Kingdom Hearts III

This guide contains manual installation paths, seed-source details, platform notes, Save Manager behavior, mod compatibility, and troubleshooting for Kingdom Hearts III Archipelago. Most players only need the Quick Setup Guide.

KH3 AP is currently an Alpha release. Use a fresh KH3 save for each seed, keep only the current seed's KH3 AP player pak active, and run Patch Game again after installing an updated APWorld.

Platform and Tool Details

KH3 AP supports Kingdom Hearts III on Windows through Steam or the Epic Games Store, and on Linux through Steam. Archipelago 0.6.6 or newer is required.

The kh3.apworld contains the KH3 world, client, pak generator, and bundled KH3-specific UE4SS runtime. The runtime provides live check reporting and item delivery.

Game and save paths

KH3 Dir should point at the top-level KINGDOM HEARTS III folder. Selecting Binaries/Win64 is also accepted; the client normalizes it automatically.

For Steam, automatic save discovery uses:

Steam/00000000000000000000000000000000/SaveGames

This matches the runtime's shared-account redirect. A path selecting a real SteamID64 account folder is normalized to the shared directory, including a path supplied through KH3_SAVE_DIR or --save-dir. Existing saves are not migrated automatically. Move the intended save contents into the shared directory yourself, or start a fresh seed.

The trash button on the Save Dir row cleans gameplay saves only while KH3 is closed. Backup preserves them first; Delete removes them without creating a new backup. The client synchronizes the shared ModLoader settings copy before removing the targeted SaveGames folder.

Pak-generation tools

When a room does not provide a ready-made player pak, the client builds one locally using a compatible .NET 8 SDK. Run Patch Game first: it reuses an installed SDK or downloads the SDK for x64 into an Archipelago-only user cache. Windows and Linux do not need a system-wide .NET installation for this path. Connecting or importing a seed does not download an SDK; if it is missing or unusable, the client asks you to run Patch Game and retry.

The APWorld includes verified Windows x64 and Linux x64 repak v0.2.3 archives. The client extracts the correct native executable into the same user-scoped tool cache. Installing a ready-made .pak does not use .NET or NuGet, but Patch Game prepares the SDK so later seed generation is ready.

What Patch Game Installs

With KH3 closed, Patch Game:

• downloads or updates the supported Garden of Assemblage pak;
• installs the bundled KH3 AP UE4SS runtime into Binaries/Win64;
• installs the KH3 runtime probe in every applicable Mods layout;
• configures the probe to write events to the current bridge directory; and
• sets gc.MaxObjectsInGame to at least 2097152 in the selected account's Config/Engine.ini, preserving higher limits and unrelated settings. An existing file is backed up before changes.

After patching, hover over Patch Game to confirm the game runtime files are already ready. The client refreshes the probe configuration again after connecting to a room.

On Windows Steam installations, Patch Game asks Steam to disable Cloud for Kingdom Hearts III only. It does not change the global Steam Cloud setting and does not affect Epic Games Store installations. If Steam is closed or the request fails, disable Cloud manually in KH3's Steam Properties before playing.

KH3 must be restarted after patching or changing pak files. UE4SS and Unreal pak files are loaded only when the game process starts.

Seed Sources and Manual Imports

Direct connection is the preferred workflow. The client authenticates the room slot before choosing a player-scoped source.

Hosted or current standard rooms

For an ap.aesais.net room, the client resolves the authenticated player's signed download. A hosted .pak is managed and installed directly. A hosted .apkh3 or generated Archipelago .zip is downloaded and built first. A compatible locally hosted service can advertise its local HTTP room URL through the same flow.

When no hosted download is advertised, a current standard Archipelago room can send player-scoped KH3 generation data during connection. The client creates a local .apkh3, builds the pak, adds it to Save Manager, installs it, and then finishes bridge setup. Keep KH3 closed throughout this process.

Older KH3 rooms that advertise neither source require a manual .apkh3, generated .zip, or ready-made player .pak.

