Why “Weird”? The Route’s Ambiguity

The label “Weird Route” stems from the unsettling and unconventional nature of the Snowgrave storyline. It’s not a straightforward path of violence like a traditional “Genocide route.” Instead, it relies on subtle manipulation and the exploitation of a character’s trust, making it a more psychologically disturbing experience. The term also captures the sense of unease and wrongness that permeates the route as the player forces Noelle down a path she clearly doesn’t want to take.

The Illusion of Choice

Deltarune frequently suggests that “Your Choices Don’t Matter.” However, the Snowgrave route serves as a powerful counterpoint, demonstrating that specific choices do have a significant impact on the narrative and character development, albeit within a defined framework. It challenges the player to confront the ethical implications of their actions, even within a fictional world.

Consequences & Morality

While the game may reset after the Snowgrave route, and the world may appear to return to normal, the experience leaves a lasting impression. It raises questions about free will, responsibility, and the nature of choice in games. It also sparks discussions about the potential for video games to explore complex and morally ambiguous themes.

Further Resources

If you are interested in learning more about game based learning and its implications, check out the work being done at the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Deltarune Snowgrave Route FAQs

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Deltarune’s Snowgrave route:

1. Are there different routes in Deltarune?

Yes, Deltarune has multiple routes. The most prominent alternate route is the Snowgrave route in Chapter 2.

2. Does Deltarune have a genocide route?

While the Snowgrave route is often nicknamed the “Genocide route,” it’s not a true genocide route in the traditional sense. You don’t necessarily need to kill every enemy to trigger it. It’s more about the specific actions taken with Noelle.

3. How do I activate the Snowgrave Route?

The Snowgrave route properly begins when Noelle joins your party in Cyber City. Trigger it by backtracking, acquiring the Freeze Ring, relentlessly choosing “Proceed” in dialogue with Noelle, buying the Thorn Ring, equipping it to Noelle, and using SnowGrave on Berdly.

4. Does Deltarune have a neutral route?

Yes, there is a standard “neutral” route, which is the default path if you don’t actively pursue the Snowgrave route. There’s also the Impossible Route, triggered by editing game files, which results in a unique encounter with Sans.

5. Do souls exist in Deltarune?

Yes, the SOUL is a crucial element in Deltarune. It represents the essence of a being and allows the player to control Kris.

6. Is it okay to fight in Deltarune?

While you can fight and spare enemies, it doesn’t drastically affect the plot outside of specific routes like Snowgrave. The game emphasizes that your choices “don’t matter” in the overarching narrative, although the Snowgrave route contradicts this to some extent.

7. What happens if you abort Snowgrave?

If you deviate from the specific steps required for the Snowgrave route, the areas will return to normal, and frozen enemies will disappear upon room refresh. The Freeze Ring and Thorn Ring will remain in your inventory.

8. How does Noelle learn SnowGrave?

Noelle learns SnowGrave by being repeatedly prompted to use her ice magic, pushed beyond her comfort zone by the player.

9. Does killing matter in Deltarune?

In the main narrative, killing doesn’t significantly alter the ending. However, in the Snowgrave route, the act of using SnowGrave has severe consequences for Noelle and the story.

10. Can you beat Deltarune without fighting?

While you can spare enemies, some fights are unavoidable. A complete pacifist run, as typically defined, isn’t possible.

11. What happens at the end of Snowgrave Route?

The game essentially resets, with areas returning to normal as if the route never happened. However, the player is left with the knowledge of what transpired and the emotional weight of their choices.

12. What is Pipis?

Pipis are small, bomb-like creatures used by Spamton as attacks during battles. The name also references real-world shellfish.

13. Does Noelle know SnowGrave?

Initially, Noelle protests that she doesn’t know the SnowGrave spell. However, when pushed by the player, she eventually casts it.

14. Who is the final boss of the Snowgrave Route Deltarune?

Spamton NEO fights Kris alone at the fountain, replacing GIGA Queen as the final boss of the route.

15. What happened to Berdly after SnowGrave?

Berdly is encased in ice after Noelle casts SnowGrave on him and does not appear for the rest of the adventure in Cyber World. His fate remains ambiguous, adding to the route’s unsettling nature.