Home Questions and Answers
Questions and answers
Every answer the on-page helper knows, on one page. Short sentences, no jargon, links to read more.
These are the same 79 answers the “Ask a question” helper uses. They are written in advance and checked against the product; they are not generated live.
Buying and getting the download
What is Fate Tracker Build Memory?
It is a Windows program that keeps your game safe while you build it with an AI helper.
It makes checked copies of your game in a separate folder, remembers your decisions, and shows what really changed on disk.
If something goes wrong, you can get an earlier copy back into a new folder without touching your current game.
Read more: What it protects · Home page
Who is it for?
It is for people making games with an AI assistant, especially people who do not code.
The buttons use plain words. You do not need to know programming to use it.
If you have ever lost work because an AI changed the wrong thing, this is for you.
Read more: Home page
How much does it cost?
It costs $49, paid once.
There is no subscription and nothing to renew.
You pay through Gumroad, which handles the card, the tax and the download.
Read more: Pricing · Refund policy
Is it a subscription?
No. You pay once and the program keeps working.
Updates released in the 12 months after you buy are included.
After that your version still works; a much later version may need a new purchase.
Read more: Terms and licence
How do I buy it?
Press the Buy button on this site. It takes you to Gumroad, which runs the checkout.
Pay with a card. Gumroad emails you a receipt with a download button.
The download also sits in your Gumroad library, so you can get it again later.
Read more: Pricing · Download and verification
Where is my download?
Look in the receipt email from Gumroad. It has a Download button.
You can also sign in to Gumroad and open your Library; the file is there too.
If you cannot find the email, check your spam folder, then use the Library.
Read more: Download and verification
Where is my receipt or invoice?
Gumroad emails your receipt right after you buy.
The receipt has a "Generate invoice" link if you need a formal invoice.
Your Gumroad library also lists the purchase.
Read more: Download and verification
Is tax added? What currency is it?
The price is $49 in US dollars. Gumroad shows an estimate in your currency and adds any tax your country requires.
Gumroad is the merchant of record, so it collects and handles that tax.
Your bank may add a small currency-conversion fee.
Read more: Pricing
Is there a free trial or demo?
There is no trial version.
Instead, there is a full refund for any reason within 14 days, so you can try it and change your mind.
The home page shows the protection walkthrough so you can see how it works first.
Read more: Refund policy · Home page
Is there a discount or coupon?
Can I get a refund?
Yes. Ask for a full refund for any reason within 14 calendar days of buying.
Email support with your Gumroad order number. You do not have to explain why.
After a refund, stop using the program and delete it. Your own projects and copies stay yours.
Read more: Refund policy
How many computers can I use it on?
One purchase is for one person, on up to two personal Windows computers.
If you replace a computer, move it to the new one and remove it from the old one.
You may not share the download or use one purchase for a team or a business fleet.
Read more: Terms and licence
Do I need to activate it or enter a key?
No. There is no activation, no key and no account.
It works on trust: the licence says one person, two computers, and Fate Tracker trusts you to keep to that.
Your safety PIN is not a licence key; it is a local safety step.
Read more: Terms and licence
Can I use it for a game I plan to sell?
Yes. You can use it with games you make for fun or for sale.
The licence is still personal: one person, two personal computers. A team or company needs a purchase per person.
Read more: Terms and licence
Are updates included?
Updates released in the 12 months after your purchase are included.
There is no auto-updater. A new version installs over the old one from a fresh download; your settings, PIN and copies carry over.
After the 12 months your version keeps working.
Read more: Known limitations · Changelog
What version is current?
The customer release is version 0.7.8.
In the program, More > "View Technical Report" shows the version you have.
The changelog page lists what changed in each release.
Read more: Changelog
Who makes Fate Tracker?
It is made and sold by Sean Marshall, an individual, in New York, United States.
Fate Tracker Build Memory is the product name, not a company.
Gumroad handles the checkout as merchant of record.
Read more: Terms and licence
Installing and running it
How do I install it?
