The Nintendo Switch sat packed away with clothes, keepsakes and pink-and-green controllers. On it was Peyton’s save file for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, last played five days before he died. For three years, Chrissy could barely bring herself to look at it.
A relationship built around games and shared discoveries
Chrissy and Peyton met at university after a class exercise asking students to share their names and favourite films. Peyton chose an obscure Japanese biographical drama. Intrigued by his unusual answer, Chrissy decided to become friends with him. They were dating within two weeks, and friends later said it seemed as though they had always been a couple.
Peyton worked as a theme-park ride operator and maintained a spreadsheet listing every roller-coaster he had ridden. He also loved video games. Chrissy had played The Sims 4 since middle school, but did not think of herself as a gamer. Peyton believed she simply had not found the right games yet, introducing her to Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
They played together and separately. Even though Tears of the Kingdom is a single-player adventure, the pair approached it as a shared project. Peyton excelled at exploring Hyrule and fighting monsters, while Chrissy was particularly good at solving puzzles. She would offer a hint when he was stuck rescuing a Korok, or watch quietly as he worked through a shrine.
Grief preserved in a save file
After Peyton’s death, Chrissy was surrounded by digital reminders of the life they had shared. She tried returning to some of their games, including RollerCoaster Tycoon, which she had played since middle school. But the theme-park game was inseparable from memories of Peyton, making it difficult to play on her own.
“When he died so young, it felt like our lives weren’t complete … there was still more to accomplish, outside of our relationship,” Chrissy said.
An old letter in Animal Crossing eventually brought one especially painful reminder back to life:
Dear chrissy,
bazingabazingabazingabazingabazi
ngabazingabazingabazingabazinga
From peyt
The silly message made Chrissy cry because she could imagine Peyton laughing as he typed it. Although it was nonsense, she described it as proof that he had existed.
Taking over the unfinished adventure
Years later, after moving across the country, Chrissy began sorting through Peyton’s possessions again. She was 22 when he died and felt unable to process everything at the time. Now 25 and studying law, she was ready to approach his games differently.
In spring 2026, Chrissy started a new save file of her own. Her goal is to finish Peyton’s Tears of the Kingdom playthrough and understand the parts of the game he enjoyed.
“I want to see what he saw,” she said, “solve the puzzles he did, and find whatever enjoyment he got from the game.”
Knowing that the adventure is demanding, Chrissy first wanted to build her confidence. She has since travelled through Sky Island, Goron City and Gerudo Town; faced Colgera and Sludge; helped Gerudo Town with its election; been shouted at in Kakariko Village; and been sent into the Depths.
Progress measured in more than bosses
When a challenge stops her, Chrissy finds herself wondering how Peyton would have handled it. She believes many battles that trouble her would have been easy for him. While he was skilled in combat, she tends to flee from Lynels and rely on numerous guides before moving forward.
“I wish he were here to help me, or at least cheer me on,” she said. “I loathe the battles and wish I could give him my controller so he could do it for me.”
Despite being modest about her abilities, Chrissy has now progressed beyond Peyton’s save. She has explored more of the map and defeated more bosses. Ganondorf is within reach, although she is not ready to finish that fight yet.
Finishing the story in her own time
Before completing Tears of the Kingdom, Chrissy wants to finish The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. She hopes that understanding its story will deepen her appreciation of the sequel and the game Peyton loved.
For Chrissy, completing the journey is both remembrance and transition. She sees playing his save as a way to preserve a part of him, while finishing the adventure could mark the closing of another chapter in their lives—an accomplishment shaped by both of them.
She expects the process to take hundreds of hours, but that does not discourage her. Those are hours she would have spent with Peyton if he were still alive.
“Zelda waited years for Link to find her,” Chrissy said.
A different kind of playthrough
This story shows how a save file can hold more than game progress. For Chrissy, Hyrule is now a place to revisit Peyton’s curiosity, patience and problem-solving, one puzzle and battle at a time.
For more stories about games and the culture around them, explore the RETROCADE Arcade Blog. Readers considering a dedicated home gaming setup can also browse the arcade machine collection, compare options in the arcade machine buying guide, or look at compact bartop arcades.
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