Where Are Caves of Qud Save Files Located?
Caves of Qud splits saves, synced saves and options across Unity folders that differ per store. All paths plus keymap rule.
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Caves of Qud scatters its state across Unity's platform folders with store-specific twists. Windows uses LocalLow\Freehold Games\CavesOfQud; macOS uses the com.FreeholdGames application-support folder; Linux uses .config/unity3d. Inside, Saves and Synced\Saves separate traditional and Steam Cloud saves, while PlayerOptions.json and username-named keymaps hold settings.
The keymap filename carries your OS username, so transferred mappings fail silently until renamed. Each save is a long-ID folder, so back up whole trees rather than cherry-picking. A -savepath launch flag overrides everything for portable setups. Oversized saves break Steam Cloud, which is why manual zip transfers between Deck and desktop are standard practice.
Where Caves of Qud stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Freehold Games\CavesOfQud\Synced\Saves
Steam builds save under Synced\Saves; GOG and standalone under plain Saves. PlayerOptions.json holds options; the keymap file is named for your OS username and must be renamed after transfers. Mods live in a Mods folder inside the save directory. Override everything with -savepath.
~/Library/Application Support/com.FreeholdGames.CavesOfQud/Synced/Saves
Same Synced versus Saves split under the application-support folder. Keymap and options filenames follow the same rules as Windows. Move folders across freely; only the keymap needs renaming to the Mac username.
~/.config/unity3d/Freehold Games/CavesOfQud/Synced/Saves
Unity's odd XDG-defying path, confirmed across distros, with the same Synced split and keymap rules. XDG_CONFIG_HOME values can shift the root, so check the variable if .config looks empty. Deck-to-desktop transfers are plain zip copies of the Saves tree.
Frequently asked questions
how do i move caves of qud saves to a new pc
Copy the Saves or Synced\Saves folder plus PlayerOptions.json and your named keymap file to the new machine. Each save is a long-ID folder; grab the whole Saves tree rather than guessing IDs. Rename the keymap XML or JSON to your new username or mappings silently fail to load.
can i change where qud stores saves
Launch with -savepath pointing at your chosen folder. Qud honors the override, which helps portable installs and shared machines. Relative paths resolve against the working directory, so prefer absolute paths. Mods in the save directory follow along automatically.
why do i have saves and synced saves folders
Steam builds sync through the Synced tree while GOG and standalone builds use plain Saves; mixing them strands progress in the folder your build never reads. Pick the tree matching your store. Steam Cloud covers the Synced side only, and oversized saves exceed it, which is why Deck-to-desktop zip transfers are folk practice.
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