Import a seed manually

1. Close KH3.
2. Open Save Manager.
3. Click Import Seed Pak.
4. Select a player .pak, .apkh3, or generated Archipelago .zip.
5. Click Activate beside the intended run.

Importing an .apkh3 builds and stores its player pak. Importing a generated .zip builds and stores every KH3 player in that archive without choosing one automatically. Each player appears as a separate run.

Prepare a container placed in ~mods

When ~mods has no KH3 AP player pak but contains exactly one .apkh3 or generated .zip, Connect and Launch KH3 can build, manage, and install it.

A multi-player .zip is automatic only when the client's current slot name matches exactly one player. Otherwise, use Import Seed Pak and activate the correct player. If several seed containers are present in ~mods, move all but the intended source elsewhere.

After a source found in ~mods is successfully generated and installed, the client moves it into the generated-pak archive. A source imported from Downloads or another folder remains at its original path.

Installed pak belongs to another room

The client detects an installed-pak mismatch during the room handshake before sending an inferred slot name. With KH3 closed, it preserves the old pak and run saves, removes only the live pak from ~mods, and asks for the new room's exact slot name.

If the server rejects a slot name inferred from an installed pak, the client performs the same preservation and offers one dialog retry. A manually entered invalid slot name remains a normal connection error.

Build progress

The title and progress bar show the current build phase. The log records generation, managed import, installation, and source archival. Generation can take roughly a minute per KH3 player, but it runs away from the UI thread so the client remains responsive.

Save Manager Details

Save Manager keeps multiple AP runs without mixing their player paks, bridge state, or gameplay saves.

Activate another run

Close KH3 and disconnect the client before clicking Activate. Activation:

1. stores the current run's latest gameplay saves and player pak;
2. installs the selected run as the only active KH3 AP player pak in ~mods;
3. restores that run's saved snapshot; and
4. reopens its existing bridge state.

If installation fails, the previous pak and saves are restored. A successfully connected run remembers its AP host, port, and exact slot name. Activating it later restores that address to the server field.

Edit a connection profile

Edit changes the remembered slot name, server, port, and optional room URL. It does not rename the player pak or alter the embedded player identity. Passwords are never stored with the run.

Import an already installed pak

An installed player pak that is absent from managed storage appears with an Import button. Enter its exact slot name, server or IP, port, and optional room URL. The client copies the pak into managed storage and leaves the installed copy active. A successful connection can perform this enrollment automatically.

Delete a run or return to vanilla

Delete requires a second confirmation. Inactive stored runs can be deleted while connected; deleting the active run requires disconnecting and closing KH3.

• An unmanaged installed entry removes its player pak and matching bridge.
• An inactive managed run removes its stored pak, AP save snapshot, and bridge.
• The active run also removes its live player pak and current AP gameplay saves.

Protected vanilla backups never appear in Save Manager and are not deleted by this action. Use Restore Vanilla KH3 on the Config tab to restore them.

Manual Mod Installation

Garden of Assemblage and player paks

Normally, Patch Game handles Garden of Assemblage and connecting handles the player pak. If manual installation is required, KH3 paks belong in:

KINGDOM HEARTS III/Content/Paks/~mods

The latest Garden of Assemblage fallback is available from the AP-GOA-KH3 releases. Keep only one KH3 AP player pak active. The folder button on Mods Dir creates and opens ~mods after KH3 Dir has been configured.

Do not remove official Steam *_0_P.pak update files. Close and restart KH3 after every pak change.

Olympus Coliseum integration

The supported third-party Olympus Coliseum 1.4.2 mod can add 25 opt-in cup checks. It requires the verified full mod under the supported _998_P name. For randomize or junk, the KH3 client builds the separate AP reward companion on the first fresh connection immediately after preparing the seed pak. A vanilla seed leaves native cup rewards enabled.

See Olympus Coliseum Mod Integration for the supported hash, load order, reward inventory, and manual installation command.

