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Everything you need to know about editing your game save files — from finding them to fixing common issues.

1. How to Find Your Save Files

Save file locations vary by game, platform, and store. Here are the most common locations:

Steam (Windows)

Most Steam games store saves in one of these locations:

  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[SteamID]\[AppID]\
  • C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\My Games\[GameName]\
  • C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\[GameName]\
  • C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\LocalLow\[Developer]\[GameName]\
  • C:\Users\[YourName]\Saved Games\[GameName]\

Windows (non-Steam)

  • %APPDATA%\[GameName]\ (press Win+R, type %APPDATA%)
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\[GameName]\
  • Documents\My Games\[GameName]\
  • Documents\[GameName]\

macOS

  • ~/Library/Application Support/[GameName]/
  • ~/Library/Preferences/[GameName]/
  • ~/Documents/[GameName]/

Tip: In Finder, press Cmd+Shift+G and paste the path to jump directly.

Linux

  • ~/.local/share/[GameName]/
  • ~/.config/[GameName]/
  • ~/.steam/steam/userdata/[SteamID]/[AppID]/ (Steam Proton)

Quick Search Tips

  • Search for the game name + "save file location" on Google or PCGamingWiki.
  • Look for files with extensions like .sav, .dat, .save, .rpgsave, .json.
  • Some games store saves in their install folder (check Steam\steamapps\common\[GameName]\).
  • For browser games (Cookie Clicker), saves are exported from the game itself — look for an "Export Save" button in the game's settings.

2. How to Back Up Your Saves

⚠️ Always back up before editing! While our editor keeps a temporary backup in your browser session, this is not a substitute for a manual backup.

  1. Find your save file using the locations above.
  2. Copy the entire save folder (or individual save file) to a safe location — your Desktop, a "Backups" folder, or cloud storage.
  3. Rename the backup with the date (e.g., MySave_backup_2026-06-23.sav) so you know which version is which.
  4. Now you can safely edit the original file. If something goes wrong, just copy the backup back.

3. How to Use the Editor

  1. Go to the editor — Use the universal editor for auto-detection, or pick a game-specific editor.
  2. Upload your save file — Drag and drop it onto the upload area, or click to browse. The editor will read the file and automatically detect its format.
  3. Edit your data — Once detected, you'll see editable fields organized by category. Change values as needed. For binary/hex editors, you'll see a hex dump with extracted strings.
  4. Download the modified save — Click the "Download Save" button. Your browser will download the modified file.

4. How to Download and Restore Your Edited Save

  1. After clicking Download Save, your browser downloads the modified file. It may have a different name — rename it to match the original filename.
  2. Close the game before replacing save files. Most games read saves on launch and may overwrite your changes if running.
  3. Navigate to the game's save folder and replace the original file with your edited one.
  4. Launch the game and load your save. The changes should be reflected in-game.
  5. If the save doesn't load: restore from your backup and try again. Some games have checksums or validation that may reject improperly modified files.

5. Troubleshooting Common Issues

"This file format is not recognized"

Try manually selecting the game engine using the override buttons. If your game uses a custom format, try the Binary/Hex viewer to inspect raw data, or request support.

"Downloaded save doesn't work in-game"

Some games validate save files with checksums. If the game rejects your edited save, it may have anti-tampering protection. Try editing fewer values or smaller changes. RPG Maker games are generally very forgiving.

"Game crashes after loading edited save"

You may have set a value outside the valid range (e.g., negative gold, level 0, a string where a number is expected). Try more conservative edits or restore from backup.

"Website doesn't work on my browser"

We support all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) released in the last 2 years. Make sure JavaScript is enabled and you're not blocking any scripts. Try a different browser if issues persist.

"The file is too large"

Very large save files (500MB+) may be slow to process in the browser. For huge files, try using a desktop-based save editor instead. Most game saves are well under 100MB.

6. Tips for Safe Editing

  • Always back up first — this cannot be stressed enough.
  • Edit one thing at a time — if something breaks, you'll know what caused it.
  • Stay within reasonable ranges — setting gold to 999,999,999 might overflow; try 99,999 first.
  • Avoid editing online/multiplayer saves — many games have server-side validation and may ban modified accounts.
  • Keep the original file extension — some games check the filename and won't load renamed files.
  • Check PCGamingWiki — many games have detailed save file documentation including known issues and modding guides.

Ready to get started?

Open the editor, drop your save file, and start editing.

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