Slay the Spire Save Editor — Edit Gold, HP, Energy & Cards

Last verified: 2026-09-27

Save file to edit

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SlayTheSpire\saves

Each character has its own run file named like IRONCLAD.autosave / DEFECT.autosave in your SlayTheSpire install folder (default C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SlayTheSpire\saves). The file is NOT plain text — it's a JSON object XOR-obfuscated with the repeating key \"key\" and then Base64-encoded, and there is no checksum, so a re-encoded file loads fine. The reliable way to edit it: in-game hit Save & Quit so the autosave is current, then load the file into an online Slay the Spire save editor (or the spireslayer Python tool), change values like gold or current_health, save it back over the same file, and click Continue. Copy the .autosave file somewhere safe first.

Slay the Spire stores each character's run in a *.autosave file, but it isn't plain text: it's a JSON object obfuscated with a repeating XOR key and then Base64-encoded. There's no checksum, so once you decode it you can change gold, HP, energy or your whole deck and the game loads the edited run without complaint. The safe path is an online editor or the spireslayer tool that handle the decode/encode for you.

What you can edit and which tag to change

What it changes	XML tag	Example value	Notes
Gold	`"gold"`	`"gold": 999`	Whole number. Spent/earned during the run; safe to raise.
Current HP	`"current_health"`	`"current_health": 100`	Keep at or below max_health or the bar renders oddly.
Max HP	`"max_health"`	`"max_health": 250`	Permanent for the run; raising it also lets you set current_health higher.
Energy per turn	`"energy"`	`"energy": 5`	Base energy you get each combat turn.
Floor / progress	`"floor_num"`	`"floor_num": 34`	Which floor the run resumes on. Don't set beyond a valid Act boundary.
Ascension level	`"ascension_level"`	`"ascension_level": 20`	The difficulty modifier for the run.
Deck (cards)	`"cards"`	`[{"id":"Strike_R","upgrades":1,...}]`	Array of card objects with an id and upgrade count. Use exact card ids; a bad id can drop the card on load.
Relics	`"relics"`	`["Burning Blood", "Bag of Preparation"]`	Array of relic names. Must match the game's internal relic ids.

How to edit your Slay the Spire save by hand

In-game, on the first screen after loading your run, open the menu and choose Save & Quit so the .autosave file is written with your latest state.
Open your SlayTheSpire install folder (default C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SlayTheSpire\saves) and COPY the character's .autosave file (e.g. IRONCLAD.autosave) to your Desktop as a backup.
Because the file is Base64 + XOR-obfuscated, don't edit it in Notepad directly — load it into an online Slay the Spire save editor or the spireslayer Python tool, which decode it to readable JSON automatically.
Change only the values you want (gold, current_health, max_health, energy). Leave the JSON structure — braces, quotes, commas — intact.
Export/save from the editor so it re-encodes back to Base64+XOR and overwrite the original .autosave, keeping the exact same file name.
Back in the game main menu click Continue and confirm the run loads with your changes; if it won't load, restore your backup .autosave.

Prefer a save editor instead of raw XML?

Online editors like savegame.org's Slay the Spire tool and the spireslayer Python package both handle the Base64/XOR decode-and-re-encode for you, so you never touch the raw obfuscation. They edit the same JSON keys listed above — always keep your own backup of the .autosave before uploading a save anywhere.

Mistakes that corrupt the save

Opening the .autosave in Notepad and expecting readable text — it's Base64 of XOR-obfuscated JSON, so you must decode it (online editor / spireslayer) first.
Editing while the game is running the same run — use Save & Quit first, or the game overwrites your edit on the next autosave.
Setting current_health above max_health, or floor_num past a valid Act — these can produce a broken or crashing run.
Using a made-up card or relic id in the cards/relics arrays — an unknown id is dropped or breaks loading; copy exact ids from an existing entry.
Overwriting with a different file name or extension — the game only reads CHARACTER.autosave; keep the name identical.

Not sure where the file is? See the full Slay the Spire save file location guide (every platform path), or the corrupted-save recovery guide if an edit broke your file.

FAQ

Where is the Slay the Spire save file on PC?

In your game install folder, default C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SlayTheSpire\saves. Each character has its own file such as IRONCLAD.autosave or DEFECT.autosave. On Linux it's under steamapps/common/SlayTheSpire in your Steam library.

Why can't I just edit the .autosave in Notepad?

The file is a JSON object that's been XOR-obfuscated with the repeating key "key" and then Base64-encoded, so it looks like gibberish. You need an editor that decodes it (an online Slay the Spire save editor or the spireslayer tool) to see the JSON, then re-encodes it when you save.

How do I give myself gold in Slay the Spire?

Decode the .autosave, find the "gold" key and set it to the number you want, e.g. "gold": 999, then re-encode and save over the file. Do a Save & Quit first so you're editing the current run.

Will editing my save disable achievements?

Slay the Spire is single-player and there's no anti-cheat, so editing your local run doesn't ban you. Some players consider heavy edits cheating for leaderboard/daily runs, but Steam achievements from normal play are unaffected.

Is there a checksum that stops edited saves from loading?

No. The save has no integrity checksum, so a correctly re-encoded (Base64 + XOR) file loads normally. That's why online editors and spireslayer can write changes back without the game rejecting them.

Other games

Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.