Unzip the file you downloaded into a normal folder first. Do not run it from inside the zip.
Double-click "Install Fate Tracker Build Memory.exe" and press "Install for Me".
It installs into your own Windows account and adds a Start menu entry. It does not touch any game.
Read more: Download and verification · System requirements
The installer will not run or install fails. What do I check?
First unzip the whole download to a normal folder; running the installer from inside the zip is the most common cause.
Check you are on Windows 11 and that Windows names the publisher, Sean Marshall, when it asks.
If your antivirus blocks it, note what it says. If it still fails, the "Prepare a support message" form at the bottom collects the details support needs, including any error text.
Read more: Download and verification · System requirements
Can I run it without installing?
Yes. Open the App folder inside the unzipped download and double-click GameMemoryPersonal.exe.
That is the program's technical file name. It runs the same way.
Read more: Download and verification
Does it need administrator rights?
No. It installs into your own user folder, so Windows does not ask for an administrator password.
It only needs to read the folder your game lives in and write to the folder you choose for copies.
Read more: System requirements
How do I uninstall it?
Delete the installed folder: it is under your user folder, at AppData\Local\Programs\Game Memory Personal.
Then delete the Start menu shortcut called Fate Tracker Build Memory.
Your games and your saved copies are separate folders. Removing the program does not touch them.
Read more: Support
Does it work on Windows 10?
Windows 11 is the supported system for this release.
Windows 10 has not been tested yet, so we do not promise it works there.
If you try it on Windows 10 and something breaks, that is not a supported case.
Read more: System requirements
Does it work on Mac or Linux?
No. This release is a Windows desktop program only.
Mac, Linux, phones and tablets are not supported.
A phone companion is a separate idea for the future and is not part of this purchase.
Read more: System requirements
What do I need to run it?
A normal Windows 11 computer, desktop or laptop.
Your game project stored as a folder on that computer.
Some free space for the copies, ideally on a second drive. No internet is needed to run it.
Read more: System requirements
Does it need the internet?
No. It works fully offline.
There is no account, no sign-in, no cloud, and nothing is uploaded.
The program has no network features at all.
Read more: Your questions, answered · Privacy policy
What information does it collect about me?
The program collects nothing. It has no telemetry, no analytics and no uploads.
This website has no trackers or analytics either.
The only outside company that sees you is Gumroad when you buy, under its own privacy policy.
Read more: Privacy policy
What is the checksum and do I need it?
A checksum is a long code that acts like a fingerprint for the exact file we published.
You do not need to check it. It is there for people who like to be sure before opening a file.
If you do check and the codes differ, do not run the file; download it again and tell support.
Read more: Download and verification
Windows shows a warning when I open the installer. Is that normal?
The installer is signed, so Windows should name the publisher: Sean Marshall.
A new publisher can still get a blue "Windows protected your PC" box for a while. Press "More info" and check the publisher name shown.
If the name is not Sean Marshall, or Windows calls it a threat, do not run it. Download again from your Gumroad receipt and tell support.
Read more: Download and verification · System requirements
Is it safe? Is it a virus?
The installer and the program are code-signed by the publisher, Sean Marshall, and every download has a published checksum you can check.
The program makes no internet connections at all, so it cannot send anything anywhere.
If your antivirus flags it, tell support which product flagged it and what it said, so it can be looked into.
Read more: Download and verification · Your questions, answered
Is it available in other languages?
The program and support are in English only for now.
Read more: Support
Is it for children?
It is not made for children and no marketing is aimed at them.
The licence is for one individual purchaser. A parent can buy it and use it with a child on the family computer.
Read more: Privacy policy · Terms and licence
Safe copies and getting work back
What is a safe copy?
A safe copy is a complete, checked copy of your game files, kept in a separate folder you choose.
You make one by pressing "Protect My Game" while your game engine is closed.
Each copy is saved with the date, so you can find the one you want later.
Read more: What it protects
How do I make a safe copy?
Close your game engine. Press "Protect My Game".
