Heartfall A Tale in Three Lives save files are stored locally in your system's roaming application directory rather than the installation directory. Because Kazehita's indie visual novel RPG features 12 routes and 36 distinct endings, managing and backing up your save slots ensures you do not lose progress across divergent storylines.
Where to Find Heartfall A Tale in Three Lives Save Files
On Windows systems, save files are located inside the Godot application data folder under the project shell name. You can access the folder directly through File Explorer:
- Windows File Path:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Godot\app_userdata\3rdRPG-shell2
Replace [Username] with your active Windows user profile name. If the AppData directory does not appear, ensure hidden folders are visible in Windows Explorer settings. For macOS and Linux systems, files are stored in the equivalent Godot user data directories for the system profile.
File Naming Convention
Each save file corresponds to a numbered slot in-game:
| File Name Pattern | Function |
|---|---|
data.save[number] | Individual save file matching the corresponding slot number in-game |
Within the game interface, you can save your progress under the in-game Save menu. To reload an earlier state, access the Load option located on the main title page.
How to Back Up and Transfer Save Data
Developer Kazehita explicitly recommends maintaining multiple save files due to the branching nature of the game's 12 routes and 36 endings. Backing up files takes only a few steps:
- Close Heartfall — A Tale in Three Lives.
- Navigate to
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Godot\app_userdata\3rdRPG-shell2. - Copy all
data.save[number]files to a secure backup folder on an external drive or cloud storage. - To restore your progress on a new installation or another PC, paste the saved files back into the identical
3rdRPG-shell2folder.
When downloading manual patches from itch.io, such as Patch 1.01, re-downloading the game build does not wipe your progress; save files stored in the roaming directory transfer over automatically when launching the updated build.
Managing Saves Across Multiple Routes
The narrative branches into separate storylines written by different creative teams, including Route 0 and Route 10, with softlocks in earlier builds on Route 8 resolved in Version 1.01. Because choices diverge into 36 separate conclusions, creating designated save points before critical branch selections prevents having to restart from the tutorial section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do save files delete when updating the itch.io version?
No. Official patch announcements from developer Kazehita confirm that when you re-download the game archive for updates, your existing save files automatically transfer because they reside in your system user data folder rather than the game build directory.
Where is the Load button in the game?
While saving occurs through the standard in-game menu, loading an existing file is accessed from the Load option on the main page.
What should I do if my save slots do not show up?
Verify that your save files remain named data.save[number] without modified extensions and reside specifically inside the Godot\app_userdata\3rdRPG-shell2 folder path.
