What happens if I die?

You usually restart at a hospital with a small fee. Mission progress typically resets to the last checkpoint, not the whole mission.

Can I do missions out of order?

Some side content is flexible, but main story missions unlock in sequence. Later missions need earlier ones finished.

Before You Start

•Game auto-saves after most missions.
•Sleep at a bed to save manually anytime.
•Wanted stars = police chasing you. Hide or call Lester to lose them.
•Switch characters with the character wheel once unlocked.
•Colored letters on the map = who gives the mission.

Saving your game

Story Mode auto-saves when you complete missions and after major events. To save manually, go to any character's safehouse and sleep in a bed. A save icon appears on screen when the game saves. You cannot save mid-mission.

Tip: Before big heist finales or ending choices, sleep at a bed so you can reload if needed.

Wanted level (police stars)

Commit crimes and police come. One star = local cops. More stars = SWAT, helicopters, roadblocks. Stars fade over time if you stay out of sight. Hide in alleys, change clothes, or call Lester (once unlocked) to remove wanted level for a fee.

Tip: Do not shoot civilians or cops unless the mission requires it. Wanted level makes driving missions much harder.

Switching characters

You start as Franklin. Michael unlocks early. Trevor unlocks mid-story. Hold the character switch button to pick who you control. Each character has their own missions, safehouse, and money (shared bank later). Some missions only appear for one character.

Tip: See the Controls tab for the switch button on your platform.

Map and mission icons

Open the map to see available missions. Colored letters show the mission giver: M = Michael, F = Franklin, T = Trevor. White letters are strangers and side content. If nothing new shows, finish active missions first.

Phone and contacts

Your phone lists contacts, emails, and job texts. Some missions start when you call or get a call from an NPC. Check texts after story missions for new leads.