The first time, you also create a safety PIN. The program then shows a Recovery Card once; write it on paper.
When it finishes you see "Your game is protected." and the copy appears under Safe Copies.
Read more: What it protects
Where are my safe copies stored?
In a separate storage folder that the program sets up when you connect a game. You can see the exact path under More.
It is an ordinary Windows folder. The copies inside can be opened without Fate Tracker.
It is best on a second drive, so a broken drive does not take both your game and its copies.
Read more: What it protects · Your questions, answered
How much disk space do copies use?
The first copy is about the size of your project's real files. Engine caches that rebuild themselves are skipped.
Later copies are much smaller, because files that did not change are stored only once.
More > See Space Details shows what is used and what the next copy needs. If there is not enough room, nothing is written and your game is not touched.
Read more: Your questions, answered
Can I move my copies to another drive?
Yes. When space runs short, the program offers "Use Another Drive". It copies your whole storage to an empty folder you choose and checks every file.
The old storage is left alone for you to delete by hand if you want. The program itself deletes nothing.
Read more: Your questions, answered
How do I get an earlier copy back?
Open Safe Copies and pick the dated copy you want.
Press "Get a Separate Copy Back" and choose a new, empty folder.
The program rebuilds the copy there, checks every file, and leaves a small report in that folder. Your current game is not changed.
Read more: Your questions, answered · Known limitations
Does recovery overwrite my current game?
No. Recovery always goes into a separate, empty folder.
Writing an old copy over your live game is switched off on purpose in this release.
You look at the recovered folder first, then decide what to do.
Read more: Known limitations
Can I get just one file back?
Yes. Under More, choose "Get One Old File".
It copies that one file, checked, into the storage folder for you to look at. Your game is not changed.
Read more: Your questions, answered
Can it recover work I never saved a copy of?
No. It can only bring back what was inside a completed safe copy.
That is why the first thing to do is press "Protect My Game" before you let an AI make big changes.
It also does not replace a whole-computer backup; use both for work that matters.
Read more: What it cannot protect
My project is huge. Will it cope?
Yes, within your disk space. The first copy takes about as long as copying the project once.
Later copies are quick because unchanged files are stored once and engine caches are skipped.
You can stop a copy safely at any time; nothing half-done is ever marked complete.
Read more: What it protects
Why does it say to close my game engine first?
An open editor can be writing files while the copy is made, so the copy might not match.
Fate Tracker checks for the editor and asks you to close it so every copy is clean.
Read more: What it protects
How do I know my copies are still good?
More > "Check Saved Copies" re-checks every file of every copy against its fingerprint.
It reads only; it never changes anything.
If something is wrong, it tells you plainly which copy and which file.
Read more: Your questions, answered
What is the recovery report file?
After a recovery, the new folder contains a small text file named GAME-MEMORY-RECOVERY-REPORT.md.
It lists which copy was used and confirms every file was checked.
You can delete it once you have read it; it is not part of your game.
Read more: Your questions, answered
Can I open my copies without Fate Tracker?
Yes. The storage folder is a normal folder with normal files, plus small text records.
You can read and move them with Windows alone.
You are never locked in.
Read more: Your questions, answered
Does it ever delete anything?
No. Fate Tracker deletes nothing, ever, by design.
If you want to free space, More > "See Space Details" shows which folders are safe for you to remove yourself in Windows.
Saved copies and records are marked keep; only throwaway previews and helper reports are marked safe to delete.
Read more: Known limitations
Does it replace my backup software?
No. It protects the game projects you connect, on the drives you choose.
A whole-computer backup covers everything else, including a failed drive.
Use both for work that matters.
Read more: Your questions, answered
My game is in OneDrive or Dropbox. Does that matter?
It works, but Fate Tracker cannot control what those services do to your files.
Keep the copies folder somewhere that is not also being synced, so the two do not fight.
A project that only exists in the cloud must be downloaded completely first.
Read more: Privacy policy · System requirements
Is this like Git or version control?
It is simpler. There are no branches, commits or merges to learn.
