The Stop Killing Games initiative hit a setback in the European Parliament this month, but the wider point keeps standing: publishers retire servers, delist titles, and brick games that players paid for. The Eurogamer write-up of the EU Commission’s response reads like the start of a long fight, not the end of one. While the legal argument plays out, the practical defence for any individual player is the same: keep your own saves. A 12-year campaign run is worth more than a publisher’s retention plan.
We tested 7 of the best apps for game save backup on desktop in 2026. The benchmark was specific: install on a regular PC, point it at a small library, and recover a single save after the host machine got wiped. The 7 below all passed.
What to look for in a game save backup app
Five criteria separate the tools you trust with a 100-hour Stellaris save from the ones that look pretty in screenshots:
- It knows where the saves live. Most games hide saves in
%APPDATA%,%LOCALAPPDATA%,Documents\My Games, or Steam’suserdatafolder, with each path slightly different. A good backup tool maintains a database of known save locations and picks them up automatically. - It versions the backups. A single restore point is fragile. The right tool keeps multiple snapshots so a corrupted save can be rolled back, not just restored once.
- It restores to a different machine. Backups that only restore to the same Windows install they were taken from are a fragile defence against the failure modes Stop Killing Games is actually fighting.
- It runs without me thinking about it. Manual backups don’t survive a busy month. Scheduled snapshots survive everything but a disk dying.
- It doesn’t lock you to one vendor. A backup format you can read in five years matters more than convenience now.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ludusavi | Cross-game open-source backup | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, fully | Free |
| GameSave Manager | Windows-only classic | Windows | Yes, fully | Free |
| Syncthing | Continuous folder sync | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, fully | Free |
| Backblaze | Whole-PC cloud backup | Windows, macOS | 15-day trial | $9/month |
| GOG Galaxy | Cloud saves for GOG games | Windows, macOS | Yes, fully | Free |
| Steam Cloud | Cloud saves for Steam games | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, fully | Free |
| Restic | Encrypted scheduled backup | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, fully | Free |
The 7 best apps for game save backup on desktop
1. Ludusavi, best cross-game open-source backup
Ludusavi is the open-source backup tool that built a database of save locations for over 17,000 PC games and grew it through community contributions. Point Ludusavi at a target folder (local, network share, or a cloud-synced directory) and it scans your installed games, backs up every save it finds, and lets you restore on any machine where Ludusavi runs. Cross-platform GUI and CLI; the configuration file is plain TOML you can keep in version control. Ludusavi for game save backup in 2026 is the default open-source pick.
Where it falls short: Setup involves picking a backup directory, deciding on a retention policy, and reviewing which games get included. The CLI is power-user friendly; the GUI is functional but not flashy.
Pricing:
- Free: All features, MIT licence
- Paid: None
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Bottom line: The cross-platform default. Combine with a cloud-synced folder and you have offsite backup for almost every Steam, Epic, GOG, Microsoft Store, EA, and Ubisoft game.
2. GameSave Manager, best Windows-only classic
GameSave Manager is the long-running Windows backup application that predates Ludusavi by more than a decade. It maintains its own database of save locations, backs up to a single archive, and supports scheduled runs. The 4.x release in 2024 added compatibility for newer Steam library structures and Microsoft Store games. GameSave Manager for game save backup in 2026 is the right pick when you want a familiar Windows-only tool with a deeper save database for older titles.
Where it falls short: Windows only. Development pace has slowed compared to Ludusavi’s community velocity; some recent games take longer to land in the database.
Pricing:
- Free: All features
- Paid: None
- Platforms: Windows
Bottom line: Pick this when you only run Windows and want the tool that’s been in this space since the Steam library was small.
3. Syncthing, best continuous folder sync
Syncthing is the open-source file-sync daemon you point at one or more save folders and a backup destination (a NAS, a second PC, or another household device). Every change to a save file replicates in seconds. Syncthing for game save backup in 2026 is the right pick when you also use multiple PCs (gaming PC, Steam Deck, work laptop) and want them to stay in sync rather than backed up in batches.
Where it falls short: Not a game-aware tool. You’ll have to find the save folders for each game yourself (use Ludusavi’s database as a reference). Conflicts happen when two PCs write to the same save at once.
Pricing:
- Free: All features, MPL-2
- Paid: Donations welcomed
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (plus Android, NAS hardware)
Bottom line: Pick this when “sync to my second PC” is closer to what you want than “snapshot to an archive”.
4. Backblaze, best whole-PC cloud backup
Backblaze doesn’t know what a save file is, and that is the point. It backs up your entire PC to Backblaze’s cloud for $9/month, with unlimited storage. Save files come along automatically because they are files. The 30-day version history is enough to recover from “I overwrote my save with a bad late-game decision”. Backblaze for game save backup in 2026 is the right pick when game saves are one of many things you want offsite.
Where it falls short: Restore is per-file and slow over the internet. Extended Version History (1-year, forever) costs extra. Linux isn’t a supported client; you can run it on Windows and macOS but not on a Linux box.
