How to Edit RPG Maker MV Save Files (.rpgsave) - Complete Guide

Introduction

RPG Maker MV and MZ are two of the most popular game engines for creating JRPGs and adventure games. They power thousands of indie games on Steam, itch.io, and other platforms. If you’ve ever wanted to modify your save file to bypass a difficult boss, give yourself more gold, or experiment with different builds, this guide will show you exactly how to do it.

RPG Maker MV games use the .rpgsave file extension, while MZ games typically use the same format. These files are often compressed using LZString and are not human-readable in a standard text editor. That’s where our Save Editor Online comes in – it handles all the decompression and parsing for you, entirely in your browser.

Understanding the RPG Maker Save Format

Before we dive into editing, it helps to understand what’s inside a .rpgsave file. When you decompress and decode it, you’ll find a JSON object containing all the game state data:

• system: Game settings and global flags.
• party: Your party data, including gold (stored as $gameParty._gold).
• actors: Individual character data, including HP, MP, level, and equipment.
• map: Current map and event states.
• switches: Boolean flags used by game events.
• variables: Numeric values used by game events.

Our editor parses all of this and presents it in an easy-to-navigate interface.

Step 1: Locate Your Save File

For most Windows games, save files are located in one of these directories:

1. Inside the game folder: Look for www/save/ or just save/. Files are named file1.rpgsave, file2.rpgsave, etc., corresponding to save slots 1, 2, 3…
2. Local Storage (Web/NW.js games): Some games store saves in the browser’s IndexedDB or LocalStorage.

For Steam games, you can right-click the game in your library, select “Manage” > “Browse local files”, then navigate to the save folder.

Step 2: Create a Backup

This is the most important step. Before making any modifications:

1. Copy your .rpgsave file.
2. Paste it with a different name, e.g., file1.rpgsave.backup.

If something goes wrong during editing, you can always restore from this backup.

Step 3: Upload to the Online Editor

1. Navigate to our RPG Maker MV Editor.
2. Drag and drop your .rpgsave file into the upload area, or click to browse.
3. Wait a few seconds for the file to be parsed.

All processing happens locally in your browser. Your save file is never uploaded to any server.

Step 4: Edit Common Values

Once the file is loaded, you’ll see a “Quick Edit” panel for common values:

Gold

Change the Gold / Money field to any value you want. Setting it to 999999 will give you nearly unlimited funds.

Character Level

For RPG Maker MV/MZ, character levels are stored within the actors array. Using the Quick Edit panel, you can modify the party leader’s level directly. To change other characters, switch to “Advanced (JSON)” mode and navigate to actors._data.[character_id].level.

HP and MP

In Advanced mode, you can find _hp and _mp fields for each actor. Set them to your desired values.

Step 5: Edit Advanced Values (Variables & Switches)

Many games use switches (on/off flags) and variables (numeric values) to track quest progress, unlocks, and more.

• Switches: Stored as an array of booleans. Switch ID 1 is at index 1, etc. Setting a switch to true can unlock doors, trigger events, or skip cutscenes.
• Variables: Stored as an array of numbers. Variable ID 5 might track “number of enemies defeated”, for example.

To find out which switch or variable controls what, you may need to consult the game’s community wiki or experiment.

Step 6: Download and Replace

1. Click the Download Modified Save button.
2. The file will download with its original name (e.g., file1.rpgsave).
3. Move the downloaded file to your game’s save folder, replacing the original.
4. Launch the game and load your save!

Troubleshooting

The game says my save is corrupted

• Restore your backup and try again.
• Make sure you didn’t accidentally change the structure of the JSON (e.g., removing a bracket).
• If using Advanced mode, double-check that all fields are valid (no NaN values, no missing commas).

My changes didn’t take effect

• Some values are calculated on load (e.g., max HP based on level). You may need to change the underlying stat, not just the current value.
• The game might have anti-cheat measures that reset values on load. This is rare for single-player RPG Maker games.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this safe? A: Yes. All processing happens in your browser. Your file is never uploaded to any server.

Q: Will this work for RPG Maker MZ? A: Yes! MZ uses the same .rpgsave format as MV.

Q: Can I use this on mobile? A: If you can access the save file (e.g., via a file manager on Android), you can upload it from your phone.

Q: Does this work for encrypted games? A: If the game only encrypts assets (images, audio) but not saves, yes. If the save file itself is encrypted, you’ll need the game’s decryption key.

Conclusion

Editing RPG Maker saves is straightforward with the right tool. Whether you want to experiment, skip grinding, or just have fun, our free online editor makes it easy. Remember to back up your saves, and happy gaming!

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Related: Common Save File Extensions Explained