Where does Scrap Mechanic store world saves?

On Windows, under %APPDATA%\Axolot Games\Scrap Mechanic\User\User_ \Save\. Survival worlds are .db files (with a matching .db-journal while the game is running). Blueprints live in a separate Blueprints folder under the same User folder.

Can I give my Scrap Mechanic world to a friend so they can host?

Yes. Copy the world's .db file into the same Save folder on their machine and it appears in their world list. The catch is doing it every session by hand - that's what SaveSync automates.

How many players can play Scrap Mechanic co-op?

There is no hard cap enforced on paper, but in practice groups report smooth play at 2-4 players. Beyond that, physics-heavy creations and network load tend to cause rubberbanding.

Do both players need SaveSync?

Yes. Every player who wants to receive the world and host a session needs SaveSync installed. It's a single one-time purchase that covers Scrap Mechanic plus 45+ other co-op games.

Scrap Mechanic Co-op Without a Server

Q: Does Scrap Mechanic have dedicated servers?

Not officially. Survival and Creative multiplayer run through a host player's game - friends join that session from the Steam friends list. Some third-party providers rent 'Scrap Mechanic servers', but these run a copy of the game rather than an official dedicated server binary from Axolot.

Scrap Mechanic co-op is at its best over a long Survival run - building drill rigs, hauling loot, and expanding a base together across dozens of sessions.

There’s one thing standing in the way of that: the world lives on the host’s machine. When the person who started the Survival world is offline, everyone else is locked out of a base they helped build.

This guide covers how Scrap Mechanic multiplayer actually works, whether you need a dedicated server, where your world file lives, and how to share it so anyone in the group can host.

Does Scrap Mechanic Have Dedicated Servers?

Not officially. Scrap Mechanic multiplayer is host-based: one player opens a Survival or Creative world, and friends join that session through the Steam friends list or an invite. There is no first-party dedicated server tool from Axolot Games.

You’ll find third-party companies renting “Scrap Mechanic server hosting” - those run an always-on machine playing host for you. It works, but it means a monthly bill for what is essentially a PC left switched on.

Player counts are the other thing worth knowing. There’s no hard advertised cap, but groups consistently report that 2-4 players is the sweet spot; past that, physics-heavy vehicles and creations start causing rubberbanding and desync.

So for a normal group of friends, the practical question isn’t “which server do we rent” - it’s “how does the world get to whoever’s online tonight?”

Where Is the Scrap Mechanic Save File Located?

On Windows, paste this into File Explorer’s address bar:

%APPDATA%\Axolot Games\Scrap Mechanic\User

Inside you’ll find a folder named User_ followed by your 64-bit Steam ID. Open it and you’ll see:

Save\ - your worlds. Survival worlds are stored as .db files (SQLite databases), typically under a Survival subfolder, with Creative worlds alongside them. While the game is open you may also see a matching .db-journal file.
Blueprints\ - your saved vehicles and creations, stored separately from worlds.

Two things that trip people up when moving a world by hand:

Close the game first. Copying a .db while Scrap Mechanic is writing to it is how worlds get corrupted.
Blueprints don’t travel with the world. If your friend hosts your save, your garage of saved builds is still in your Blueprints folder unless you copy that too.

How Do You Save in Scrap Mechanic?

Survival autosaves as you play - there’s no manual save button to hunt for. The safe habit is to leave through the menu rather than alt-F4ing, so the world is written out cleanly before the process closes.

That makes saving the easy part. Getting the freshly-saved world onto the machine of whoever hosts next is the part that eats your evening.

How SaveSync Keeps the Workshop Open

SaveSync syncs your Scrap Mechanic world across every player in the group. When a session ends, the latest .db is distributed automatically. Anyone can then load it and host the next session - no dedicated server, no rented box, no waiting on one person to wake up.

The world stops being “Dave’s world” and becomes the group’s world.

How to Set Up SaveSync for Scrap Mechanic

Install SaveSync from Steam. Every player in the group needs it.
Open SaveSync and pick Scrap Mechanic from the game list.
Click + New Save and select the Survival world you want to share.
Share it - search each friend’s Steam username and hit share.
Friends click Activate on the shared save in their own SaveSync.
Play normally. When the session ends, SaveSync syncs the world automatically.
Anyone hosts next time. Load the synced world and the base is exactly where you left it.

One-time setup. Automatic from then on.

Why Use SaveSync Instead of a Rented Server

No monthly bill. A third-party Scrap Mechanic host needs a machine online 24/7. SaveSync is a one-time purchase with nothing to keep running.
Survival worlds are single files that must not be half-copied. Dragging a live .db through Discord or a cloud drive is how groups lose a base. SaveSync moves the world cleanly, after the game has closed.
Save history. Every sync is a snapshot. If a session goes badly - a build gets wrecked, a world glitches after a patch - roll back to the previous version instead of starting over.
Everyone stays current. Nobody accidentally hosts a three-week-old copy and wipes out a weekend of drilling.
Right-sized for friends. Servers are built for big persistent populations. Scrap Mechanic co-op is at its best with a handful of mechanics, and sharing the save fits that shape exactly.

Build Together, Host Whoever’s Online

A Survival run is worth dozens of sessions. Don’t let it stall because one person’s schedule owns the world file.

SaveSync on Steam - one-time purchase, covers Scrap Mechanic and 45+ other co-op games on the same install.