Where to Access Factorio Save Files on Every Platform

Factorio is one of those games where a single save file can represent dozens — sometimes hundreds — of hours of factory-building work. Knowing exactly where those files live on your system matters for backups, transfers between machines, and troubleshooting corrupted saves. The answer isn't the same for every player, because it depends on your operating system, how you installed the game, and whether you're using Steam's cloud sync.

What Factorio Save Files Actually Are

Factorio save files use the .zip extension, even though they're not manually compressed archives you created. Each one is a complete snapshot of your game world — map data, research progress, entity placements, and settings all bundled together. They're relatively small compared to most modern games, which makes them easy to move and back up manually.

Alongside save files, Factorio also stores scenario saves, autosaves, and campaign saves — all in the same general location but sometimes in distinct subfolders.

Default Save File Locations by Operating System

The location of your saves depends primarily on your OS. Here's where Factorio stores them by default:

Windows

On Windows, the quickest way to reach the save folder is to press Win + R, type %appdata%Factoriosaves, and hit Enter. This drops you directly into the saves directory without needing to navigate through hidden folders manually. Note that %appdata% resolves to C:UsersYourUsernameAppDataRoaming — a folder that's hidden by default in File Explorer.

macOS

On a Mac, the ~/Library folder is also hidden by default. The easiest way to reach it is through Finder: hold Option and click the Go menu, which reveals the Library option. From there, navigate to Application Support > factorio > saves.

Linux

Linux stores saves in a hidden dot-folder in your home directory. Open a file manager with hidden files visible, or navigate directly via terminal using cd ~/.factorio/saves. The exact behavior can vary slightly depending on your distribution and desktop environment.

Steam vs. Standalone Installation 💾

How you installed Factorio changes one important thing: where the game executable lives, but not necessarily where saves are stored.

• Steam installation: Saves still go to the OS-default paths listed above. Steam does not redirect save files into the Steam folder itself.
• Standalone/DRM-free installation: Same OS-default paths apply. Factorio uses a consistent save location regardless of where the game binary is installed.

This is actually useful — it means reinstalling or verifying game files through Steam won't affect your saves, since they live separately from the game installation directory.

Steam Cloud Sync

If you have Steam Cloud enabled, Factorio syncs your saves to Valve's servers automatically. This means your saves are accessible from another machine after a Steam sign-in and sync. However, cloud and local saves can sometimes conflict, particularly if you play on multiple machines or move files manually. When conflicts occur, Steam will ask which version to keep — local or cloud. Choosing incorrectly can overwrite progress, so it's worth understanding this before moving files around.

Autosaves and Scenario Saves

Factorio generates autosaves at intervals you can configure in the game settings. These appear in the same saves folder, named with an _autosave prefix followed by a number (e.g., _autosave1.zip). Factorio cycles through a set number of autosave slots, overwriting the oldest one each time.

Scenario saves live in a scenarios subfolder within the main Factorio data directory, while campaign saves are typically stored alongside regular saves but may appear in their own subfolder depending on game version.

Accessing Saves Directly from Within Factorio

You don't always need to navigate the filesystem manually. From the Factorio main menu, clicking Load Game shows all your available saves with timestamps. You can also right-click individual saves within that menu in some versions to access file management options.

For players who want to open the save folder quickly without leaving the game environment, the in-game interface is a reliable shortcut — though it doesn't expose the full file path.

Factors That Affect Where Your Saves End Up 🗂️

Not every setup behaves identically. A few variables that can shift things:

• Custom data directory: Factorio supports a --config launch argument and allows specifying a custom user data directory. Some players set this up deliberately; others encounter it after following a non-standard installation guide. If your saves aren't where you expect them, a custom data path is often the culprit.
• Portable mode: If a config folder exists inside the Factorio installation directory itself, the game runs in portable mode and stores saves locally within that installation folder rather than in the default OS path.
• Multiple Factorio versions: Players running experimental and stable versions side by side may have separate save directories depending on how each version was configured.
• Linux Flatpak/Snap installations: Containerized Linux installs often sandbox the application, placing saves in a different location such as ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/ rather than the standard ~/.factorio/saves.

Backing Up Saves Manually

Because saves are standard .zip files in a known location, manual backups are straightforward — copy the files to an external drive, a cloud storage folder, or another directory. Many experienced Factorio players keep a rolling backup of their factory milestones precisely because a corrupted save or an accidental overwrite can be difficult to recover from otherwise.

Your specific situation — whether you're on Windows with a default install, running Linux via Flatpak, or playing across multiple machines with Steam Cloud — determines which path is actually relevant to you and whether additional steps are needed to find or protect your files.