18+ archive guide
Does Banned from Equestria Save Your Progress?
Quick answer
It depends on the build and the player. A Flash game can write SharedObject data, which Ruffle stores in browser local storage or a desktop application folder. Clearing site data, changing browsers, or switching devices can erase that progress.
The short answer
Quick answer
Do not assume the game autosaves. If it does, the save belongs to the player and the browser profile, not to this website or an account. There is no cloud sync and no login to recover it.
Banned from Equestria is a Flash-era game. Flash content could persist small amounts of data through SharedObject, often called a Flash cookie. Ruffle emulates that API. Whether a particular build uses it, and when it writes, is a property of the game, not of the archive.
The archive does not run accounts, so there is no server-side save to restore. If your browser's site data is cleared, a local save can disappear even though the game file is unchanged. That is the most common reason a player loses progress after "just cleaning up" a browser.
The practical rule is simple: if a long session matters, finish it in one sitting or make a backup before clearing anything. Treat browser storage as temporary unless you have verified otherwise.
Why Flash saves are easy to lose
Quick answer
Flash saves are tied to an origin, a player, and a storage backend. Change any of the three and the old data is not where the new player looks.
A browser profile is not a backup. It is a working store that the browser may prune, reset, or isolate. Modern browsers also partition storage by site and sometimes by top-level site, which is good for privacy but makes "copy the file to another browser" less obvious.
The game file and the save are separate. Re-downloading the SWF does not restore progress, and deleting the SWF does not necessarily delete the save. That separation is why a backup routine has to target the player's storage, not the game download.
| Change | What happens to the save |
|---|---|
| Clear cookies and site data | Browser save can be deleted |
| Switch from Chrome to Firefox | Different browser profile, different storage |
| Open a private window | Temporary storage, gone when the window closes |
| Play on another device | No sync; the save does not follow |
| Switch from browser to APK | Different app storage; save does not transfer |
| Reinstall the APK | App data may be removed |
Browser saves
Quick answer
In a browser, Ruffle keeps Flash SharedObject data in the browser's local storage for this site. It is not a file you can download from the page, and the archive does not expose an export button.
Ruffle's browser build uses local storage as its save backend. A Ruffle maintainer discussion about Android WebView persistence points to the same storage layer, and the practical consequence is that the save lives inside the browser profile. If you clear site data for bannedfromequestria.online, the save can go with it.
Private or incognito windows generally discard storage when the window closes. They are useful for testing a blank player, not for a long playthrough. If you start a run in a private window, expect to lose it.
There is no supported "export save" button on this archive. Do not install a random browser extension that claims to extract Flash saves; it would need broad access to every site you visit, which is a poor trade for one game.
Android APK saves
Quick answer
An Android package stores its data in the app's private storage. Uninstalling the app usually removes that data. A reinstall can start fresh even if the game file is the same.
Android app data is sandboxed per package. That is good for security and bad for portability: you cannot usually copy a save from one APK package to another, and a repack with a different package name will not see the original's data.
If you use a community APK for a long run, check whether the app offers an in-game save or export option. If it does not, assume uninstalling or clearing app storage will erase progress. Android's system backup may include app data, but support varies by device and by whether the developer allowed it.
Do not grant a file manager or "save editor" app broad storage access just to move a save. The risk is larger than the convenience, especially on a phone with personal accounts.
Ruffle desktop saves
Quick answer
Ruffle's desktop builds store save files in a documented per-user folder. That folder is the thing to back up, and it is separate from the SWF.
The Ruffle wiki lists the save locations. On Windows, saves are under the user's AppData Local Ruffle SharedObjects folder. On macOS, they are under Library Application Support ruffle SharedObjects. On Linux, they are under the local data directory, with a Flatpak-specific path for the Flatpak build.
Because these are ordinary files, a desktop setup is easier to back up than a browser. Copy the SharedObjects folder to a second drive before updating Ruffle or moving to a new computer. Do not copy the whole application folder blindly; the save folder is the part that matters.
The exact filenames inside the folder are generated by the game and the emulator. Do not rename them unless you have a specific reason and a backup. A renamed file may simply be ignored.
A backup routine
Quick answer
Before a long session, decide where the save lives. After the session, copy that location if it is a desktop folder, and avoid clearing browser data if it is a browser save. Use the checklist to record what you have done.
A backup you never test is a guess. If you copy a save folder, restore it once to a second machine or a second user profile and confirm the game sees the progress. That one test is worth more than a folder full of untested copies.
If progress is already gone, do not download a "save fixer" from an ad. There is no generic tool that reconstructs a Flash save, and the download is more likely to be unwanted software than a recovery utility.
- Play in a normal window, not a private window, if progress matters.
- Do not clear site data for this domain during a run.
- On desktop Ruffle, copy the SharedObjects folder before updates.
- On Android, check for an in-game save or export before uninstalling.
- Keep the exact game file and player version together in a note.
- Test one short session before committing to a long one.
Interactive tool
Save hygiene checklist
Tick the steps you have completed. The state is stored only in this browser.
FAQ
Does the browser player save automatically?
Only if the game writes SharedObject data and the browser preserves local storage. The archive does not add an autosave layer, so do not assume it.
Can I transfer a browser save to an APK?
Not with a supported export/import flow. Browser storage and Android app storage are separate, and the archive does not provide a migration tool.
Why did my save vanish after clearing history?
Clearing cookies and site data can remove local storage for this domain. That is the save's storage location in a browser.
Where does Ruffle desktop store saves?
In a per-user SharedObjects folder documented in the Ruffle wiki: AppData on Windows, Application Support on macOS, and the local data directory on Linux.
Is there cloud save?
No. The archive has no accounts and no server-side save. Any cloud sync would have to come from a third-party wrapper, which this archive does not provide.
Sources
Save locations come from the Ruffle wiki. Browser storage behavior is described from Ruffle's own issue discussion and the general browser storage model.