A checkpoint is a designated point where a game records progress automatically, so failing afterward returns the player to that point instead of the start. Checkpoints divide long levels or missions into survivable segments.
Early games handled failure harshly: lose your lives and the level, or the whole game, started over. Checkpoints softened that model by banking progress mid level. Cross a flag, doorway, or trigger line and the game quietly stores your position, health state, or mission step. Die a minute later and you retry from there, usually with enemies reset but your forward progress intact.
Placement is a design decision players feel immediately. Generous checkpoints before and after hard sections keep frustration low and encourage experimentation. Sparse checkpoints raise tension because more progress is at risk, a trade that suits horror games and deliberate challenge games but punishes players who have little time per session. The worst placement is just before an unskippable cutscene, which forces repeat viewing on every attempt.
Checkpoints differ from save points. A checkpoint is automatic and usually holds only the most recent position, overwriting itself as you advance. A save point is a place the player chooses to use, and it typically writes a fuller save that can be loaded later by choice.
In play"There is a checkpoint right before the boss door, so each attempt starts at full speed."