Pricing:
- Free: 15-day trial
- Paid: $9/month, $99/year for one PC, B2 cloud storage at $6/TB/month for power users
- Platforms: Windows, macOS
Bottom line: Pick this when one cloud backup for everything is the right call and game saves are along for the ride.
5. GOG Galaxy, best for the GOG library
GOG Galaxy added cloud saves in 2018 and quietly expanded the supported game list ever since. For any GOG title that supports it, your saves sync to GOG’s cloud automatically. The 2024 redesign cleaned up the integrations with Steam, Epic, EA, Ubisoft, GOG, Battle.net, and a few smaller stores into a single library. GOG Galaxy vs the others in 2026: not a general backup tool, but it covers the GOG library natively and is the right answer for the DRM-free contingent.
Where it falls short: Only works for GOG games that opt into cloud saves. Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store titles use their own cloud systems instead.
Pricing:
- Free: All features
- Paid: None (the games are the spend)
- Platforms: Windows, macOS
Bottom line: Pick this in addition to a general tool, specifically to cover GOG titles.
6. Steam Cloud, best built-in option
Steam Cloud is the cloud-save system Valve has run since 2008. It is enabled per game; about 90% of Steam titles use it. The Steam Deck and Steam Link integration mean cloud saves move automatically between PC and Deck. Steam Cloud for game save backup in 2026 is the obvious “no extra software” answer for Steam libraries. It is not a substitute for a real backup, Valve’s terms reserve the right to wipe accounts for various reasons, but as a daily-use convenience it does the job.
Where it falls short: Steam-only. Doesn’t cover GOG, Epic, Microsoft Store, or non-Steam launchers. The conflict-resolution UI is sparse, manual reconciliation when two PCs save at once.
Pricing:
- Free: Included with Steam
- Paid: None
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (plus Steam Deck)
Bottom line: Pick this as the default Steam-side cloud save. Pair with Ludusavi or Restic for the games it misses.
7. Restic, best encrypted scheduled backup
Restic is the open-source backup CLI that snapshots a directory to a local, network, S3, B2, or Rclone-fronted target and encrypts the entire repository at rest. Combine Restic with Ludusavi’s backup directory and a scheduled task (Task Scheduler on Windows, launchd on macOS, systemd timer on Linux) and you have versioned, encrypted, scheduled game-save backup with content-addressed deduplication. Restic for game save backup in 2026 is the right pick when the threat model includes a compromised backup destination.
Where it falls short: CLI only, no GUI by default (Vorta, Backrest, and Restatic are community frontends). Setup involves writing a configuration script and scheduling it. The first snapshot is slow on large libraries.
Pricing:
- Free: All features, BSD-2
- Paid: None
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Bottom line: Pick this when game saves go in the same backup chain as your photos, documents, and home directory.
How to pick the right one
- If you want one app that just covers game saves on every PC platform: Ludusavi.
- If you only use Windows and want a long-running classic: GameSave Manager.
- If “backup” really means “sync to my second PC”: Syncthing.
- If game saves go in the same backup chain as the rest of your PC: Backblaze for cloud or Restic for self-hosted.
- If your library is GOG: GOG Galaxy.
- If your library is Steam and you don’t want to add another tool: Steam Cloud, with Ludusavi as the safety net.
A working 2026 stack pairs Ludusavi (collect game saves into one folder) with Restic (encrypt and snapshot that folder) and a cloud-synced destination. The whole thing costs nothing and survives a publisher closing a server.
FAQ
Does Steam Cloud back up my saves automatically?
For most Steam titles, yes. Steam Cloud is enabled per game by the publisher. About 90% of current titles use it. Check the game’s Steam Store page; if it lists Cloud Saves under Features, your saves sync when Steam closes cleanly.
How do I back up Steam saves to a separate location?
The cleanest method in 2026 is to install Ludusavi, point it at a backup folder (local drive, cloud-synced folder, or NAS), and run it on a schedule. Ludusavi knows the save paths for almost every Steam game and copies them in batch.
Can I restore game saves to a different PC?
Yes, with a backup tool that’s path-aware. Ludusavi reads save paths from its database and writes to the equivalent location on the new PC. GameSave Manager does the same on Windows. Manual copies of Steam’s userdata folder also work for many games.
What happens to my saves when a game is delisted?
Existing copies of the game and their save files still work. Cloud-save services that the publisher operated may go offline. Locally stored saves and saves backed up by a third-party tool (Ludusavi, GameSave Manager, Backblaze) survive the delisting. This is the practical case for keeping your own backups.
Are game saves usually small enough to fit in a free cloud tier?
Yes, in almost every case. A typical save file is between 1 MB and 100 MB. A library of 200 backed-up games rarely exceeds 5 GB. Google Drive’s free 15 GB, OneDrive’s free 5 GB, or a self-hosted Syncthing setup all easily accommodate game-save archives.
What if a game uses anti-cheat that touches my save?
Some online-only games encrypt or sign saves so the publisher’s server is the source of truth. Backing those up locally won’t help if the publisher kills the server, the save file is useless without the server’s blessing. Single-player and DRM-free titles don’t have this problem.
