How to save in Baldur's Gate 3 (2024)

Need to know how to save in Baldur’s Gate 3? There’s probably nothing more frustrating than losing your progress in a video game because of forgetting to save or not knowing how to do so.

Well, the good news is you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’re going to detail everything you need to know about saving progress in Baldur's Gate 3. Fortunately, there are a few different methods you can use.

For more on the game, check out our Baldur's Gate 3 race tier list and weapons list. We've also got a guide on how to level up quickly in the intense RPG!

How do I save in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Baldur’s Gate can be a bit unforgiving for new and inexperienced players getting accustomed to the game. However, it’s a flexible game that does provides gamers with a number of different saving options, which allow for the retention of progress in quests and other mission objectives. Here’s how to save in Baldur's Gate 3.

Manual save method

To save your game progress at any point in Baldur’s Gate 3, simply press the ‘Esc’ key on your keyboard, as that will display the game’s user settings interface.

The choices you’re presented with here include saving the game, loading a save file, organising multiplayer games, and changing key bindings.

From there, locate the ‘Save Game’ button, which should be found on the left of your screen. Now, if you haven’t saved your game before, then clicking that button will present you with the ‘Save Files’ screen, where you’ll have the option to create a new save file for your game progress.

• Read more: How to pick locks in Baldur's Gate 3

At first, the new save file will have an autogenerated name, but you can change that to something you prefer. On the other hand, you also have the option to save the game under an existing file name, which will overwrite it. When this happens, the old save data is lost and replaced by the new data which has the same save file name.

The good thing about the ‘Save Files’ page is that it shows you all your save files with timestamps, which indicate when these particular games where saved, along with the amount of play time and cloud status (i.e. whether the game is saved on Steam Cloud).

Quick saving

Another way in which you can save your progress in Baldur’s Gate 3 is by utilising the quick save feature. With this, all you have to do is press the F5 key on your keyboard in order to generate a new save file.

The game also provides users with the ability to “quick-load” their save games, which by default is done by a single F8 keystroke.

• Read more: Baldur's Gate 3 quests list

Should you wish to change these keyboard shortcuts, all you have to do is head over to the ‘Keybinds’ tab within the options menu, which is accessed by pressing the ‘Esc’ button on the keyboard.

From that interface, you can change the keys associated with quick saves and quick loads to anything you want.

Autosave capability

Finally, Baldur’s Gate 3 players can use the autosave feature to save their game progress automatically.

These are saves which are generated without any input from the user, with automatic save files being created at important moments within the game. Examples of such scenarios include:

• before major battles
• prior to entering important quest locations
• before meeting important independent characters

In the ‘Save Options’ section of the game, you can adjust the frequency of autosaves by setting the maximum number of separate automatic saves, as well as turning the feature off if you don’t want it as part of your gaming experience.

When should I save progress in Baldur’s Gate 3?

A good rule of thumb to stick to when playing Baldur's Gate 3 is to save your progress right before each fight begins, and right after a difficult battle starts.

This will give you the opportunity to sufficiently prepare for the clash by selecting the right weaponry for team members, as well as strategising on how you’re going to sneak up to opponents and execute a surprise attack.

That's it for our look at how to save in Baldur's Gate 3! For more on the game, check out our Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer guide, how to revive characters in Baldur's Gate 3, and our Baldur's Gate 3 class tier list.