Ostranauts save location and editing
Where saves live on Windows and Linux, how to back them up, and the safe way to edit a run without breaking it.
The game opens the folder for you.
The fastest route works on every platform.
Open Options, or Escape then Game Options, and use the button that opens the save folder. The Continue/Load screen has the same shortcut, which is the reliable cross-platform answer. The saves themselves live outside the game install:
- Windows:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\LocalLow\Blue Bottle Games\Ostranauts - Linux (Steam):
~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/1022980/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Blue Bottle Games/Ostranauts - macOS: not confirmed in public sources yet; use the in-game Open Save Folder button.
Inside that folder, saves are numbered folders. Copy the whole Ostranauts folder before touching anything.
The only reversible step.
An edit you cannot undo is a lost career.
- Close the game completely.
- Copy the whole
Ostranautssave folder to another drive or folder. - Label the copy with the date and in-game day, e.g.
backup-2026-08-11-shift4. - Make one change, load the save, and confirm the game starts cleanly.
- Keep the backup until you have played past the point of the edit.
Money, stats, ship state, inventory.
Most save editing falls into a few buckets.
Money and conditions, character stats, ship state, and inventory are the common targets. The console is the safer route for money and simple values: addcond and spawn cover most requests without touching files. Save editing matters when you want persistent changes the console cannot make cleanly, and it is the most fragile route: one schema mismatch can corrupt a career.
Menu saves, no confirmed quick save.
Save before risky work.
The game saves from the menu into numbered slots, and the Continue/Load screen opens the folder directly on any platform. A dedicated quick-save hotkey is not documented in current sources, even though players search for one. Save from the menu before boarding a derelict or rebuilding life support.
Common questions
Where are Ostranauts saves stored?
Windows: C:\Users\
Do I need to back up before editing a save?
Yes. Copy the whole Ostranauts save folder before any edit. Save files are not reversible in-game, and one bad edit can corrupt a career.
Is there a quick save hotkey in Ostranauts?
No quick save key is confirmed in current sources. Saving is menu-based into numbered slots; save from the menu before risky work.
Can I edit money into my save?
Usually, but the console command is simpler and safer: open F3 and run addcond <Name> StatUSD <amount>. Save editing is for persistent changes the console cannot make cleanly.
Can I change where the game saves?
Not confirmed in public sources. The in-game Open Save Folder button and the fixed LocalLow path are the documented options; there is no supported save-location setting.