You press one button to make a checked copy, and one button to get a copy back into a new folder.
It does not touch Git if you use it, and it never rewrites a repository.
Read more: Complete comparison
What can it not do?
It runs only on Windows 11. It protects one connected game at a time. It has no auto-updater, no cloud and no live restore.
It cannot bring back work that was never in a completed safe copy, and it does not replace a whole-computer backup.
The full list is on the known-limitations page.
Read more: Known limitations · What it cannot protect
How is it different from other tools?
Copying a folder by hand works until you forget, or copy the wrong thing, or cannot tell what an AI changed.
Fate Tracker checks every file, remembers your decisions, and shows the AI's claims next to the real changes.
The comparison page lists it point by point.
Read more: Complete comparison
The safety PIN and Recovery Card
What is the safety PIN?
The PIN is a short code you make up. The program asks for it before important actions.
That way it knows a request came from you, not from an AI helper clicking buttons.
It is not a licence and it is not sent anywhere. It only lives on your computer.
Read more: Your questions, answered
I forgot my PIN. What now?
Every PIN box has an "I Forgot My PIN" choice.
Use your Recovery Card, the six words and four digits you wrote down, to choose a new PIN.
Your game and your copies are safe either way; the PIN only guards the owner buttons.
Read more: Your questions, answered
What is the Recovery Card?
It is six words and four digits the program shows once when you set up your PIN. Write it on paper.
It is the only way to choose a new PIN if you forget yours.
If you skipped it, you can set one up any time from More > "Set Up My Recovery Card".
Read more: Your questions, answered
I lost my PIN and my Recovery Card. Can support unlock it?
No one can unlock or reset the protected owner controls, not even support.
Your game and your saved copies are still ordinary folders you can open and read without the program.
You can connect the game again as a fresh start and make new copies. Anyone who asks you for your PIN or card is not support.
Read more: Support
Will support ever ask for my PIN or Recovery Card?
Never. Support does not need them and cannot use them.
Treat any request for your PIN or Recovery Card as a warning sign, wherever it comes from.
Also never paste them into an AI chat.
Read more: Support
Games, engines and AI helpers
Which game engines does it support?
Unity, Godot, Unreal Engine, GameMaker, Defold and RPG Maker are recognized by the files each engine already creates.
Any other engine can use the careful "Other engine" mode that you confirm yourself.
Your project must be a folder on your Windows computer.
Read more: Supported projects
My engine is not on the list. Can I still use it?
Usually yes. Choose the "Other engine" mode. It copies your project folder and skips only well-known caches.
It works for anything that lives as normal files in a folder on your computer.
Roblox and other online-only tools keep the project on their servers, so there is nothing local to copy unless you export it.
Read more: Supported projects
My game is made in an AI website. Can I protect it?
Only if the whole project is downloaded to your computer as a folder.
Export or download the complete project from the service first. Then Fate Tracker can protect that folder.
A project that only lives on a website or in a preview link is not on your computer yet.
Read more: Supported projects · System requirements
How does it find my game?
Press "Find My Game" and choose a place to look, or browse straight to the folder.
Looking changes nothing. It only reads the marker files your engine leaves behind.
If it is not found, use "I know where my game folder is" and pick the folder yourself.
Read more: Supported projects
Can I protect more than one game?
Yes. Fate Tracker remembers every game you connect, in My Builds.
It protects one connected game at a time. Press "Change Game" or pick one from My Builds to switch.
Each game keeps its own copies and history.
Read more: Known limitations
Do I need an AI subscription or API key?
No. Fate Tracker needs no API key, no AI subscription and no credits.
It works beside whatever AI chat you already use, or none at all.
It prepares careful instructions from your own files that you paste into your assistant.
Read more: System requirements
How does it work with my AI helper?
After your first safe copy, open Game Build Assistant, type what you want in one plain sentence, and press "Prepare Safe Instructions".
Fate Tracker writes careful instructions with your rules and copies them for you to paste into your AI chat.
Fate Tracker itself sends nothing anywhere.
