LÖVE runtime writes redirect to save directory, not game archive

Answer

In current LÖVE releases (0.10.x and 11.x) there is no public API that lets love.filesystem.write, append or directory creation target the game’s .love archive or the executable folder. All write operations are hard‑wired to the directory returned by love.filesystem.getSaveDirectory(), which is determined by the identity field in love.conf and the platform’s standard save‑location rules.

Likely explanation

• The .love file is mounted as a read‑only virtual filesystem; writing to it would break the archive’s integrity and cross‑platform expectations.
• Redirecting writes would require platform‑specific hacks (e.g., LuaJIT FFI or OS‑level symlinks) that LÖVE deliberately omits to keep the runtime simple and secure.

Confirmed facts

• All write calls resolve to love.filesystem.getSaveDirectory() – see the documentation and the source code for the writefile implementation.
• Changing the identity in love.conf only renames the save‑folder, it does not move it to the game directory.
• Attempts to write to the executable folder on modern OSs normally fail due to permission restrictions.

Practical steps for portable saves

1. Bundle the game as a .love archive (or unpacked folder) and place it on removable media.
2. Use a small launcher script (Lua, batch, shell, or a language‑specific wrapper) that:
   • Detects the media’s mount point.
   • Creates or points a symlink or directory copy named after the identity in that location.
   • Sets the LOVE_IDENTITY environment variable to the same name so the runtime uses that folder as the save root.
3. Alternatively, ship a tiny C/C++ stub that calls SetCurrentDirectory (Windows) or chdir (POSIX) before launching LÖVE, effectively making the executable folder the current working directory. This still writes to the OS‑defined save dir, but you can then copy the resulting files back to the media manually.

Missing diagnostic detail

To tailor the recommendation precisely, could you confirm whether you plan to run the game from a read‑only medium (e.g., a USB stick) or whether you can embed a launcher alongside the executable? The choice affects whether a symlink or a wrapper is more appropriate.