feat: implement game saving and loading in TicTacToe

- Add serialization support to `World`, `EntityAllocator`, and
  `SparseSet`
- Implement `SaveGame` and `LoadGame` functionality in the TicTacToe
  example
- Add ability to resume a game from a saved state
- Implement auto-save after every move in the game loop

examples/TicTacToe/Commands/PlaceMarkCommand.cs

@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ public struct PlaceMarkCommand : ICommand
         if (target == null)
             return; // Cell already occupied or invalid position.
 
-        // Place the mark.
+        // Place the mark. ComponentAdded is sufficient — MarkModified
+        // is only needed when mutating an existing component via GetComponent<T>.
         world.AddComponent(target.Value, new Mark { Player = state.CurrentPlayer });
-        world.MarkModified<Mark>(target.Value);
 
         // Advance turn.
         state.MoveCount++;

examples/TicTacToe/Program.cs

@@ -5,58 +5,47 @@ namespace TicTacToe;
 
 public static class Program
 {
+    private static readonly string SavePath = Path.Combine(
+        AppContext.BaseDirectory, "save.bin");
+
     public static void Main()
     {
         var world = new World();
-
-        // ── Setup reactivity logging ──────────────────────────────────
-        //
-        // Each subscription appends to a shared log buffer. The log is
-        // printed after the board render so Console.Clear() doesn't wipe it.
-
         var reactivityLog = new List<string>();
+        SetupReactivityLogging(world, reactivityLog);
 
-        // 1. Log every entity-level change (creates, destroys).
-        world.ObserveEntityChanges().Subscribe(change =>
+        // ── Try to load a saved game ──────────────────────────────────
+
+        bool loaded = false;
+        if (File.Exists(SavePath))
         {
-            if (change.ComponentType != null) return;
-            reactivityLog.Add($"[react] {change}");
-        });
+            Console.Write("Saved game found. Load it? (y/n): ");
+            if (Console.ReadLine()?.Trim().ToLower() == "y")
+            {
+                using var stream = File.OpenRead(SavePath);
+                WorldSerializer.Load(world, stream);
+                loaded = true;
+                Console.WriteLine("Game loaded!");
+                Console.WriteLine();
+            }
+        }
 
-        // 2. Log every Mark component change (placed on a cell).
-        world.ObserveComponentChanges<Mark>().Subscribe(change =>
+        // ── Load fresh board from CSV (if not loaded) ─────────────────
+
+        if (!loaded)
         {
-            reactivityLog.Add($"[react] {change}");
-        });
+            var csvPath = Path.Combine(AppContext.BaseDirectory, "Data", "board.csv");
+            CsvLoader.LoadCells(world, csvPath);
+            world.PostChanges();
 
-        // 3. Log every GameState singleton change.
-        world.ObserveComponentChanges<GameState>().Subscribe(change =>
-        {
-            reactivityLog.Add($"[react] {change}");
-        });
-
-        // 4. Log changes matching a query: cells that have a Mark.
-        var markedQuery = world.Query().With<Cell>().With<Mark>().Build();
-        world.ObserveQuery(markedQuery).Subscribe(change =>
-        {
-            reactivityLog.Add($"[react:query] {change}");
-        });
-
-        // ── Load initial state from CSV ───────────────────────────────
-
-        var csvPath = Path.Combine(AppContext.BaseDirectory, "Data", "board.csv");
-        CsvLoader.LoadCells(world, csvPath);
-        world.PostChanges(); // flush entity-created notifications
-
-        // ── Initialize singleton ──────────────────────────────────────
-
-        world.SetSingleton(new GameState
-        {
-            CurrentPlayer = Player.X,
-            Status = GameStatus.Playing,
-            MoveCount = 0
-        });
-        world.PostChanges();
+            world.SetSingleton(new GameState
+            {
+                CurrentPlayer = Player.X,
+                Status = GameStatus.Playing,
+                MoveCount = 0
+            });
+            world.PostChanges();
+        }
 
         // ── Wire up systems ───────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -66,7 +55,6 @@ public static class Program
 
         // ── Game loop ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-        // Initial render.
         group.RunLogical();
         PrintReactivityLog(reactivityLog);
 
@@ -80,12 +68,20 @@ public static class Program
             if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(input))
                 continue;
 
