Where Are Cataclysm: DDA Saves and Configs Located?
Where CDDA keeps worlds, configs, and memorials on Windows, Linux, and macOS, plus the override flags.
Last updated
Cataclysm: DDA keeps saves and config next to the game on Windows (save/ and config/ beside the exe), in ~/.cataclysm-dda on Linux, and under ~/Library/Application Support/Cataclysm on macOS. Worlds, characters, and memorials all live in the save tree.
The layout varies by build flags, which is why guides disagree: XDG builds use ~/.local/share and ~/.config, launchers pass --userdir overrides. Check the actual folders rather than memorizing one path. Character edits mean copying a handful of files, never the whole world.
Where Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead stores this, by platform
<install>\save (beside cataclysm-tiles.exe)
save/ holds worlds with .sav characters, config/ holds options. Tileset and soundpack folders sit beside them and move separately. Portable installs keep everything in one place by nature.
~/.cataclysm-dda
save/, config/, memorial/, and templates/ under one dot folder. XDG builds split into ~/.local/share/cataclysm-dda and ~/.config/cataclysm-dda instead. The --userdir flag overrides the root for multi version setups.
~/Library/Application Support/Cataclysm
Same save and config split as elsewhere. Finder hides Library; use Go > Go to Folder. App bundle updates preserve this tree, so reinstalls keep worlds intact.
Frequently asked questions
how do i back up cataclysm dda saves
Copy the save/ and config/ folders (Windows: beside the exe; Linux: ~/.cataclysm-dda) to the matching spot on the new machine. Worlds and characters travel together inside save/. Keep the game version identical or the world may refuse to load.
which files make up a cataclysm character
In save/<worldname>/ with .sav character files, .log files, and artifacts.gsav beside them. Copy the few files you need into a fresh world folder rather than moving everything; most files in the old folder go unused. Back up first, since edits corrupt easily.
can i move cataclysm save and config folders
With --userdir, --savedir, --configdir, and --optionfile flags pointing wherever you like. Launcher apps use these to juggle versions and tilesets. The flags beat reinstalling just to separate stable and experimental builds.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.