Save Management

PlayRen stores your game progress server-side so you can pick up where you left off from any device. Each game supports up to 3 independent save slots, giving you room for multiple playthroughs.

How Save Slots Work

A save slot is a self-contained set of save files for a specific game. Each slot is completely independent — you can be at different points in the story in each slot.

When you launch a game, you choose which slot to use:

• Continue — resume from an existing slot's save data.
• New Game — start a fresh playthrough in an empty slot.

Save data is written to the server filesystem at /srv/saves/{userId}/{gameId}/slot-{n}/ and tracked in the database for metadata like labels and last-played timestamps.

Creating a Save Slot

Save slots are created when you start playing:

1. Go to a game's detail page.
2. In the save slot picker, find an empty slot and click New Game.
3. The game launches with a clean state. Your progress is saved to that slot.

You don't need to manually "create" a slot — it's initialized automatically when you start a new playthrough.

Loading a Save Slot

To continue from a saved slot:

1. Go to the game's detail page.
2. In the save slot picker, find the slot you want to continue.
3. Click Continue on that slot.

The game launches with your saved progress loaded. You'll pick up right where you left off.

Saving Progress

Auto-Save

The Ren'Py engine automatically saves your progress at chapter transitions and key story moments. These auto-saves are written to your active slot without any action required from you.

Manual Save

Within the game, you can use the built-in save/load menu (usually accessible by right-clicking or pressing Escape) to create manual save points. All manual saves are stored within your active slot.

When You Stop

When you stop a game session (via the Stop button or navigating away), all save data in the active slot is preserved on the server. Nothing is lost when you end a session.

Deleting a Save Slot

To free up a slot for a new playthrough:

1. Go to the game's detail page.
2. Find the slot you want to delete in the save slot picker.
3. Click the Delete button on that slot.
4. Confirm the deletion in the dialog that appears.

Deleting a slot permanently removes all save files for that playthrough. This cannot be undone.

Save Slot Metadata

Each save slot displays:

• Slot number — 1, 2, or 3.
• Label — a description like "Chapter 3 - Romance Route" (set by the game's auto-save or manually).
• Last played — the timestamp of your most recent session using that slot.

Cross-Device Play

Because saves are stored on the server, you can start playing on your desktop and continue on your laptop or tablet. Just log in, select the same slot, and your progress is there.

Migration from Legacy Saves

If you had saves before the slot system was introduced, they were automatically migrated to Slot 1. No action is needed — your old progress is preserved.

Limits

• 3 slots per game — this limit ensures efficient storage use. Delete an old slot to make room for a new playthrough.
• Save file size — individual save files are typically small (under 1 MB). There is no practical size limit for normal gameplay.

Next Steps

• Playing Games — Learn about launching and streaming.
• Browsing Games — Find new games in your library.