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Civilization VI Save File Location

Last verified: 2026-09-20

Save file location (Windows (Steam / Epic)): %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves

Quick answer: On PC, Civilization VI saves are in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves. Single-player games are in the Single subfolder (.Civ6Save files), with Multi, Hotseat and Cloud subfolders alongside it.
Windows (Steam / Epic)
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves
macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Sid Meier's Civilization VI/Saves
PlayStation (PS3/PS4/PS5)
Settings › Saved Data and Game/App Settings › Saved Data
Xbox (360 / One / Series X|S)
My games & apps › <Game> › Manage game › Saved data
Nintendo Switch
System Settings › Data Management › Save Data Cloud

Here's exactly where Civilization VI keeps your saves on PC, how to open the folder, and how to back them up before you reinstall or move to a new PC.

Save file locations

Windows (Steam / Epic)
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves

Full path: C:\Users\<YourName>\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves\Single\ . Files end in .Civ6Save; Multi, Hotseat and Cloud have their own subfolders.

macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Sid Meier's Civilization VI/Saves

The Aspyr Mac build keeps saves under Library/Application Support instead of Documents; same Single/Multi/Hotseat layout.

PlayStation (PS3/PS4/PS5)
Settings › Saved Data and Game/App Settings › Saved Data

Console saves are sealed and can't be copied as raw files. Back them up to PS Plus cloud or a USB drive from this menu.

Xbox (360 / One / Series X|S)
My games & apps › <Game> › Manage game › Saved data

Xbox saves sync automatically to the cloud with your Microsoft account; there is no user-accessible save file on disk.

Nintendo Switch
System Settings › Data Management › Save Data Cloud

Switch save data stays inside the system storage and can only be backed up via Save Data Cloud (Switch Online), not copied as loose files.

Cloud saves

Civilization VI can sync through Steam Cloud, and the Saves\Cloud subfolder holds cross-play cloud games. If a Steam Cloud conflict pops up after playing offline, keep the newer save so you don't lose turns.

Cloud save conflict & platform recovery

Civilization VI syncs through Steam Cloud, and cross-play cloud games live in the Saves\Cloud subfolder. The conflict happens when you play a turn offline (or on a second PC) and then reconnect: Steam shows a cloud-conflict dialog, and .Civ6Save files do NOT merge — picking the wrong side loses turns. Decide by timestamp and back up the local Saves folder before you answer.

  1. When the Steam Cloud conflict dialog appears, do NOT press Play — close it so nothing syncs yet.
  2. Back up locally first: press Win+R, type %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves and copy the whole Saves folder (Single, Multi, Hotseat, Cloud) somewhere safe.
  3. Compare which is newer: check the modified date of the newest .Civ6Save in Saves\Single against your last offline turn — the most recent file is your real progress.
  4. Exact backup command (Windows CMD): robocopy "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Civ6SaveBackup" /E
  5. Only after the backup: in the Steam dialog choose "Upload to Steam Cloud" if your local save is newer, or "Download" if the cloud copy is newer.
  6. Cross-play/mobile (Aspyr) saves go through the Cloud subfolder — keep the device you played last online last so its copy wins the sync.
Back up first (Windows) — copy & run

Civ 6 autosaves and manual saves share one folder that grows large and is easy to lose on a PC move. Copy the Saves folder to the Desktop first:

robocopy "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meiers Civilization VI\Saves" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Civ6-Save-Backup" /E

/E copies the Single and Hotseat subfolders with every .Civ6Save. Cloud saves (Steam) can override local — disable cloud for Civ VI before restoring an older turn.

How to open the save folder

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run box.
  2. Type %userprofile%\Documents\My Games and press Enter.
  3. Open Sid Meier's Civilization VI, then Saves, then Single (or Multi/Hotseat).
  4. Copy the .Civ6Save files somewhere safe before reinstalling or moving PCs.

Save problems & fixes

Civilization VI save won't load or is corrupted

Restore a backup .Civ6Save into the Saves\Single folder. Civ 6 also writes an autosave — check for AutoSave_*.Civ6Save in the same folder if your manual save is damaged.

Civ 6 saves are missing after reinstall

The install doesn't touch the Documents\My Games folder, so saves usually remain — confirm the same Windows user, and let Steam Cloud finish syncing before launching so it doesn't overwrite with an empty folder.

Want to edit this save (money, items, stats)? See the Civilization VI save editor guide — which fields are safe to change and how to back up first.

FAQ

Where is the Civilization VI save file on PC?

At C:\Users\<YourName>\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves. Single-player saves (.Civ6Save) are in the Single subfolder.

How do I back up Civ 6 saves?

Copy the .Civ6Save files from the Saves\Single (and Multi/Hotseat) folders somewhere safe. Restore by pasting them back into the same subfolder.

Does Civilization VI use cloud saves?

Yes, it can sync via Steam Cloud, and the Saves\Cloud subfolder stores cross-play cloud games. On a conflict keep the newer copy.

Other games

Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.