Sons of the Forest is a survival-horror game about building, crafting, and staying alive on a cannibal-infested island with friends. Co-op is where it comes alive - clearing caves, fortifying a base, and surviving the nights together. But the world you build is tied to the host, so when they log off, everyone else is stranded on the beach.

This guide covers how Sons of the Forest co-op works, whether you need a dedicated server, where your save lives, and how to share it so anyone can host.

Does Sons of the Forest Need a Dedicated Server?

You have two ways to play together:

  • Host-based (P2P) co-op - the default. One player hosts a world for up to 8 players, and everyone drops into the host’s island. The catch: the world lives on the host’s machine, and the session only exists while they’re online. When the host logs off, the group is done for the night.
  • Dedicated servers - Sons of the Forest does support an official dedicated server (run via SteamCMD), which stays online 24/7 and also holds up to 8 players. It keeps the world always available, but it means running a machine around the clock or paying a host - a lot of overhead for a handful of friends.

There’s a simpler path that gets you the always-available world without the server: share the save itself, so whoever’s around can host locally. That’s what this guide focuses on.

Where Is the Sons of the Forest Save File Located?

On the Steam version, Sons of the Forest stores saves in your Windows user folder. Paste this into File Explorer’s address bar:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Endnight\SonsOfTheForest\Saves

Inside Saves you’ll find a folder named for your Steam ID, and under that, separate SinglePlayer and Multiplayer folders. Each individual save is its own numbered folder (for example 0123456789) containing several .json files - things like SaveData.json, GameSetup.json, and PlayerInventorySaveData.json. To move a co-op world between machines, copy the entire numbered folder from Multiplayer, not just one file.

On the Xbox / Microsoft Store build? That version stores saves under a Packages path with obfuscated folder names rather than the LocalLow path above. If the folder above is empty, you’re likely on the Store version.

How Do You Save in Sons of the Forest?

Sons of the Forest autosaves as you play, and you can also save manually by building and using a tent or shelter, which brings up a save prompt. Because your progress is written automatically, quit through the menu rather than force-closing to make sure your latest session is kept. Save details can change between updates, so if you’re unsure, save manually at a tent before you log off.

Saving for yourself is the easy part. The hard part in co-op is getting that whole save folder to whoever wants to host next - which is exactly what SaveSync handles.

How SaveSync Keeps the Island Going

SaveSync synchronizes your Sons of the Forest save - the full save folder - across every player in the group. When a session ends, the latest world is distributed to everyone automatically. The next time anyone wants to play, they load the current save and host - no waiting on one person, and no dedicated server.

How to Set Up SaveSync for Sons of the Forest

  1. Install SaveSync from Steam. Every player needs a copy.
  2. Create a sync group and invite your crew.
  3. Locate the save folder (%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Endnight\SonsOfTheForest\Saves, as covered above) and point SaveSync at your co-op world so the whole save folder syncs.
  4. Play normally. Build, explore, survive the nights.
  5. SaveSync syncs the save automatically when the session ends.
  6. Anyone can host next time. Load the synced world and keep going.

One-time setup, automatic syncing after that.

Why Use SaveSync Instead of a Dedicated Server

  • No 24/7 machine or hosting bill. A dedicated Sons of the Forest server needs a box running around the clock. SaveSync is a one-time purchase with nothing to keep online.
  • Everyone stays on the latest world. Load an old save and the base upgrades, cleared caves, and loot from recent sessions vanish. SaveSync guarantees the whole group is on the current save.
  • The whole save folder moves as a set. A Sons of the Forest world is a folder of files, and hand-copying is easy to get wrong. SaveSync moves it all together so nobody ends up with a half-copied world.
  • Right-sized for friends. Dedicated servers make sense for large persistent communities. For a group surviving together, sharing the save is simpler, cheaper, and just works.

Survive Together, Whoever’s Online

Sons of the Forest is brutal enough without your world being locked behind one player’s schedule. With SaveSync, the island is always reachable - load it, host it, and keep surviving.