Install SaveFlow Lite

SaveFlow Lite is distributed as a Godot addon.

Which Package Should I Use?

Package	Use it when	Includes
Godot Asset Library install	You are adding SaveFlow Lite to an existing project from inside Godot.	addons/saveflow_core and addons/saveflow_lite.
saveflow-lite-vX.Y.Z-addons.zip	You want the release zip for an existing project.	Only the addon folders required by a game project.
saveflow-lite-vX.Y.Z-addons-demo.zip	You want to open the demo project directly or study the recommended template scenes.	Addons, demo/saveflow_lite, and project.godot.
GitHub repository clone	You want docs source, release automation, or to inspect the public repository history.	The full public source mirror, including docs-site.

For a game project, start with the Asset Library install or the addons zip. Use the demo zip as a learning project, then copy only the scenes or patterns you need. Do not copy repository-only paths such as docs-site, tmp, .github, tests, or release tooling into your game project.

Install From A Release Zip

1. Download the latest saveflow-lite-vX.Y.Z-addons.zip release.
2. Extract it into your Godot project root.
3. Confirm these folders exist:
   • res://addons/saveflow_core
   • res://addons/saveflow_lite
4. Confirm you did not create a nested folder such as res://saveflow-lite/addons.
5. Open Project > Project Settings > Plugins.
6. Enable SaveFlow Lite.

The addons zip is also the shape expected by Godot Asset Library style installs: the archive root is addons/, not a full demo project.

Install The Demo Build

Use saveflow-lite-vX.Y.Z-addons-demo.zip when you want the recommended template and demo scenes in the same project.

That package includes:

• the plugin under res://addons
• the SaveFlow Lite demo scenes under res://demo/saveflow_lite
• the project file needed to open the demo directly in Godot

For a real project, start from the addon zip and copy only the demo scenes you want to study.

Do not copy docs-site into a game project. It is the Docusaurus source for the public documentation site, not a Godot addon folder.

Open The Editor Tools

After enabling the plugin, use these editor entry points:

• SaveFlow Settings for project-level save settings and setup health.
• the SaveFlow validator badge in the 2D/3D editor toolbar for current-scene warnings.
• Source inspectors for local preview, ownership warnings, and quick fixes.
• DevSaveManager for editor-time save/load testing while the game is running.
• SaveFlow Quick Access from the editor tool menu for the recommended template, pipeline notifications demo, C# workflow demo, and core editor panels.

First Check

Before wiring gameplay, open SaveFlow Settings and confirm:

• the runtime is installed
• the save root is configured
• the save format is what you expect
• compatibility fields such as game_version, data_version, and save_schema are visible

This is intentionally boring. A save system should become predictable before it becomes clever.

Open The Recommended Template

The main project workflow template lives at:

res://demo/saveflow_lite/recommended_template/scenes/project_workflow/recommended_project_workflow_main.tscn

Use it as the first scene to study because it shows the normal Godot workflow:

• a player controlled in a real scene
• manual save/load/delete slot interactions
• active slot behavior
• autosave/checkpoint behavior
• runtime coin/entity collection behavior
• screen-space save menu UI

If you are not sure which demo or case to open after that, read the Examples One-Page Starter.