[bob1029]

https://www.sqlite.org/pragma.html#pragma_user_version

I use SQLite for game state management. It's just like any other database scenario. I write migrators that check the user_version of the database. It's just a for loop from user_version to current version. The migrators themselves can be arbitrary methods that sometimes modify game state to bring it up to date. The most common scenario is adding a new property to something, and then figuring out the appropriate defaults to assign for existing rows (typically null/0). But you can go all the way into the ETL rabbit hole.

I think the relational model via SQLite is the best way to manage state for the more complicated games like in the 4X and deck builder genres.

[freedomben]

I do the same thing, but I have increasingly found myself wanting to serialize json into columns because having a rigid schema can sometimes add a lot of friction. Experience has taught me though, that it's worth the extra effort to define a schema, because nine times out of 10, the flexible json will ossify into unexpected format that the code relies on anyway, but now the database doesn't help enforce integrity. I would definitely recommend defining a schema and doing it right the first time. It will save you time in the long run, and make for much fewer bugs.

[bob1029]

I am not against the JSON-in-columns hybrid path, but I have typically found it grows into a monster over time. In my experience, it caused performance problems more than anything else.