SAVE

SAVE
A SAVE point
Type	Gameplay Mechanic

SAVING is a gameplay mechanic in Deltarune. It shares many similarities to Undertale's SAVING, and allows saving game progress and replenishing the HP of all party members. In Chapter 2, it also allows access to the RECRUITS menu and STORAGE, as well as saving into different SAVE files. The current game can only be SAVED at various SAVE Points located throughout the Dark World.

Upon starting the game and SAVING for the first time, it can be seen that Kris has their own SAVE file (aside from the name, the rest of the file is empty) before being overwritten. However, if the game has already been completed once, this does not occur.

Notably, the Determination term from Undertale is absent from all SAVE Points in the game, and instead replaced by simply "a power." As Determination in Undertale is the reason behind a SOUL's "will to keep living" and "resolve to change fate," the absence of this term may support the theme of Deltarune, where it is mentioned that choices do not matter.

Save Files

Unlike in Undertale, Deltarune features three SAVE files per Chapter rather than one, thus there is no need of a Reset option. A SAVE file can be copied or erased.

Special text is shown upon performing the commands mentioned above. If Chapter 1 has not been completed yet, different text (all of which is capitalized) is displayed. Notably, there are capitalized lines with no counterpart if the chapter has been completed, such as that shown when aborting an erasure.

• Please select a file. [Beginning, after completing Chapter 1]

Copying

• CHOOSE THE ONE TO COPY. [Copying, before completing Chapter 1]
  • CHOOSE THE TARGET FOR THE REFLECTION. [Selecting a save file]
    • THE DIVISION IS COMPLETE. [Copy successful]
  • IT IS IMMUNE TO ITS OWN IMAGE. [Copying a save file to itself]
  • IT WILL BE SUBSUMED. [Overwriting an already existing save file]
    • IT CONFORMED TO THE REFLECTION. [Overwrite successful]
    • PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE. [Overwrite such that all files are identical]
      • WHAT AN INTERESTING BEHAVIOR. [Overwriting a file after all files are identical]
    • IT RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE. [Overwrite aborted]
  • IT IS BARREN AND CANNOT BE COPIED. [Selecting an empty save file]
    • BUT THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO COPY. [All files empty]
• Choose a file to copy. [Copying, after completing Chapter 1]
  • Choose a file to copy to. [Selecting a save file]
    • Copy complete. [Copy successful]
  • You can't copy there. [Copying a save file to itself]
  • The file will be overwritten. [Overwriting an already existing save file]
  • It can't be copied. [Selecting an empty save file]

Erasing

• SELECT THE ONE TO ERASE. [Erasing, before completing Chapter 1]
  • BUT IT WAS ALREADY GONE. [Selecting an empty save file]
    • BUT THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO ERASE. [All files empty]
  • TRULY ERASE IT? [When selecting a save file]
    • THEN IT WAS SPARED. [Erase aborted]
      • VERY INTERESTING. ["Threatening" a file 10 times]
    • THEN IT WILL BE DESTROYED. [Confirming erase]
    • IT WAS AS IF IT WAS NEVER THERE AT ALL. [Erase successful]
• Choose a file to erase. [Erasing, after completing Chapter 1]
  • There's nothing to erase. [Selecting an empty save file]
  • Erase this file? [When selecting a save file]
    • Really erase it? [Confirming erase]
    • Erase complete. [Erase successful]

Save Points

SAVE points appear similarly to Undertale's SAVE Points, except that they are colored blue-gray rather than golden yellow.

