When searching for tips on how to save game data in SpriteKit, most posts explain how to save one variable (high score, for example). In that regard, this Thinking Swiftly post was extremely helpful, and is where a majority of the code below comes from. I just wanted to extend that post, and look at how an entire object could be saved in a self contained way.

NOTE: This article has been updated. Refer to SpriteKit Saving with Swift 3

A class will hold a singleton which will automatically load the first time it is called. No initialization from the outside needed.

// Access a variable. Will lazy load the first time.

GameData.sharedInstance.variableA

Likewise, to save, we simply call save. Below, we’ll change a value, and save it out.

// Change a variable, and then save.

GameData.sharedInstance.variableA = 2
GameData.sharedInstance.save()

The only major difference from other posts I’ve seen is in the actual save method. Instead of encoding each variable, I am just encoding the entire object. Note: This only works with standard variable types — if you need to save out a custom class, you have to make the class extend NSCoding.

let saveData = NSKeyedArchiver.archivedDataWithRootObject(self.scores);

// Becomes

let saveData = NSKeyedArchiver.archivedDataWithRootObject(GameData.sharedInstance);

Have a look at the entire GameData class below, which should act as a self contained, lazy loading class to hold game data of standard variable types.