Linux and Toolchain Overrides

Automatic .NET setup is preferred on both Windows and Linux. Pak operations use the client's built-in Python implementation; no repak download is required. KH3_REPAK_PATH and KH3_UNREALPAK_PATH remain available as explicit advanced overrides.

NuGet restore failures

The .NET SDK already includes NuGet. On Windows, the generator keeps NuGet's package and cache data in an Archipelago-only folder and restores through a temporary configuration containing nuget.org; it does not alter the global NuGet configuration or system PATH.

If restore cannot reach nuget.org, check internet, proxy, and TLS settings. For manual diagnostics:

dotnet nuget list source

The required packages are UE4DataTableInterpreter and UAssetAPI.

Manual Linux fallback

On Manjaro, install the .NET 8 SDK manually if automatic setup is unavailable:

sudo pacman -S dotnet-sdk-8.0

For an explicit native-tool override when troubleshooting, install repak v0.2.3 manually:

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin /tmp/repak-install
cd /tmp/repak-install

curl -L -o repak.tar.xz \
  https://github.com/trumank/repak/releases/download/v0.2.3/repak_cli-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.xz

tar -xf repak.tar.xz
install -m 755 repak_cli-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/repak ~/.local/bin/repak
export KH3_REPAK_PATH="$HOME/.local/bin/repak"

Other UE4SS Mods

KH3 AP ships a pinned KH3-specific UE4SS runtime, and Patch Game treats it as the supported environment.

If UE4SS is already installed, the client preserves existing Mods directories and merges applicable mods.txt files. It may replace loader or proxy files such as UE4SS.dll, dwmapi.dll, xinput1_3.dll, and UE4SS-settings.ini. Replaced files are backed up beside the original with an .apbak-<timestamp> suffix.

Lua-only UE4SS mods are the most likely to coexist safely. Other C++ UE4SS mods are higher risk because they may expect a different runtime or ABI.

Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

Keep the KH3 client connected before launching or loading into KH3. If an older save predates received AP items, the client replays those items so the in-game state catches up.

KH3 Debug shows replay slots, the highest AP index, checks, received/pending/ applied item counts, blocking UI state, and runtime context. The current save is bold in Recent Replay Slots; the last loaded save is italic. Inspect the active run in Save Manager before launching. The bridge folder and its open button are under Bridge Dir in KH3 Config.

On Windows, click Read UObjects at the top of KH3 Debug while KH3 is running to see the current allocated slot range and actual capacity, for example 411,727 / 2,097,152. This is a timestamped snapshot taken when clicked. Current includes reusable slots; it is not an exact count of live objects. If capacity is below the patch minimum, close KH3, run Patch Game, restart, and read again. The override takes effect only at startup. The account path must match Save Dir, including redirected OneDrive Documents locations.

Debug bundles include the resolved Engine.ini configuration, a fresh pool reading when available, and the last Read UObjects snapshot. This helps distinguish a configured override from the running game's actual capacity. The reader supports the recognized EGS and Steam executables on Windows; other platforms or unknown executable versions report that reading is unavailable.

Symptom	What to check
The game gives different chest rewards than the client logs.	Close KH3, remove stale AP player paks from ~mods, activate the current run, and restart KH3.
Checks do not appear in the client.	Connect before loading into KH3, run Patch Game, and hover over it to confirm the game runtime files are already ready.
Installed Pak or Save Seed does not match the room.	Do not launch KH3. Activate the correct run, reconnect, and verify the three bridge status rows.
Connection is blocked because saves belong to another seed.	Close KH3 and use the Save Dir trash button, or enable Auto remove saves on new seed.
Pak generation cannot find UE4DataTableInterpreter or UAssetAPI.	Check the NuGet diagnostics above and confirm nuget.org is reachable.
A pak was added or changed while KH3 was open.	Close and restart KH3; Unreal does not mount new paks into an existing process.
Another UE4SS mod stopped loading.	Re-run Patch Game, inspect merged mods.txt files, and check whether the other mod requires a different C++ runtime ABI.

For the normal installation workflow, return to the Quick Setup Guide.