Where to find the Stray save file location on your PC

A cat looks for the Stray save file location on a laptop

(Image credit: Future)

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How to back up your save

Finding the Stray save file location is especially important if you’re playing on PC. With modding becoming increasingly popular, backing up your save has never been more crucial. Thanks to our guide, you’ll be able to safeguard your adventures in everyone’s favorite cat simulator and make sure that you aren’t caught short by a mod–gone–wrong.

After you've learned how to install Stray mods, you should make sure you still take proper precautions when altering your game. Being an immersive, narrative–driven game with tons of collectibles, the last thing you need is for your hours of scavenging to be erased due to bad luck. Any mod website will tell you that you mod at your own risk, so why endanger your precious save file?

As the feel–good game of the summer, Stray has mesmerized cats as much as humans. The modding community has released a plethora of mods, ranging from letting you put your own cats into Stray to adding splitscreen multiplayer to Stray. There are a lot of great addons to choose from out there, which is why it’s all the more important that you keep your save file backed up, just in case. Here’s our handy guide to doing just that.

Stray save file location

Stray save file location: how to back up your save

First off, you'll need to find the file.

Go to 'C:/'
Click 'Users'
Then click on the folder with the same title as your Windows username
Open 'AppData'
Go to 'Local'
Then 'Hk_prokect'
Click on 'Saved'
Then, finally, click 'SaveGames'. You'll find your Stray save files within.

If you can't see the 'AppData' folder, don't worry. This just means that you need to tell Windows to display hidden files and folders. To do this, find the View menu in your file browser. Give it a click, find 'show' and then select 'hidden items'. Alternatively, you can tick a checkbox on the toolbar entitled 'Hidden Items'. We've marked the checkbox in green on the screenshot below.

Stray save file location View Invisible Files — (Image credit: Cat Bussell)

Once you've found your file, we recommend copying it, and creating a folder for your backup saves on your Desktop. We do this at TechRadar and it's a great way to make sure that you always have a clean save ready in case something gets corrupted.

Congratulations, you now know everything you need to know in order to protect your precious cat save from corruption or modding accidents. Time to get back out there and enjoy more of Stray's wistful cyberpunk adventure.

Want to get the most out of Stray? Here's our guide to getting every trophy.

Cat Bussell is a Staff Writer at TechRadar Gaming. Hailing from the crooked spires of London, Cat is an experienced writer and journalist. As seen on Wargamer.com, TheGamer.com, and Superjumpmagazine.com, Cat is here to bring you coverage from all corners of the video game world. An inveterate RPG maven and strategy game enjoyer, Cat is known for her love of rich narratives; both story-driven and emergent.

Before migrating to the green pastures of games journalism, Cat worked as a political advisor and academic. She has three degrees and has studied and worked at Cambridge University, University College London, and Queen Mary University of London. She's also been an art gallery curator, an ice cream maker, and a cocktail mixologist. This crash course in NPC lifestyles uniquely qualifies her to pick apart only the juiciest video games for your reading pleasure.

Cat cut her teeth on MMOs in the heyday of World of Warcraft before giving in to her love of JRPGs and becoming embedded in Final Fantasy XIV. When she's not doing that, you might find her running a tabletop RPG or two, perhaps even voluntarily.