Just found out about a great feature in Rails that seems to be around since Rails 2. Start a console with the --sandbox (or -s) parameter:

rails console --sandbox

Rails Long Term Support

Rails LTS provides security patches for old versions of Ruby on Rails (2.3, 3.2, 4.2 and 5.2)

• Prevents you from data breaches and liability risks
• Upgrade at your own pace
• Works with modern Rubies

Read more Show archive.org snapshot

All changes you make to the database will be rolled back on exit.

Warning

Changes beyond the database (deleting files, sending emails, etc) cannot be rolled back!