Saving

One of the most frustrating things about games is losing progress. Make sure players feel like your game is fair when they fail.

Best practices for saving

Autosaving is the most ideal because it lets players stay immersed in a game without any interruption. It also keeps them safe from unavoidable things like power outages or having to step away from the game for health reasons.

When designing a save system, ask yourself these questions: How much progress does the player lose when they fail? Do people seem frustrated by the loss of progress? Is my save system cumbersome, and how can I make it easier to use?

Contents
Autosave

Autosave

Standards

Automatic saving (autosaving) has become the norm not only in games but in computer software. It's a great thing: no one misses losing their entire book report because Microsoft Word didn't autosave it. Autosaving can be especially helpful to players with mobility disabilities who find menus cumbersome to navigate, or players with cognitive disabilities who forget to save their game. Remind players that the game autosaves before they begin playing so they don't get confused when they can't find the save button in the menu.

In *King's Quest (2015)*, a simple reminder at the start notifies players of the autosaving feature, which is new to the series.

Autosave Savepoints

In some games, especially adventure games, autosaving needs to occur after a mission is completed or a specific checkpoint is reached. Make sure players know the game is autosaving by showing a toast or small tool tip that doesn't detract from the game.