BG3 Save File Location: Your Saves Are One Crash Away from Gone — Find Them, Back Them Up, Recover After Corruption

BG3 packs 80+ hours of decisions, builds, and party choices into save files sitting inside a folder most players never open. AppData is hidden by default on Windows, Steam Cloud has a storage quota it won’t warn you about when exceeded, and GOG users get no cloud sync at all. One forced close during an autosave, and that run is gone.

This guide gives you the exact file path for every platform, explains where Steam Cloud actually breaks down, and walks through the three recovery methods that clear most corruption without touching your saves. If you’re newer to the game, our BG3 Beginner’s Guide covers the class and companion choices worth protecting in the first place.

Quick Start: Locate and Back Up Saves in 5 Steps

1. Press Win+R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3\PlayerProfiles\Public\Savegames\Story\, hit Enter
2. Confirm your .lsv save files are present — each sits in its own named folder
3. Check Steam Cloud status: Steam Library → right-click BG3 → Properties → Cloud
4. Copy the entire Story folder to a USB drive, OneDrive, or Google Drive
5. Set a reminder to repeat step 4 after every major act or story chapter

BG3 Save File Paths by Platform

Verified against BG3 Hotfix 33, April 2025. Paths unchanged since Patch 7.

Windows PC: How to Find BG3 Save Files

The save folder lives inside AppData, a directory Windows hides from File Explorer by default. Two ways to reach it:

Run dialog (fastest): Press Win+R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3\PlayerProfiles\Public\Savegames\Story\, hit Enter. This bypasses the hidden folder restriction entirely.

File Explorer: Click the address bar, type %LOCALAPPDATA%, navigate to Larian Studios > Baldur's Gate 3 > PlayerProfiles > Public > Savegames > Story. If AppData is invisible, enable hidden items first: View → Show → Hidden items.

Save files use the .lsv extension — a compressed package containing your complete game state. Each sits in a folder named [CharacterName]-[SaveID]__[Location]. After 80 hours of play, the Story folder typically reaches 3–8 GB depending on how many manual saves you’ve accumulated.

Steam vs GOG — same path, different rules: Both versions write saves to the identical AppData location. The only difference is cloud sync behaviour, covered in the Steam Cloud section below.

Once you’ve protected your saves, our BG3 best settings guide covers every graphics and performance option to get the most out of your PC hardware.

Mac Save File Location

On Mac, saves land in your Documents folder rather than any hidden library path:

$HOME/Documents/Larian Studios/Baldur's Gate 3/PlayerProfiles/Public/Savegames/Story/

Open Finder → Go → Go to Folder (Shift+Cmd+G), paste the path, press Go. BG3 has no cloud sync integration on Mac. Time Machine covers you passively if configured, but a manual copy to iCloud Drive or an external disk after major acts is the reliable method.

Steam Deck: Save Location and Cloud Sync

BG3 on Steam Deck runs through Proton, a compatibility layer that maps Windows paths into a Linux directory structure. You rarely need to navigate the full path directly — Steam Cloud handles sync between PC and Deck automatically. The same quota limitations apply as on Windows.

For full performance settings on Steam Deck, see our BG3 Steam Deck settings guide.

Steam Cloud Sync: What Works and Where It Fails

Steam Cloud is enabled by default for BG3 and syncs saves across all your Steam devices. Three failure modes make it unreliable as your only backup:

Storage quota exhaustion (most common): Each .lsv save file is 50 MB or larger. BG3 generates autosaves, quicksaves, and lets you keep unlimited manual saves. Steam Cloud has a fixed per-game quota — once exceeded, new saves stop syncing silently. No in-game warning appears. Check your quota: Steam Library → right-click BG3 → Properties → Cloud. Delete old saves from the Load Game screen to free space.

Related: save file location.

Infinite sync loop: Some players get stuck in a persistent “Syncing Cloud Save” state that prevents saving or loading. To break it: quit BG3 → Steam Library → right-click BG3 → Manage → Cloud saves → force resync. If that fails, temporarily disable Cloud for BG3 in Properties, relaunch, save locally, then re-enable.

Cross-device conflict: Opening BG3 on a second device before the first device finishes syncing causes Steam to flag a version conflict. It may silently select the older file. Always wait for the Steam client to confirm cloud sync is complete before launching on another device.

GOG Galaxy: No Cloud Sync

GOG does not offer cloud save support for BG3 as of 2025. Every save is local-only — no automatic sync, no cross-device play without manual file transfer. If your drive fails, your saves fail with it.

You might also find save file location helpful here.