+            // "save" command.
+            if (input.Trim().ToLower() == "save")
+            {
+                SaveGame(world);
+                Console.WriteLine("  Game saved.");
+                continue;
+            }
+
             var parts = input.Trim().Split(' ', StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);
             if (parts.Length != 2 ||
                 !int.TryParse(parts[0], out var row) ||
                 !int.TryParse(parts[1], out var col))
             {
-                Console.WriteLine("  Invalid input. Try \"1 2\".");
+                Console.WriteLine("  Invalid input. Try \"1 2\" or \"save\".");
                 continue;
             }
 
@@ -98,6 +94,9 @@ public static class Program
             world.Commands.Enqueue(new PlaceMarkCommand { Row = row, Col = col });
             group.RunLogical();
             PrintReactivityLog(reactivityLog);
+
+            // Auto-save after every move.
+            SaveGame(world);
         }
 
         // ── Final state ───────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -105,6 +104,41 @@ public static class Program
         Console.WriteLine();
         Console.WriteLine("=== Game over ===");
         PrintReactivityLog(reactivityLog);
+
+        // Clean up save file on game over.
+        if (File.Exists(SavePath))
+            File.Delete(SavePath);
+    }
+
+    private static void SaveGame(World world)
+    {
+        using var stream = File.Create(SavePath);
+        WorldSerializer.Save(world, stream);
+    }
+
+    private static void SetupReactivityLogging(World world, List<string> log)
+    {
+        world.ObserveEntityChanges().Subscribe(change =>
+        {
+            if (change.ComponentType != null) return;
+            log.Add($"[react] {change}");
+        });
+
+        world.ObserveComponentChanges<Mark>().Subscribe(change =>
+        {
+            log.Add($"[react] {change}");
+        });
+
+        world.ObserveComponentChanges<GameState>().Subscribe(change =>
+        {
+            log.Add($"[react] {change}");
+        });
+
+        var markedQuery = world.Query().With<Cell>().With<Mark>().Build();
+        world.ObserveQuery(markedQuery).Subscribe(change =>
+        {
+            log.Add($"[react:query] {change}");
+        });
     }
 
     private static void PrintReactivityLog(List<string> log)

src/OECS/EntityAllocator.cs

@@ -73,6 +73,20 @@ internal class EntityAllocator
         _versions[singleton.Id] = (byte)singleton.Version;
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Reserves a specific entity ID and version for deserialization.
+    /// Advances <see cref="_nextId"/> past the reserved ID so future
+    /// allocations don't collide.
+    /// </summary>
+    public void Reserve(Entity entity)
+    {
+        uint id = entity.Id;
+        EnsureCapacity(id);
+        _versions[id] = (byte)entity.Version;
+        if (id >= _nextId)
+            _nextId = id + 1;
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Returns true if the entity's version matches the current version for its ID.
     /// </summary>

src/OECS/SparseSet.cs

@@ -11,6 +11,18 @@ internal interface ISparseSet
     void Remove(Entity entity);
     bool Contains(Entity entity);
     int Count { get; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns the dense entity array (first <see cref="Count"/> elements are valid).
+    /// Used by serialization to enumerate entities without knowing the component type.
+    /// </summary>
+    Entity[] GetDenseEntities();
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns the component at the given dense index as an object.
+    /// Used by serialization to extract component values.
+    /// </summary>
+    object GetComponentAt(int denseIndex);
 }
 
 /// <summary>
@@ -171,6 +183,10 @@ internal class SparseSet<T> : ISparseSet where T : struct
         _count = 0;
     }
 
+    Entity[] ISparseSet.GetDenseEntities() => _denseEntities;
+
+    object ISparseSet.GetComponentAt(int denseIndex) => _dense[denseIndex]!;
+
     private void EnsureSparseCapacity(uint entityId)
     {
         if (entityId >= (uint)_sparse.Length)

src/OECS/World.cs

@@ -54,6 +54,18 @@ public class World : IDisposable
         return entity;
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Creates an entity with a specific handle. Used during deserialization
+    /// to restore entities with their original IDs and versions.
+    /// Does NOT mark an EntityAdded change (caller is responsible for
+    /// posting changes after the full load).
+    /// </summary>
+    internal Entity CreateEntity(Entity handle)
+    {
+        _allocator.Reserve(handle);
+        return handle;
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Destroys an entity, removing all its components and recycling its ID.
     ///