Windrose is an exploration and adventure game where you navigate vast open waters, discover new lands, and build your legacy on the high seas. Playing co-op means sharing the voyage with friends - charting courses together, managing resources, and claiming new territories as a crew.

The problem is a familiar one: the world save is tied to the host player. When they are not online, the entire crew is stranded. Your ship, your discoveries, your outposts - everything waits for one person to open the game. For a game about freedom and exploration, that is an ironic constraint.

Where Is the Windrose Save File Located?

Windrose stores your world saves in your Windows user folder. The quickest way to open it is to paste this into File Explorer’s address bar (or the Win+R Run box):

%LOCALAPPDATA%\R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\

Inside, saves are organized by your Steam ID and world:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\<SteamID>\RocksDB\<version>\Worlds\

A few things to know:

  • The save is a RocksDB database - a set of binary files, not a single editable text file - so don’t try to hand-edit it.
  • Windrose keeps automatic backups in a sibling folder, SaveProfiles\<SteamID>_Backups\, timestamped each launch (up to 30 are retained).
  • On older or demo builds the save may instead sit inside the install directory, at ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Windrose\R5\Saved\. If the path above is empty, check there.

How Do You Save in Windrose?

Windrose has no manual “Save” button - the game saves automatically when you exit. Your items, quests, level, and ship position are written when you close the game, and a fresh backup is created each time you launch it. There is no fixed timed autosave to rely on mid-session, so quit through the menu rather than force-closing if you want your latest progress kept. Windrose also supports Steam Cloud, so your save syncs to Steam between your own devices automatically.

Saving for yourself is the easy part. The harder problem in co-op is sharing that save so a friend can host the voyage when you are offline - which is exactly what SaveSync handles.

How SaveSync Sets Your Crew Free

SaveSync synchronizes your Windrose save file to every player in the group. After each session, the latest save is distributed automatically. Any crew member can load the save and host the next voyage. No one is stuck at port waiting for the captain.

How to Set Up SaveSync for Windrose

  1. Install SaveSync from Steam. Every crew member needs a copy.
  2. Create a sync group and invite your fellow sailors.
  3. Locate the Windrose save folder (%LOCALAPPDATA%\R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\, as covered above) and configure it in SaveSync.
  4. Play your voyages as normal. Explore, build, and save your progress.
  5. SaveSync syncs the save automatically when the session ends.
  6. Any player can host the next voyage. Load the synced save and set sail.

One-time configuration, seamless syncing after that.

Why Use SaveSync Instead of Other Approaches

Exploration games like Windrose generate saves that represent hours of discovery. Protecting that progress is critical:

  • Discoveries cannot be un-discovered. If someone loads an old save, all the islands you charted, resources you stockpiled, and outposts you built in recent sessions vanish. SaveSync guarantees everyone has the most current version.
  • Manual sharing disrupts the experience. Coordinating file transfers through Discord before every session breaks the flow. You want to launch the game and start sailing, not troubleshoot file directories.
  • No built-in save transfer. Windrose does not provide a native way to move saves between players. SaveSync fills that gap with automatic, reliable synchronization.
  • Dedicated servers are unnecessary overhead. For a group of friends sailing together, running and paying for a dedicated server adds complexity and cost that SaveSync eliminates.

Chart Your Own Course

Windrose is about the freedom to explore. Your group should not be anchored to one player’s schedule. With SaveSync, the world is always accessible. Pick up the map, plot your course, and keep pushing into uncharted waters - regardless of who is online.

Whether you are trading at a distant port, building a new outpost, or navigating dangerous straits, SaveSync ensures your crew’s progress sails with everyone.