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Converting a save file between platforms

Save Alchemist is a web-based Dead Cells save converter. It can transfer your overall progress and unlocks from one platform to another - for example, moving a Steam save to mobile, or a Switch save to PC.

Because some run-specific data is not compatible between platforms, the conversion resets your current run and places you back in the Prisoners' Quarters. Your meta-progression (unlocks, cells, custom mode settings, etc.) is preserved.

Getting your save files​

To convert a save between platforms, you'll need two files:

  1. The save file from your source platform (the one with the progress you want to keep).
  2. A save file from your destination platform (this provides the correct header/format for the target platform and will be overwritten).

How to get a save file depends on your platform:

PC (Steam/GOG)​

Steam​

First, check whether Steam Cloud sync is enabled for Dead Cells:

  1. In your Steam Library, right-click Dead Cells → Properties → General tab.
  2. Check the Steam Cloud setting (this is also sometimes shown under the game's in-game Gameplay settings).

If Steam Cloud is disabled: Right-click Dead Cells → Manage → Browse local files. Your save files are in the local save folder shown there.

If Steam Cloud is enabled: The local save folder shown by Browse local files is only a local backup and may be stale. Instead, use the Steam Cloud sync directory:

  1. From the game's local files folder, go up three directories to reach your Steam installation root.
  2. Navigate to userdata/<your Steam ID3>/588650/remote/.

GOG​

The GOG release stores saves under your installation directory in GOG Galaxy/Games/Dead Cells/save/. GOG Galaxy's own cloud sync (if enabled) is not currently confirmed to use a different path - check both the install directory and your GOG Galaxy cloud sync settings if your save doesn't appear up to date.

Mobile (iOS)​

caution

These instructions rely on third-party software (iMazing) that isn't affiliated with this project. We can't test or endorse it - use your own judgment before installing anything on your device.

Credit to Demianeen for working out this process; see the original Reddit comment. Fair warning: These instructions may be outdated, as the comment is a year or so old and things have supposedly moved around in the app.

  1. Download iMazing. The free version is sufficient for this process.
  2. Open iMazing and connect your iPhone with a cable. Unlock your device and tap Trust if prompted.
  3. In iMazing's sidebar, click Apps (near the top), then click Manage Apps at the bottom right.
  4. Use the search bar to find Dead Cells. Right-click it (or click the gear icon) and choose Back Up App Data.... When prompted, select Only App Data. This may take a few minutes.
  5. iMazing produces a file named Dead Cells.imazingapp. This is actually a ZIP archive.
  6. Rename Dead Cells.imazingapp to Dead Cells.zip, then extract it with your OS's built-in unzip tool or any archive utility.
  7. Inside the extracted archive, navigate to Container/Documents/save/. This is your save data.

Mobile (Android)​

important

This is under the device's root /data/data/ directory - not the Android/data/ external storage path. Accessing this location requires a rooted device, since it's part of the app's private storage and isn't exposed to normal file managers or USB file transfer.

If your device is rooted, you can access this path with a root-capable file manager (e.g. via a root shell, ADB with root access, or a file manager app granted root permissions).

The Netflix Games release of Dead Cells uses a different package name and storage layout, which has not been documented yet. If you've located the save path for the Netflix version, contributions to this doc are welcome.

Console (Switch)​

Emulator users​

If you're running Dead Cells in Ryujinx, this is trivial: right-click the game in your game list and select Open Save Data Location (or View user save folder, depending on your Ryujinx version). The save files will be loose on disk and ready to use however you need.

Real hardware​

Nintendo does not provide any official, user-facing way to export save data as files.

This means that getting a raw save file off a real Switch requires custom firmware (CFW). There is currently no homebrew-free method that produces a parseable file.

If your Switch is already set up with a CFW like Atmosphere, the rest of this process is quick. If it isn't, setting up CFW is outside the scope of this doc - there are many existing guides for this depending on your console's hardware revision and firmware version, and the process changes often enough that reproducing it here would go stale quickly.

  1. Install a save manager homebrew app. JKSV is the standard tool for this and is actively maintained. Checkpoint is a similar alternative if JKSV doesn't work for you.
  2. Launch JKSV from the Homebrew Menu.
  3. Find Dead Cells in the title list (it's sorted by icon/name, so just scroll to it).
  4. Export the save. Select the title, then choose to back up / export the save data. JKSV will write the save folder contents to your SD card, typically under /JKSV/<game title>/<backup name>/.
  5. Copy the exported folder off the SD card to your PC.

Console (PS4/PS5)​

Emulator users​

If you're running Dead Cells in shadPS4, your save file is stored under the emulator's data directory at home/<user-id>/savedata/<title-id>/SAVEDATA00/ (on Linux this is typically ~/.local/share/shadPS4/home/1000/savedata/CUSA10484/SAVEDATA00/; on Windows, look under %appdata%/shadPS4/). Inside, user_0.dat is the actual save data, alongside options.json and the sce_sys/sce_backup directories that real PS4 hardware also produces.

note

CUSA10484 is the title ID observed for one regional release of Dead Cells - other regions may use a different CUSA***** ID. If your save isn't under that folder, check for other CUSA* directories under savedata/.

Real hardware​

On real PS4/PS5 hardware, save data lives in the same layout as above: /user/home/<user-id>/savedata/<title-id>/<savedata-dir>/, with the encrypted save container under that folder's sce_sys/ directory.

Official method (no jailbreak required): In the system Settings, go to Application Saved Data Management → Saved Data in System Storage → select Dead Cells → Copy to USB Storage Device. This writes the save to PS4/SAVEDATA/<user-id>/<title-id>/ on the USB drive, but the files are encrypted and signed to your account/console - they can't be read or edited directly without further decryption.

Jailbroken console (CFW like GoldHEN): Enable the FTP server (Settings → GoldHEN → Enable FTP server) and connect to browse /user/home/<user-id>/savedata/<title-id>/ directly - this mirrors the same folder layout as the shadPS4 save above. Homebrew tools like Apollo Save Tool can also export already-decrypted save files directly on-console.

PS5 jailbreaks are much more limited and firmware-dependent; if you've confirmed an equivalent process there, contributions to this doc are welcome.

Preparing a destination save​

The destination save file will be completely overwritten, so use an empty slot rather than an in-progress run you care about.

To create a valid empty destination save:

  1. On the destination platform, start Dead Cells.
  2. Pick an empty save slot.
  3. Start a run and possess the body in the Prisoners' Quarters.
  4. Quit back to the main menu.
  5. Copy that save file (user_X.dat) off the destination platform.

Converting the save​

  1. Open Save Alchemist in a web browser.
  2. Under Source save, upload the save file from the platform you are converting from.
  3. Under Destination save, upload the empty save file from the platform you are converting to.
  4. Click Convert.
  5. Download the converted save file and copy it back to the destination platform's save location, replacing the empty destination save.

The file you need to replace is named user_X.dat, where X is the slot number (0 for slot 1, 1 for slot 2, and so on up to 6 for slot 7).

tip

Always keep a backup of your original destination save before overwriting it, in case anything goes wrong.