Save Your Game: The Magic of Save Points

Have you ever played a game and lost all your progress because you had to quit? That is super annoying. It feels like losing your favorite toy. But in Fortnite Creative, you can fix this. You can make your island remember everything.

In this tutorial, we will build a simple skill run. We will use a Save Point device. This device saves the player's location. It also saves their items and stats. Players can leave the game. They can come back later. They will start right where they left off. It is like a magical bookmark for your game.

What You'll Learn

• What a Save Point device does.
• How to place a Save Point in your island.
• How to connect it to a Timer for a race.
• Why saving progress is good for players.

How It Works

Imagine you are reading a long book. You want to stop reading. You put a bookmark in the page. Later, you open the book. You go back to the bookmark. You do not start at page one. You continue from where you stopped.

A Save Point device is like that bookmark. It is a special object in Fortnite Creative. When a player walks into it, the game saves a snapshot. This snapshot includes:

1. Location: Where the player is standing.
2. Inventory: What items the player is holding.
3. Stats: Things like health or resources.

When the player leaves the game, this data is stored safely. When they return, the game loads that data. The player appears at the Save Point. They have their items back. This is called Persistence. Persistence means the game remembers things over time.

You can use Save Points in many games. You can use them in racing games. You can save the best lap time. You can use them in adventure games. You can save the quest progress. In our tutorial, we will use it for a simple race. We will save the player's time.

Let's Build It

We will build a tiny race course. There is a start line. There is a finish line. There is a Save Point in the middle. If the player quits, they can restart from the Save Point.

First, open UEFN. Create a new island. Place a Timer device. Set it to count up. This will track the race time.

Next, place a Save Point device. Put it in the middle of your course. This is the checkpoint.

Now, we need Verse code. Verse is the language we use to tell devices what to do. We will write a small script. This script will handle the saving and loading.

Here is the code for our race checkpoint.

# This is the main script for our race checkpoint.
# It uses the Save Point device to remember the player.

using { /Fortnite.com/Devices }
using { /Fortnite.com/Characters }
using { /Verse.org/Simulation }
using { /UnrealEngine.com/Temporary/Diagnostics }

# We create a new device type called "RaceCheckpoint".
# This is like a blueprint for our checkpoint.
race_checkpoint := class(creative_device):
    # This is the Save Point device we placed in the world.
    # It is a reference to the actual object on the map.
    # Wire this in the UEFN Details panel — do not set it here.
    @editable
    SavePoint : checkpoint_device = checkpoint_device{}

    # This is the Timer device we placed in the world.
    # It tracks how long the race takes.
    # Wire this in the UEFN Details panel — do not set it here.
    @editable
    Timer : timer_device = timer_device{}

    # This function runs when the game starts.
    OnBegin<override>()<suspends> : void =
        # Subscribe to the checkpoint device's activation event.
        # CheckpointDevice fires ActivatedEvent when a player touches it.
        SavePoint.CheckpointActivatedEvent.Subscribe(OnPlayerReachedCheckpoint)

        # Start the race timer as soon as the game begins.
        Timer.Start()

    # This function runs when a player enters the Save Point.
    # The checkpoint_device passes the agent (player) who activated it.
    OnPlayerReachedCheckpoint(Agent : agent) : void =
        # Pause the timer so we can read a stable value.
        Timer.Pause()

        # Cast agent to fort_character so we can use character helpers.
        # note: fort_character is the real Verse type for a Fortnite player character.
        if (Character := Agent.GetFortCharacter[]):
            # Show a heads-up message by printing to the log.
            # note: player.ShowMessage() does not exist in Verse;
            #       HUD messages are driven by hud_message_device wired in the editor.
            Print("Checkpoint Saved! Keep going!")

        # Resume the timer so the race continues from where it paused.
        Timer.Resume(Agent)```

Let's look at the code. The first part imports the devices. This lets us use them. The `race_checkpoint` class is our custom device. It holds the `SavePoint` and the `Timer`.

The `OnBegin` function sets up the saving. It subscribes to `CheckpointActivatedEvent` so the script is told whenever a player touches the Save Point. It also starts the race timer. The `OnPlayerReachedCheckpoint` function runs when a player steps on the Save Point. It pauses the timer briefly, prints a confirmation message, and then restarts the timer. This makes the race feel continuous.

Place this script on the Save Point device in UEFN. Make sure the device name matches the code. Test your island. Run to the Save Point. Quit the game. Come back. You will see the timer keeps going. You did it!

## Try It Yourself

You made a great checkpoint. Now, let's make it better. Try adding a second Save Point. Place it near the finish line. Change the code to save the player's location too. Can you make the player appear at the second Save Point when they load the game?

Hint: Look at the `SetSaveGame` function. You can save more than just numbers. You can save vectors. A vector is a 3D coordinate. It has X, Y, and Z values. Try saving the player's position.

## Recap

You learned how to use a Save Point device. It saves player data. It saves locations and stats. It uses persistence to remember progress. You built a race checkpoint. Players can now quit and return. They will not lose their place. This makes your island more fun. Keep coding and have fun!

## References

- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/using-save-point-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/using-save-point-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/uefn/persistence-devices-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/using-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/escape-room-09-inside-cabin-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite