Deltarune’s Mysterious ARG Receives Another Update, Now Solvable by Just 1,229 Players

Get ready, gamers, because we’re just under two weeks away from the release of Deltarune Chapter 5! The game’s mysterious, multi-year ARG has once again come and gone in the blink of an eye, leaving only 1,229 players who managed to crack it, while the rest of us are left in the shadows.

The foundation for Deltarune’s ARG was laid back in 2022, but it really gained momentum last year. The details behind the scenes are pretty intricate and require a deep dive into not just Deltarune itself, but also its unsettling “Weird Route” and related lore, so I won’t get too deep into that today. I’ve covered it in more detail earlier this year, and there are plenty of great lore videos out there if you want to explore further.

In short, a mysterious hidden page appeared on the Deltarune website in May 2025, featuring two blanks, a button, and the question: “How long did it take her to smile?” Fans quickly deduced that “her” referred to Noelle, a key character in Deltarune tied to the “Weird Route.” The blanks were for players to input their email and an answer, which they submitted by hitting the button. Those who got their responses in during the brief window received a strange, blank confirmation email, followed by months of silence.

Then, in November, the website reopened with the same question. This time, the community was prepared and submitted a variety of answers, from numbers to concepts like “Never.” Those who provided reasonable responses received emails echoing their answers and offering cryptic hints like, “So, ‘she never stopped smiling’” and “So, ‘Before the sun went down.’” These emails also included the phrase “Move forward with this answer,” but no further guidance, leading to another stretch of silence.

With the announcement of Chapter 5, the ARG page was updated again, this time with a new question: Where will it take place? As before, the page was only open for a day, and here’s where it gets interesting: it seems that only those who received the “Move forward with this answer” emails will get meaningful responses this time around. The current text on the ARG site suggests this:

Available entrants: 1,571
Total received: 1,229
Next correspondence: When less than 24 hours are left.

Fans believe this means that 1,571 players were initially told to “Move forward” with their last answers, and out of that group, 1,229 submitted a response during the open period. The consensus is that new emails will arrive 24 hours before Chapter 5 drops, which developer Toby Fox has confirmed will be at 11 am ET on June 24.

What does it all mean? That’s anyone’s guess! There are plenty of theories floating around, from the plausible to the wildly complex, and you can find discussions on them easily. However, it’s important to note that for most players, this ARG is just a side show. Deltarune is an amazing game even without diving into its hidden lore; the core story of friendship and hope stands strong on its own, and future chapters shouldn’t require knowledge of an obscure ARG that only a select few can access.

Still, I can’t help but enjoy the thrill of this roller coaster, especially as it ties into one of Deltarune’s central themes: the nature of free will in gaming. The main plot of the first four chapters revolves around a “prophecy,” and much of the character development raises questions about free will, both in a general sense and in the context of the player’s control over Kris. The game has hinted that strictly following the “prophecy” might lead to negative outcomes, suggesting that deviation is necessary. However, the only way we’ve seen to deviate so far is through Deltarune’s unsettling “Weird” route, which involves making choices that harm and traumatize characters—an approach that seems to contradict the themes established in Fox’s previous work.

Much like my recent enjoyment of both Titanium Court and the ending of Mina the Hollower, I’m fascinated by the metanarrative that challenges players to consider what they’re willing to do in a game to achieve a perceived “good” ending, and what that “good” ending truly means. I don’t think this ARG is essential to grasp that layer of the story, but it certainly feels connected, and for those of us eagerly awaiting each chapter, it’s a clever way to keep our minds engaged.

So, if you’re among the 1,229, hang tight and maybe connect with a community Discord… before the sun goes down.