Fix a Paralives save that won't load

• Loading bar stops at 60% and never completes
• Save thumbnail shows a question mark
• Game returns to main menu silently after clicking Load
• A save file that used to load fine is now not loading at all
• Save gone or disappeared from the Load Game menu after a patch
• Save shows as corrupted — the load starts, then kicks back to the main menu

1. 1Close Paralives. Open C:/Users/[you]/AppData/LocalLow/Paralives/Paralives/ and locate the save — each one is a folder named like 'Save File 12.saved', not a single file.
2. 2Duplicate the save from the Load Game menu first — that's the official in-game backup. For a manual copy, quit the game and copy the whole 'Save File 12.saved' folder (plus its .saved.meta sidecar) somewhere safe. Don't delete the original yet.
3. 3Since patch 0.1.5, the Load Game menu keeps the 3 last autosave versions of each save — load an earlier one from there instead of renaming any files.
4. 4If an earlier version loads, you've recovered the household at a slightly earlier state. Re-save only once you're sure it's stable.
5. 5Disable Workshop mods that touch save data (especially household editors) before re-saving.

Save loading FAQ

Why won't my Paralives save load?

The three most common causes: a broken .saved.meta sidecar (thumbnail shows a question mark), a Steam Cloud sync that never finished, or a mod that edits save data. Work through the scenarios above in order — most saves recover without losing the household.

Can I recover a deleted Paralives save?

Since patch 0.1.5 the Load Game menu keeps the 3 last autosave versions of every save — load an earlier one from there first. If the whole save folder is gone, check Steam Cloud and the recycle bin; there is no in-game undelete.

Does Steam Cloud sync cause save problems?

A half-finished sync can present an older or empty save. Let Steam finish uploading before quitting, and if a save looks wrong after switching machines, force Steam Cloud to re-download the remote version before loading.

Is a stuck loading screen a crash or a save problem?

It depends on when it sticks. Hanging before the main menu is the crash family — drivers, installs, overlays. Hanging after you picked a save is the save — this page. And a game that refuses to save ("Cannot save right now a town event is loading") is a third thing: a reported bug with workarounds on our backup-saves page.