Read more: Home page
Can my coding assistant connect to it directly?
Yes, for assistants that support local connectors. Fate Tracker includes a small connector program.
The assistant can read your project status, your rules and what changed, and leave a note in your inbox. It cannot approve, unlock, copy, delete or restore anything.
Setting the connector up follows your assistant's own instructions, and support does not build custom integrations for you.
Read more: Your questions, answered · System requirements
Can an AI delete my safe copies?
No. The connector has no tool for making or deleting copies, and Fate Tracker itself deletes nothing, ever.
Approving, unlocking and recovering are owner-only actions behind your PIN.
An assistant reading the screen or the connector cannot press those buttons for you.
Read more: Your questions, answered
How do I check what the AI actually changed?
Fate Tracker keeps what the assistant says it did as a claim, not a fact.
Its own comparison shows what really changed on disk, including files the assistant never mentioned.
Open the Compare Claim to Reality view to see both side by side.
Read more: What it protects
What are decisions and lessons?
Decisions are choices you lock in, so an assistant is told not to quietly undo them.
Lessons are fixes that worked, kept in your own words for next time.
Both are written into the instructions Fate Tracker prepares for your AI.
Read more: What it protects
What is the Game Plan?
Game Plan splits your game into parts. Only the current part is given to your AI in full, so it does not wander.
When a part works, press "This Part Works". Fate Tracker makes a checked copy first, then moves to the next part.
If something is wrong, "Something's Wrong" builds repair instructions that separate facts from claims.
Read more: Home page
Is Test My Game or a chatbot included?
No. Automated Test My Game services and a hosted website chatbot are separate ideas for later and are not part of this purchase.
This helper you are using is a written answer list, not a live AI.
Read more: Known limitations
Are you a real AI?
No. I am a helper that matches your question to answers written in advance.
Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
If I cannot answer, I will show you the closest topics, and a person is one fold away at the bottom.
Read more: Privacy policy
Support
What does support help with?
Support covers installing, buying and downloading, the protect-and-recover workflow, and real faults in Fate Tracker.
It does not write or debug your game, teach programming, or operate your game engine for you.
Support is by email, in English, Monday to Friday, Eastern Time, with a first reply within three business days.
Read more: Support
I found a bug. How do I report it?
First press "Ask" here with what happened; many problems have an answer already.
If not, open the fold at the bottom, "Reach a person", and use "Prepare a support message". It asks for the steps you took, what you expected and what you saw.
Leave out your PIN, your Recovery Card and your game's contents.
Read more: Support
Can I suggest a feature?
Yes. Send it through the support message form at the bottom of this panel.
Ideas are read, but nothing is promised until it ships and appears in the changelog.
Read more: Changelog
Where are the terms, privacy and refund policies?
They are linked at the bottom of every page and are in force from 9 September 2026.
The customer package also contains the licence as LICENCE.txt.
Read more: Terms and licence · Privacy policy · Refund policy
How do I contact support?
Try asking your question here first; most are answered.
If you still need a person, open "Reach a person" at the bottom of this panel. Support is by email only, no phone or live chat.
The form there prepares a message with the details support needs.
Read more: Support
More questions
What is build memory?
Build memory is a record kept next to a game built with AI tools.
It holds why each build worked, what you decided, what the AI claimed to change against what really changed, and a checked copy you can get back.
It is not version control and not an AI memory layer. It records why your game worked.
Is Fate Tracker the only build memory app?
As of September 2026, we know of no other product built as build memory for vibe-coded games.
The nearest tools do something else: Git records file state, editor checkpoints undo inside one tool, cloud backup keeps unverified copies, and AI memory layers remember chats, not builds.
The comparison page lists each one honestly, including when it is the better choice.
What is coming next? Is there a roadmap?
Yes. The roadmap page shows the current release, what has shipped, what is under consideration, and what is not planned.
Safety and bug-fix releases are included for 12 months after you buy.
Cloud sync, subscriptions and telemetry are not planned. A Mac version is not currently planned.
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