GOG users: manual backup after every session is the only safety net. Copy the Story folder to Google Drive, Dropbox, or an external drive. There is no workaround that gives you automatic sync — this is a platform limitation, not a bug, and Larian has not resolved it with GOG.

How to Back Up BG3 Save Files

The platform decision tree:

• Steam (Windows or Steam Deck): Enable Steam Cloud (Properties → General → Steam Cloud checkbox) AND maintain a manual backup. Cloud alone fails when the quota fills silently.
• GOG (Windows): Win+R → paste path → copy or compress the Story folder → paste to external drive or cloud storage folder. Run this after every major session.
• Mac: Finder → Go to Folder → paste path → copy Story folder to iCloud Drive or external disk.

The manual process takes under 2 minutes and covers every failure mode Steam Cloud doesn’t handle.

Recovery: How to Fix Corrupted BG3 Saves

If a save fails to load or throws an error, try these methods in order:

1. Clear LevelCache (fixes most corruption cases): Press Win+R, type %LocalAppData%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3\LevelCache, hit Enter. Delete all subfolders inside — not the LevelCache folder itself. Relaunch BG3; the game rebuilds the cache automatically. Attempt to load the problem save. This resolves the majority of loading errors without touching save data.

2. Check for a Debug Profile: Navigate to %LocalAppData%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3\PlayerProfiles\. If a folder named Debug_Client_Profile_1 exists, BG3 moved your saves there during a crash. Copy its contents into the Public folder, delete Debug_Client_Profile_1, and restart the game.

3. Restore from manual backup: Copy your backup Story folder back to %LocalAppData%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3\PlayerProfiles\Public\Savegames\Story\. Overwrite when prompted. This is the strongest argument for keeping a manual backup alongside Steam Cloud.

4. Verify file integrity (Steam only): Steam Library → right-click BG3 → Manage → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. Repairs damaged game files, but won’t recover save data — run it if the game itself throws errors on launch rather than on a specific save.

If saves were deleted rather than corrupted, recovery software such as Recuva (free, Windows) can sometimes restore .lsv files if drive sectors haven’t been overwritten since deletion.

Moving Saves from PC to Steam Deck

Via Steam Cloud (recommended when it works):

1. Exit BG3 on PC — wait for the Steam client to confirm cloud sync complete
2. On Steam Deck, open the Steam app and let it sync before launching BG3
3. Launch BG3 → Load Game — saves appear automatically

Via manual transfer (when Cloud fails):

1. Back up the Story folder from your Windows PC
2. Connect Steam Deck via USB-C cable or local network file transfer
3. On Steam Deck, disable Steam Cloud for BG3 in Properties before copying
4. Copy saves to: /home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/1086940/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Larian Studios/Baldur's Gate 3/PlayerProfiles/Public/Savegames/Story/
5. Re-enable Steam Cloud after copying

Backup Cadence by Player Type

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the BG3 save file location on Windows?

Press Win+R and paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3\PlayerProfiles\Public\Savegames\Story\. This works for both Steam and GOG versions. If the folder doesn’t open, enable hidden items in File Explorer (View → Show → Hidden items) first, then try again.

Does BG3 support Steam Cloud saves?

Yes, but with a storage quota that BG3 fills faster than most games. Each save file is 50 MB or more, and the game creates autosaves continuously. When the quota fills, new saves stop syncing without any warning. Use Steam Cloud as a convenience layer, not a sole backup — keep a manual copy off your main drive.

Does GOG Galaxy support cloud saves for BG3?

No. As of 2025, GOG has no cloud save integration for BG3. All saves are stored locally only. This is a platform limitation, not a bug — backup is entirely manual for GOG players.

Can I transfer BG3 saves from PC to Steam Deck?

Yes, two methods. Steam Cloud syncs automatically when enabled and within quota. For manual transfer, copy the Story folder from Windows AppData to the Proton compatibility path on Steam Deck — the full path is in the reference table above. Disable Steam Cloud on the Deck before copying to prevent conflicts.

My BG3 save won’t load — what’s the fastest fix?

Clear the LevelCache folder first: Win+R → %LocalAppData%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3\LevelCache → delete all subfolders → relaunch BG3. This resolves the majority of loading errors without risking your save files. If it doesn’t work, check for a Debug_Client_Profile_1 folder as described in the recovery section above.

Sources

• Try Hard Guides — BG3 Save Location (Windows, Mac, Steam, GOG)
• Gear Probe — BG3 Steam Cloud Not Syncing: Solutions
• Prima Games — How to Fix Can’t Save Issue in BG3

Michael R.

I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.