PIXELPUCK

PixelPuck saves and recovery

PixelPuck keeps franchise progress on your device in five save slots. Use this guide to read a warning and decide what to do next.

Save selection showing a Vancouver Walruses franchise, Damaged Save, and Incompatible Save
Development build. A fictional sample club and two example warnings.View full size: Save selection showing a Vancouver Walruses franchise, Damaged Save, and Incompatible Save

Five local slots

What does your save slot show?

Open Saved Games on the title screen to see your slots. The arrows let you browse all five. A warning keeps its slot occupied so a new franchise cannot silently replace it.

Ready to play

Your club + Continue

A readable save shows your club, year, and game number. Tap Continue on that slot to return to your franchise.

Room for a franchise

Empty Slot

There is no active franchise here. New Game starts a new one. You can use an empty slot while keeping a different slot with a warning.

Could not be read

Damaged Save

The game cannot read this save. Backup Available means a readable backup was found. Tap Review to see your choices.

Version mismatch

Incompatible Save

This game version does not support the save’s format. Tap Review. You can keep it for a compatible version or restore a readable backup if one is available.

See an empty slot and a save without a readable backup
Save 4 is Empty Slot with New Game, beside Save 5 showing Damaged Save and Original Kept
Development build. Sample slots show an empty slot and a damaged save with no readable backup.View full size: Save 4 is Empty Slot with New Game, beside Save 5 showing Damaged Save and Original Kept

Starting in an empty slot? Read about franchise mode.

The recovery choices

Review a save warning

In Saved Games, find the affected slot and tap Review. Opening this dialog does not replace your save.

Save 2 Needs Attention with Restore Backup, Start Over, and Keep Save choices
Development build. The recovery dialog warns that restoring may lose recent changes.View full size: Save 2 Needs Attention with Restore Backup, Start Over, and Keep Save choices

Keep Save

Closes the dialog and leaves the save unchanged. Choose this if you are unsure. You can contact support or use another empty slot.

Restore Backup

Appears only when a readable backup is available. Restoring an earlier backup may discard more recent progress. Choose it only if you accept returning to that revision.

The game preserves the original file, then replaces the active save with the backup. After a successful restore, it returns to the slots. Tap Continue on the restored slot.

A backup is not always your latest progress

Successful saves keep the preceding readable revision as a local backup. The first save creates a backup too. This is not a browsable history of every save. Some damaged franchises cannot be recovered.

See the slot after a successful restore
The restored Save 2 shows Vancouver Walruses and Continue again
Development build. This sample save has been restored from an earlier backup.View full size: The restored Save 2 shows Vancouver Walruses and Continue again

See how statistics and records work within your franchise.

If your warning is different

Keep the slot if you are unsure. These examples show what the other messages mean.

Original Kept or no Restore Backup button

The game has not found a readable backup. Original Kept does not mean the original can be loaded. Choose Keep Save to leave it in place, then contact support. Another empty slot can still be used.

Save 5 Needs Attention says no readable backup is available and offers Keep Save
Development build. This sample save has no readable backup, so Restore Backup is unavailable.View full size: Save 5 Needs Attention says no readable backup is available and offers Keep Save
The save was made by a different game version

Choose Keep Save while you check which version can read it. Support can help you check your build. An available backup may be older, so restoring it may discard more recent progress.

Incompatible save warning offers keeping the save for a compatible version or restoring an older backup
Development build. A deliberately unsupported save format triggers this warning.View full size: Incompatible save warning offers keeping the save for a compatible version or restoring an older backup
The save could not be changed

The change did not finish. The dialog asks you to free some device storage and try again, or keep the slot and use another. Do not delete PixelPuck to make room. Contact support if the warning keeps appearing.

Recovery failure message says the save could not be changed and suggests freeing device storage or keeping the slot
Development build. Example warning when the game cannot keep a copy of the original save.View full size: Recovery failure message says the save could not be changed and suggests freeing device storage or keeping the slot
What does Start Over… do?

Start Over… opens another confirmation. Preserve & Start Over removes the current franchise from the active slot so you can start a new one. Cancel leaves it unchanged.

The game first preserves the original save and any backup on the device. Those copies cannot be browsed or restored through the game. This starts over. It does not recover your franchise. Contact support before replacing a slot if you want to keep its progress.

Start Over in Save 5 confirmation with Preserve and Start Over and Cancel
Development build. A second confirmation is required to clear this sample slot.View full size: Start Over in Save 5 confirmation with Preserve and Start Over and Cancel

Local storage

Can I transfer my save?

The current game has no in-game cloud sync or account-based save transfer. Your franchise does not automatically follow you to another device through PixelPuck.

Matches and franchise mode work offline. Local recovery backups stay on the same device. Device backups are separate and depend on your operating system and backup settings.

Read about playing PixelPuck offline.

Read the privacy policy for local storage and optional diagnostics, or privacy choices for deletion and device backup details.

Release and testing

PixelPuck is in development for iPhone. There is no public App Store release date yet. You can email the developer about future testing opportunities. Android is planned, with no release date announced.

Email about testing

Opens your email app.