Today your game files are saved by default on your local computer. Crate may at some time down the road have a server method for game saves. Until that time, if you are interested in doing something now, there are some options.
Game saves are located by default in …\Documents\My Games\Grim Dawn; at least in Windows 7 and 10. It may be different on your computer.
Example C:\Users\your_user_name\Documents\My Games\Grim Dawn.
The simplest thing to do is manually copy the Grim Dawn folder to…somewhere. If it’s on the same hard drive, you run the risk of losing the save if the drive fails. If you copy it to a different hard drive at least it’s now in two places, but still a risk if one or both drives fail. If you copy it to a USB drive that’s better, but just do it periodically and don’t forget which USB drive or misplace the USB Drive. Finally, add this folder to the Windows Backup.
Options
Manual USB (or other drive/device)
Copy the Grim Dawn folder or zip it up and put it on a USB drive.
Pro: this is decent off-system redundancy, portable, and simple
Con: this is manual, so don’t forget to do it periodically, backup is only as good as the last time you copied it, don’t lose the USB drive, the drive could fail
Automated Windows Backup
Add the Grim Dawn folder to your regularly scheduled Windows Backup (Control Panel\System and Security\Backup and Restore). Don’t have a system backup setup yet? Get on that!
Pro: automated, included with your other backup data
Con: backups can be stale depending on the frequency, the drive(s) could fail, no system external backup, ensure the backups run on schedule without interruption
Automated Software Utilities
There are probably many options one could use. These are a couple recommendations by members.
GameSaveManager – Recommended by FOE. I haven’t used it myself, but it looks viable and provides a GUI method of accomplishing what I describe below. Automated backup and cloud storage using Symbolic Links and Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. Free (optional donation). Tutorial instructions look very good.
Link Shell Extension – Recommended by fearsyth. Similar to the method I’ll describe using NTFS junctions with Symbolic Links and DeLorean Copy for backup. There are some instructions provided on the site. Looks free, but requires more manual setup than GameSave Manager.
Winbolic and Dropbox(Google Drive, Box, etc) – Recommended by corwiniii. More manual method of what GameSave Manager accomplishes with their GUI. I think less manual than the Link Shell Extension method, but I haven’t tried either. I’ll describe it below in my own instructions. Free, automated backup with cloud storage and sync.
- Automatically back-up and VERSION your save data
and/or - Sync your save data between multiple computers
Warning, this takes ACTUAL effort. So it is not a turn-key solution. But, it shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes to get working initially for this game and then minutes thereafter for other games. It’s also very useful for other purposes outside of game save files.
I pulled this idea from a Steam forum a while ago. I’ll try to make it specific for Grim Dawn. If you are risk averse or completely technically inept, you may want to stop here. However, it’s not hard and I encourage you to try.
You need:
- Dropbox (Box, Google Drive, etc will work too) - An online service that allows you to move files to and from it. They are all free. I happen to have a referer URL for Dropbox if anyone would like to help me and you out with extra free storage - PM me. Otherwise, sign up for an account and install the software on your computer.
Once you get a dropbox account and installed on your computer, create a Game Saves directory and a sub directory Grim Dawn (ex. \Dropbox\Game Saves\Grim Dawn). You do this on your computer in your Dropbox folder, but again this syncs to your Dropbox.com account.
Now find your Grim Dawn save folder (Save) on your computer (ex. C:\Users\your_name\Documents\My Games\Grim Dawn\Save) and MOVE the Save folder to the Dropbox directory you just created (ex D:\Dropbox\Game Saves\Grim Dawn\Save). You might want to back this up first JUST IN CASE. But by moving them you are essentially doing that anyway.
- Winbolic link - This allows you to make a “link” FROM the original Grim Dawn save folder on your computer TO the Dropbox folder on your computer. It essentially tricks Windows and the game into thinking the NEW save folder location is really the OLD save folder location. Since Dropbox will sync and version anything in the Dropbox folder to your dropbox account online, you can access this from anywhere - the web or other computers with Dropbox installed and similarly setup.
So, open WinbolicLink. On the Left side pane (Create the link in folder), find the original Grim Dawn save folder directory (C:\Users\your_name\Documents\My Games\Grim Dawn). On the Right side pane (The link points to), find the new Dropbox save folder (D:\Dropbox\Game Saves\Grim Dawn). Now, in the Name of link box type Save. Then hit Create NTFS Junction button. This creates a Windows symbolic link for Save from the original Grim Dawn save folder pointing to the Dropbox folder.
Note: Image shows SaveData folder, which has been changed to just Save now
Now, start the game. Ideally if everything worked correctly, your characters, stash, etc. show up. If you have a second computer with the game, install Dropbox on it, let it sync the Dropbox data to your second computer, and then use Winbolic link again on the second computer. Now both computers are pointing to the same game save files synched with Dropbox. If the game crashes and you lose your save files, you can grab them either from the second computer or from your Dropbox account online. Since it versions everything, you can actually go back in time to older versions too.
I’ve done this with many games, and use Dropbox extensively at work and home among many computers. It’s freaking awesome. So, I would recommend Dropbox anyway as a useful service even if you never do any of this.