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Importing a local save

You started a game by hosting it from within the game and want to continue it on your YorkHost dedicated server? This is usually possible by copying the game folder to the server. The operation remains delicate: follow the steps in order and always keep a copy of your files.

Back up first

Make a copy of your local save and a backup of the server (Backups tab) before you start. If something goes wrong, you will be able to roll back.

Step 1: locate the save on your PC​

On the PC where the game was hosted, Sons of the Forest saves are located in:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Endnight\SonsOfTheForest\Saves\<SteamID64>\
  • Paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Endnight\SonsOfTheForest\Saves into the Windows Explorer address bar
  • The next folder is named after the SteamID64 of the account that hosted the game
  • It contains a Multiplayer folder (games hosted in multiplayer) and a SinglePlayer folder (solo games)
  • Each game is a folder with a numeric name: find the right one by its modification date
Multiplayer game preferred

Preferably import a game from the Multiplayer folder, i.e. a game you hosted from the multiplayer menu. A solo game (SinglePlayer) is not meant to be continued on a dedicated server: the result is not guaranteed.

Step 2: prepare the slot on the server​

The most reliable way is to let the server create the slot that will receive your game:

  1. Log in to your Game Panel: game.yorkhost.fr
  2. Stop the server
  3. In dedicatedserver.cfg, choose the slot to use with SaveSlot (for example 1) and check that SaveMode is Continue
  4. Start the server, wait for startup to finish, then stop it
  5. In the Files tab, open the Saves folder and find the numbered folder matching your SaveSlot (see Saves and new game)

Depending on the game version, the server slots are stored in a subfolder of Saves named for example DedicatedServer or Multiplayer. Rely on the folder tree created by your server rather than on a path copied from another tutorial.

Step 3: transfer the files​

  1. With the server stopped, delete the contents of the slot folder (keep the folder itself and its name)
  2. Upload the contents of your local game folder into it, preferably over SFTP (credentials under Settings → SFTP Details)
  3. Check that the files sit directly in the slot folder, not in an extra subfolder
  4. Start the server
Keep the server's folder name

Do not rename the slot folder to the number of your local game: what matters is the name the server expects (linked to SaveSlot). Only its contents are replaced.

Step 4: check in game​

Connect and check that you find your base and your progress. If the server starts an empty island:

  • check that SaveSlot matches the folder where you put the files;
  • check that SaveMode is Continue and not New;
  • check that the files are not in one subfolder too many.
Characters and inventories

Player data is tied to each player's Steam account. Depending on the game version, the former host's character may not be restored exactly (position or inventory). Store your important items in chests before exporting to limit the risk.

If you run into trouble​

If the game does not load, restore your backup from the Backups tab, then contact support 7/7 on Discord or through your client area, stating what you transferred and the last lines of the console.

See also​