Renpy Game Save Location May 2026

Linux follows the XDG Base Directory specification.

Due to iOS’s strict sandboxing, you cannot browse the file system natively. Ren’Py games on iOS store saves inside the app’s container. To back them up, you usually need to:

On Windows, Ren'Py stores data in the AppData folder, which is hidden by default.

Add an info screen accessible from the preferences or about menu. renpy game save location

On macOS, Ren’Py saves are stored inside the user’s Library folder, which is hidden by default on recent macOS versions.

Path:

~/Library/RenPy/[GameName]/saves/

How to access:

Alternatively, you can use Terminal:

open ~/Library/RenPy

Some builds use saves/ directly inside the game’s installation folder (portable mode). If you see both, the game uses the one that was written to most recently. Check file modification dates.

Beyond just progress, Ren’Py saves contain decisions, relationship points, flags, and unlockables. Losing them can mean replaying tens of hours just to see a new ending. By knowing the renpy game save location for your OS, you can: Linux follows the XDG Base Directory specification

On Windows, Ren’Py follows the %APPDATA% environment variable (usually C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming). You can access it instantly by typing %APPDATA% into File Explorer’s address bar.

Typical path:

%APPDATA%\RenPy\[GameName]\saves\

Example:
If the game’s internal name is MyGreatVisualNovel, the saves are here: Due to iOS’s strict sandboxing, you cannot browse

C:\Users\Alex\AppData\Roaming\RenPy\MyGreatVisualNovel\saves\

Note: AppData is hidden by default. To see it, enable “Hidden items” in File Explorer’s View tab, or press Win + R, type %APPDATA%, and hit Enter.

Steam version nuance: Many Ren’Py games on Steam still use the same AppData\Roaming\RenPy folder. However, some Steam games redirect saves to Steam\steamapps\compatdata\[appid]\pfx\... if they use Proton. For native Windows Steam games, stick to %APPDATA%\RenPy.