Chapter 1

The following is a list of SAVE Points and their locations, indicated by their name (as shown in the SAVE dialogue box):

Location	Description
??????	At times, you see it flickering. The light only you can see. By second nature, you reach out, and...
Eye Puzzle	You bathed your body in the light. A power shines within you, breaking through the darkness. Any pain you may have had melted away... (HP fully restored.) [Full health] You bathed your body in the light. A power shines within you, breaking through the darkness. The pain you had melted away... (HP fully restored.) [Take damage] For some reason, you punished yourself with the spores. The light relieves you... (HP fully restored.) [HP less than 30; Requires walking through and being hit by the spores multiple times]
Castle Town	In front of you, a castle looms beneath the empty town. A black geyser emerges from it, piercing endlessly into the sky. The power of this place shines within you. [Beginning] Ralsei, the lonely prince, is now your ally. The power of fluffy boys shines within you. [After meeting Ralsei]
Field — Great Door	With the door closed behind you, your adventure will truly begin... The power of adventure shines within you. [Beginning] The door is still closed. The power of backtracking shines within you. [After Susie has joined the party]
Field — Maze of Death	N/A
Field — Seam's Shop	Susie, the violet tormentor, is now your ally. The power of mean girls shines within you. [Beginning] Susie, the violet tormentor, left your party immediately. The power of mean girls does not shine within you. [After Susie has left the party]
Field — Great Board	The power of The $!$? Squad/failing to name your team/The Lancer Fan Club/The Fun Gang shines within you.
Field — Great Board 2	N/A
Forest — Entrance	The blocky foliage grows thick above your head... The power of the forest shines within you.
Forest — Bake Sale	In the heart of the woods, a bake sale stands quietly. The power of reoccurring bake sales shines within you.
Forest — Before Maze	N/A
Forest — After Maze	N/A
Forest — Thrashing Room	N/A
Card Castle — Prison	N/A
Card Castle — 1F	N/A
Card Castle — 5F	N/A
Card Castle — Throne	N/A
Card Castle — ???	N/A

Chapter 2

Location	Description
Castle Town	You look upon the castle you first saw yesterday... You are filled with the power of immediate nostalgia.
My Castle Town	The castle town has transformed from the power of friendship. You are filled with the power of friendship-based architecture. [Beginning] (You touched the light...) (You thought about how you can't go back to the Cyber World anymore.) (You considered this carefully!) [First save after returning from Cyber World] After a long day, the town has grown once again. You are filled with a certain power... [Subsequent saves] After a long day, you have returned to the castle town. But, you still feel the power in your hands... [Snowgrave Route]
Dark World?	N/A
Cyber Field – Entrance	A green field extends before you... And, in the distance, a city shines brightly. You are filled with the power of a new adventure. [Beginning] A green field extends before you... You've seen this already. You are filled with the power of pointless backtracking. [Backtracking via Warp Door]
Cyber Field – Arcade Machine	The game is wrecked. You are filled with the power of videogame violence.
Cyber Field – Music Shop	Crash! Boom! Bang! There's a terrific noise coming from the building nearby... You are filled with the power of noise music.
Cyber City – Entrance	You have neither fluffy boys nor mean girls with you now. Reluctantly, you are filled with the power from the cat sign. [Beginning] Noelle is with you now. You are still filled with the power from the cat sign. [Noelle joined] You are mostly filled with the power of fluffy boys and mean girls. The cat sign still comprises about one percent of it. [Susie and Ralsei joined]
Cyber City – First Alleyway	Noelle has joined your party. You are filled with the power of not knowing what a sugarplum is. [Beginning] Noelle is no longer in your party. All of you are filled with the power... Of not knowing what a sugarplum is. [Noelle left]
Cyber City – Music Shop	Energetic music wafts from the boxes. You are filled with the power of musical bagels. [Beginning] You are filled with the power of silence. [Sweet Cap'n Cakes gone]
Cyber City – Mouse Alley	N/A
Cyber City – Second Alleyway	After defeating Berdly, a certain scent hangs in the air... You are filled with the power of chicken nuggets.
Cyber City – Heights	N/A
Queen's Mansion – Guest Hall	You have escaped from your second personalized room of the day. You are filled with the power of vacation homes.
Queen's Mansion – Entrance	Looking at these legs fills you with a certain power.
Queen's Mansion – Basement	N/A
Queen's Mansion – 3F	Susie has gone into a book hole with Berdly. You are filled with the power of book holes.
Queen's Mansion – Acid Tunnel	Everyone is together, but the wind blows coldly... You are filled with a certain power.
Queen's Mansion – 4F	N/A
Queen's Mansion – Rooftop	N/A
All Cyber World save points, Snowgrave Route	You and Noelle were filled with power. [Noelle present] N/A [Noelle left]

Chapter Continuation

When starting Chapter 2, the player has the option of continuing from a Chapter 1 completion file, or starting without using a Chapter 1 file. If a Chapter 1 save file is deleted after seeing the credits, its completion data can still be loaded as a "Load Ch 1 Files" option for Chapter 2.

