📁 Where's My Save? Find any game's save file — fast

Palworld Save File Location

Last verified: 2026-09-29

Save file location (Windows (Steam)): %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames

Quick answer: On PC, Palworld save files are stored in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames. Copy that folder to back up your progress before modding or moving to a new PC.
Windows (Steam)
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames
Windows (Game Pass / Xbox)
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_...\SystemAppData\wgs
Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One
My games & apps › <Game> › Manage game › Saved data

Here's exactly where Palworld stores your save on PC, how to open the folder, and how to back it up before you edit or move it.

Save file locations

Windows (Steam)
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames

Full path: C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\ . Inside is a numbered SteamID folder, then a world folder with Level.sav and player .sav files.

Windows (Game Pass / Xbox)
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_...\SystemAppData\wgs

The Microsoft Store / Game Pass version stores saves in this container folder instead of the Pal folder.

Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One
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.

Cloud saves

The Steam version uses Steam Cloud. Dedicated-server worlds are stored on the server, not in your local SaveGames folder — for those, look in the server's Pal\Saved\SaveGames\<serverfolder> directory.

Cloud save conflict & platform recovery

Palworld's Steam version syncs through Steam Cloud, so if you play on two PCs or the game crashes mid-sync you can hit a cloud-conflict dialog. Picking the wrong copy overwrites your newer world — Level.sav does not merge. Decide by timestamp, and always back up the LOCAL copy before you answer the dialog.

  1. When the Steam conflict dialog appears, do NOT press Play yet — choose Cancel / close it so nothing syncs.
  2. Back up the local copy first: press Win+R, type %localappdata%, open Pal\Saved\SaveGames\<SteamID> and copy the whole world folder somewhere safe.
  3. Compare which is newer: check the modified date of Level.sav inside the world folder against the last time you played on the other PC — the most recent Level.sav is your real progress.
  4. Exact backup command (Windows CMD): robocopy "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\PalworldSaveBackup" /E
  5. Only after the backup: in the Steam dialog pick "Upload to Steam Cloud" if your local world is newer, or "Download" if the cloud copy is newer.
  6. Game Pass / Xbox version cannot be merged — saves live in the Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_...\SystemAppData\wgs container and sync through Xbox cloud. Keep the device with your latest world online last so it wins the sync.
Back up first (Windows) — copy & run

Palworld saves corrupt often after crashes and dedicated-server merges. Back up the whole SaveGames tree before any fix — paste into Command Prompt:

robocopy "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Palworld-Save-Backup" /E

/E preserves the per-world GUID subfolders. Game Pass builds store saves under Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_...\wgs instead — back that path up too if you play on Xbox app.

Moving to a new PC? Follow the step-by-step Palworld save transfer guide to copy your progress across without losing anything.

How to open the save folder

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run box.
  2. Type %localappdata% and press Enter.
  3. Open the Pal folder, then Saved, then SaveGames, then your SteamID folder.
  4. Copy the whole save folder somewhere safe before editing, modding, or moving PCs.

Save problems & fixes

Palworld save won’t load or says it’s corrupt

Many games keep an automatic backup next to the save (a .bak or numbered copy) — close the game, copy that backup over the broken file, and reopen. On Steam, also right-click the game → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files.

My Palworld save is missing or the folder is empty

You are usually looking in the wrong sub-folder — open the numbered profile/Steam-ID folder inside the path above, not the parent. If it is still empty, cloud sync may not have finished before the game overwrote the local copy; reconnect and let the cloud sync complete before launching.

Palworld progress rolled back after a cloud conflict

When Steam or the console reports a save conflict, always keep the version with the LATER timestamp. Choosing the older cloud copy overwrites newer local progress — the most common cause of “lost hours.” If unsure, disable cloud sync, back up the local folder first, then re-enable it.

Save won't load or shows as corrupted? See the Palworld corrupted save fix guide to recover your progress step by step.

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

FAQ

Where is the Palworld save file on PC?

For the Steam version it's at C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\<SteamID>. Press Win+R, type %localappdata%, then open Pal\Saved\SaveGames.

How do I back up my Palworld world?

Copy the entire world subfolder (containing Level.sav and the player .sav files) from your SteamID folder to a safe location.

Where are Game Pass Palworld saves?

The Microsoft Store / Game Pass version keeps saves in a Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_...\SystemAppData\wgs container under %localappdata%, not the Pal folder.

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.