Your Ultimate Guide to Save Points in Video Games
A checkpoint in video games is a location or moment where a player's progress is automatically saved. If the player fails (e.g., loses all health), they respawn at the last checkpoint instead of restarting the entire level.
Checkpoints balance challenge and fairness—keeping players engaged without excessive frustration.
Early arcade games rarely featured save systems due to hardware limitations. Players had to complete games in one sitting!
As home consoles evolved, so did checkpoint systems:
Mid-level warp zones acted as semi-checkpoints in early platformers.
Bonfires serve as checkpoints—and safe zones—for healing and upgrading.
Generous, frequent checkpoints reduce frustration in a precision platformer.
If you're designing a game, consider these checkpoint best practices:
Some games intentionally omit checkpoints to increase tension—like Getting Over It or roguelikes such as Hades (though even Hades uses room-based respawns!).