All spoilers for Deltarune are unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
Tumblr user campyvillain
(then known as beabigshot) had a dream involving an alternate route of Deltarune Chapter 2 where Spamton could be added to your team, through extremely specific circumstances. The dream is detailed in this post, with a couple webcomics illustrating some of the more important scenes of the route.
Oh, and it's a Snowgrave-esque route where you manipulate Spamton into becoming a heartless killing machine.
The route goes as follows: Randomly scattered throughout the city are white pixel objects known as salt stains. If you pick up 5 of them before Spamton's fight, then midway through his fight he'll suddenly gain a confused look and ask where his keys are. If you agree to help him find his keys, then he joins your party.
From that point on, nobody else can join your party. Noelle and Queen vanish, and you can't reunite with Susie and Ralsei. In addition, there's no spare button. It just isn't there, forcing you to use Spamton to kill every enemy you find. Spamton will see all of this as you just helping him find his keys, but will slowly grow less trusting of you. While the route still progresses, the enemy encounters lessen if you don't convince him that you're on his side. Much like the Snowgrave route from Deltarune proper, you have to manipulate him in order to keep him on your side.
After an extremely off fight against Queen where no dialogue gets exchanged and Berdly is Adapted Out, Spamton and Kris sit in the middle of the carpet, where the former will repeatedly ask if he made you proud. Say yes, and he will ask again. Say no, and he leaves, saying you can't please everybody. At this point you can't return to the Light World, effectively locking you out of the rest of the game.
Grew a cult following on several websites following the initial post, with many liking the surreal nature of the route, the way it explores Spamton's nature as a character, and how it feels like something Toby would actually put in the game. Fanart, fanfiction, and even fan animations of the route as if it were actually in the game have been made since the initial post.
Tropes regarding the Salt Route:
- Adaptational Nice Guy:
- In the original game, Spamton had no problems with assisting Kris and Noelle with their killing spree against Cyber World, but also demeaned them while gleefully lording his power over Queen's mansion. Here, he lacks much of his usual violent and selfish tendencies, and is more prone to being manipulated rather than trying to get Kris to follow his ideas.
- A more Downplayed case with one of the Addisons, who only come to acknowledge Spamton again to mourn his fate and were otherwise content with pretending to not know of him before. One of the crueler actions taken is the death of an Addison that tries to welcome Spamton back after so long, getting killed by his attack during an embrace.
- Adaptational Skill: Spamton uses the "heart attack" spell he has from his NEO body, dubbed "Heartbreaker", and is able to access it in his regular form.
- Adaptation Personality Change: Spamton forgoes his pitch for you to become a "[BIG SHOT]", this time asking if you could help him find his keys, willing to follow your orders if you agree. He also lacks his Electronic Speech Impediment and more violent tendencies, being much more distant and remorseful when being made to kill. The creator of the story, campyvillain, gave a possible reason for why, with Spamton becoming somewhat "reset" in terms of personality.
- Alternate Universe Fic: A different continuity for Chapter 2, where Spamton becomes a party member and undergoes his own "Weird Route" in Noelle's role.
- Broken Record: Spamton's question "I made you proud, didn't I" gets repeated over and over if you keep answering "Yes". Answering "No" is the only way to get out of this exchange.
- But Thou Must!: After Spamton joins the team there's no way to spare enemies anymore. You have no choice but to use him to kill everybody.
- Deadly Hug: An Addison is one of the enemies you encounter, who recognizes Spamton and even offers to take him back in. You make Spamton kill him anyways, and he does so while he and the Addison are in an embrace.
- Killed Off for Real: Much like the original Snowgrave route, you actually kill those you fight.
- Manipulative Bastard: At certain points, Spamton begins to question your motives, and you (the Player, through Kris) have to convince him you're doing all this to help him find his keys. If you successfully convince him, you can progress without issue, and if not, enemy encounters become less frequent - either way, the rest of the run is the same.
- No Ending: After Spamton leaves, you're stuck in the same room until you inevitably close the game and restart.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- From the start of the route, Spamton occasionally drops his Electronic Speech Impediment in favor of speaking normally, and is the first hint that things in this route are not right.
- Queen is normally a very eccentric Affably Evil Cuckoosnarker during the main route, even during her battle. Here, she's dead silent, which shows just how wrong this route is.
- Plot Coupon: In order to get the route started, the titular "salt" needs to be found in certain places across the overworld before encountering Spamton. Subverted with Spamton's "keys", which aren't meant to be found in order to continue the manipulation.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Everyone, considering the only way to end the route is to reset everything after Spamton leaves and Kris is left trapped in Cyber World. Since Salt Route is technically impossible to finish, every death will be undone by the reset.
- Shoo Out the Clowns:
- In this route, the Queen is The Voiceless and Berdly is Adapted Out.
- During the "fight" with Rouxls Kaard, there's two options on how to approach him, only for them to reveal to just end him, leaving Kris using Spamton to single-handedly sink Rouxls back into the river.
- In JQR's adaptation, Nubert is seen briefly when Kris and Spamton return to the Trash Zone, though promptly slinks away.
- Taken for Granite: This is the fate of both Lancer and Rouxl Kaard; While lancer's happens instantly after opening the box the further you go to the story, Rouxl's happens slowly while challenging Kris and Spamton on the boat.
- Wicked Heart Symbol: Spamton uses his signature "heart on a chain" attack to kill enemies even as his usual doll-like self, as shown in this GIF made by the route's creator.
