Understanding Binary Save Files

Binary Data vs. Text Data

Every file on your computer is a sequence of bytes — numbers from 0 to 255. The difference between "binary" and "text" is simply how those bytes are meant to be interpreted.

Hexadecimal: The Language of Bytes

Hex (base-16) is a compact way to write byte values. Instead of writing decimal 0–255, hex uses 00–FF. Each hex digit represents 4 bits, and two hex digits represent one full byte (8 bits).

Why hex instead of decimal? Because hex aligns perfectly with byte boundaries. One byte is always exactly two hex characters, making it easy to see where one value ends and the next begins.

Common Data Types in Save Files

Games store different kinds of values using different amounts of bytes. Here are the types you'll encounter most often:

Endianness: Byte Order Matters

When a number takes more than one byte, the bytes can be stored in two orders. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons an edited value doesn't work.

How to Read a Hex Dump

A hex dump displays file contents in three columns: the offset (address), the hex bytes, and the ASCII representation. Here's an example of what you might see in SaveEditor's hex view:

Offset    00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 0F   ASCII
────────  ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ── ──   ────────────────
00000000  42 4E 44 34 00 00 00 00 E8 03 00 00 01 00 00 00   BND4........
00000010  48 65 72 6F 00 00 00 00 64 00 00 00 C8 AF 44 42   Hero....d...ȯDB
00000020  00 00 80 3F 05 00 00 00 53 77 6F 72 64 00 00 00   ...?....Sword...

SaveEditor's Hex View & Data Inspector

When you open a binary file in SaveEditor, the hex view displays the raw bytes alongside an interactive Data Inspector panel. The Data Inspector reads the bytes at your cursor position and shows the value interpreted as every common data type simultaneously:

In this example, the cursor is at the byte E8. The int16 and int32 interpretations (reading E8 03 as little-endian) both show 1000 — which could be the player's gold. The float32 interpretation gives a tiny number (1.401×10⁻⁴²), which makes no sense as a gameplay value, so you can rule that out. This process of elimination is how you identify what type of data you're looking at.

Common Patterns to Look For

Example: Walking Through a Simple Save Structure

Let's imagine a tiny save file for a hypothetical game. The format stores a header, a player name, and some stats:

Offset    Hex                                                 ASCII
────────  ──────────────────────────────────────────────────  ────────────────
00000000  53 41 56 45 01 00 04 00 48 65 72 6F E8 03 00 00   SAVE....Hero....
00000010  64 00 05 00 00 00 C8 42 00 00 48 43              d.....ÈB..HC

Next Steps

Now that you understand the fundamentals, here's how to put them into practice:

• 1Open a save file you're familiar with in SaveEditor's hex view.
• 2Look for magic bytes at offset 0x00 to confirm the format.
• 3Find your character name in the ASCII column — it's a great landmark.
• 4Check the Data Inspector at different offsets near your name. Stats like HP, gold, and level are usually nearby.
• 5Make a small change (like adding 1 to a value), save, and load the game to see the effect.
• 6Always keep a backup, and read our guide on safe editing practices before making bigger changes.