Where Are Project Zomboid Save Files Located?
Project Zomboid Zomboid folder and Saves tree on Windows, macOS and Linux, and why quitting is not the same as a backup.
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Project Zomboid keeps worlds outside the Steam install in a folder bluntly called Zomboid in your home directory. Solo and hosted worlds sit under Zomboid/Saves split by mode folders like Sandbox and Survival. Each world folder holds map files plus player data.
The trap is that quitting only updates the live folder. There is no dated rollback copy. For a real backup, quit fully and copy the world folder outside Zomboid with a timestamp in the name. Never copy while the game runs or you capture a half written world.
Where Project Zomboid stores this, by platform
%userprofile%\Zomboid\Saves
Paste into Explorer or Run. Older builds kept saves directly in %userprofile%\Zomboid without the Saves level, so check the parent if this is empty. Server configs sit in Zomboid/Server.
~/Zomboid/Saves
Under home, not inside ~/Library. Use Go > Go to Folder in Finder. If Saves is empty, search the drive for a Zomboid folder containing console.txt to find a custom root.
~/Zomboid/Saves
Same home folder root on native installs. Some guides cite ~/.local/share/Zomboid for newer branches, so check there second. Dedicated server files live apart from solo saves.
Frequently asked questions
Does quitting Project Zomboid back up my world?
No. Quitting and sleeping overwrite the same live world folder. Make a real backup by quitting fully, copying the world folder outside Zomboid, and naming it with a date you will recognize later.
How do I restore a Project Zomboid backup?
Quit the game, rename the broken live folder aside instead of deleting it, then copy your backup into Zomboid/Saves under the matching mode folder. Load it once before removing the safety copy.
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