If Chapter 2 is loaded without using a Chapter 1 file, Kris is not considered to have performed any of the optional events in Chapter 1:

• Hometown:
  • Kris did not give Toriel the Bouquet, as the floral scent in the trash can in Toriel's house is not stronger.
  • Alphys does not express worry over Kris when they enter the classroom.
  • Noelle does not give Susie a lunchbox of chalk.
  • The Man is not present in the traffic jam near the Library.
  • Susie and Rudy are confused when Kris checks the hospital sink.
  • Kris did not talk to the Diner Shopkeeper in QC's Diner, as she does not ask if Kris liked the Hot Chocolate.
  • Sans states that he never mentioned his brother to Kris.
  • Clam Guy is near the shoreline, and mentions that Onion is absent.
• Castle Town:
  • Kris's room has the Manual on a shelf, and no decorative moss.
  • Royal Coat Rack and the Little Ball are present.
  • Top Chef does not give a Spin Cake, as the Top Cake was not repaired/returned.
  • Battle's Master states that the 1 D$ "FUNDING GOAL" for their Hole was not reached, and does not talk about it.
  • Starwalker is not present when Kris and Susie leave Castle Town.

When deciding which introduction and file load menu to use in Chapter 1, the game checks for the existence of a completion file (which is otherwise loaded when continuing into Chapter 2). Chapter 2's load menu likewise changes after completing the game.

Trivia

• When copying or erasing a SAVE file, the narration appears to be in all caps, similar to how the Voice speaks.
  • When aborting an erase of a save file 10 times, the narration reads "VERY INTERESTING" which may be referencing room_gaster in Undertale.
• If file manipulation is used to SAVE a file within Kris's Room, the SAVE box indicates such. All other rooms without SAVE points show a blank line, possibly suggesting a planned SAVE point here, or referencing the completion data used to continue to Chapter 2 (listed as "Your Room" in the load menu).
• In Chapter 1, checking Asriel's drawer gives a different item description depending on the SAVE file. It appears that no other flavor text shares this trait:
  • In the first SAVE file, it has a torn cross-country shirt.
  • For the second, a school ID with a bad haircut.
  • For the third, there are expired coupons.
• It is possible to complete Chapter 1 without overwriting Kris's name. However, Kris's name does not transfer to the completion data file, and the used file for Chapter 1 retains Kris's name.
• According to the dialogue of the first SAVE Point, only Kris can see them. However, after reentering Castle Town after sealing the Cyber World fountain in Chapter 2, Ralsei reminds them to SAVE, indicating that he is at least aware of the mechanic.
• In Chapter 1, the Thrashing Room and the Throne are the only SAVE points that disappear after a certain point. The Thrashing Room's SAVE point disappears after going to the next room or after loading the game and the Throne's disappears after defeating King.
• When confirming on erasing a file before completing Chapter 1, the game gives 2 options: "ERASE" and "DO NOT," which are the same options the fallen human gives at the end of the Genocide Route in Undertale when asking to erase the world.
• When starting a new file in Chapter 2 without loading a Chapter 1 file, upon inputting a name and selecting "END", the name centers in the middle of the screen and bobs erratically. This is similar to confirming the fallen human's name on the naming screen in Undertale.
  • Additionally, there is no unique text in response to character names besides "GASTER." The game resets to the Chapter Select screen when "R" is entered.
    • This is a similar action that can occur during the Introduction if "GASTER" is written, as well as during Undertale's naming screen.