How to download your Project Zomboid world to your PC

To keep your Project Zomboid world on your own computer, download a backup from the Backups page, or zip the world folder in Files and download the zip. Either gives you the world, the settings and the accounts. Do it with the server stopped, or run Save World first, so the files are complete.

Option 1: download a backup

1. Make a backup: How to back up and restore your Project Zomboid world.
2. Open Backups in the left menu. Open the menu Actions for your backup and choose Download.

The backup holds your world, the settings files, the accounts database and your downloaded Workshop mods. It does not hold the game's own files, which the server downloads again. The row carries the tag No game files.

Option 2: zip the world folder

1. Stop the server.
2. Open Files, then .cache, then Saves, then Multiplayer.
3. Open the menu of the folder named like your Server Name and choose Zip folder. Then click Download file on the zip.
4. For the settings and the accounts, download each of these with Download file in its menu: .cache/Server/<Server Name>.ini, .cache/Server/<Server Name>_SandboxVars.lua and .cache/db/<Server Name>.db.

Big worlds download faster with SFTP: How to connect to your server files with SFTP.

What to do with the copy

• Keep it as a safe copy. To put it back on a server, follow How to upload your own Project Zomboid world.
• Playing a server world in the game's single-player is not something we have tested, and the game keeps single-player players in a different way. We cannot promise it works.

Good to know

• A world made on Build 42 does not open on Build 41, and the other way round. Keep a note of the build.
• The copy holds players' accounts. Treat it like a password file and do not share it in public.