Civilization VI Save File Location

Last verified: 2026-09-20

Quick answer: On PC, Civilization VI saves are in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves. Single-player games are in the Single subfolder (.Civ6Save files), with Multi, Hotseat and Cloud subfolders alongside it.

Windows (Steam / Epic): %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Sid Meier's Civilization VI/Saves
PlayStation (PS3/PS4/PS5): Settings › Saved Data and Game/App Settings › Saved Data
Xbox (360 / One / Series X|S): My games & apps › <Game> › Manage game › Saved data
Nintendo Switch: System Settings › Data Management › Save Data Cloud

Here's exactly where Civilization VI keeps your saves on PC, how to open the folder, and how to back them up before you reinstall or move to a new PC.

Save file locations

Windows (Steam / Epic)

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves

Full path: C:\Users\<YourName>\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves\Single\ . Files end in .Civ6Save; Multi, Hotseat and Cloud have their own subfolders.

macOS

~/Library/Application Support/Sid Meier's Civilization VI/Saves

The Aspyr Mac build keeps saves under Library/Application Support instead of Documents; same Single/Multi/Hotseat layout.

PlayStation (PS3/PS4/PS5)

Settings › Saved Data and Game/App Settings › Saved Data

Console saves are sealed and can't be copied as raw files. Back them up to PS Plus cloud or a USB drive from this menu.

Xbox (360 / One / Series X|S)

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.

Nintendo Switch

System Settings › Data Management › Save Data Cloud

Switch save data stays inside the system storage and can only be backed up via Save Data Cloud (Switch Online), not copied as loose files.

Cloud saves

Civilization VI can sync through Steam Cloud, and the Saves\Cloud subfolder holds cross-play cloud games. If a Steam Cloud conflict pops up after playing offline, keep the newer save so you don't lose turns.

How to open the save folder

Press Win + R to open the Run box.
Type %userprofile%\Documents\My Games and press Enter.
Open Sid Meier's Civilization VI, then Saves, then Single (or Multi/Hotseat).
Copy the .Civ6Save files somewhere safe before reinstalling or moving PCs.

Save problems & fixes

Civilization VI save won't load or is corrupted

Restore a backup .Civ6Save into the Saves\Single folder. Civ 6 also writes an autosave — check for AutoSave_*.Civ6Save in the same folder if your manual save is damaged.

Civ 6 saves are missing after reinstall

The install doesn't touch the Documents\My Games folder, so saves usually remain — confirm the same Windows user, and let Steam Cloud finish syncing before launching so it doesn't overwrite with an empty folder.

FAQ

Where is the Civilization VI save file on PC?

At C:\Users\<YourName>\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves. Single-player saves (.Civ6Save) are in the Single subfolder.

How do I back up Civ 6 saves?

Copy the .Civ6Save files from the Saves\Single (and Multi/Hotseat) folders somewhere safe. Restore by pasting them back into the same subfolder.

Does Civilization VI use cloud saves?

Yes, it can sync via Steam Cloud, and the Saves\Cloud subfolder stores cross-play cloud games. On a conflict keep the newer copy.

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.