SyncCrate
Cities: Skylines II guide · Updated
Your Cities: Skylines II cities on another PC.
Continue a city on your laptop, hand it to a friend to look around, or share a custom map. SyncCrate copies Cities: Skylines II saves, maps and local mods between PCs, and after the first time only what changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why moving a Cities: Skylines II city is awkward
Cities: Skylines II has no multiplayer, so sharing a city means sending the save. The save folder is hidden in AppData\LocalLow, each save comes as a pair of files, and a city built with mods or custom assets loads differently on a PC that doesn't have them.
Custom maps are the same: a friend has to find the right folder, and nobody remembers which version of the map they sent last.
SyncCrate syncs the saves, maps and local mods folders directly between PCs. Files are compared by content, only the differences are copied, and you see the list before anything changes.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for Cities: Skylines II
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Local Mods | Mods/Mods you put in the local Mods folder yourself. Mods from Paradox Mods are handled by the game and aren't included. | All files |
| Save Files | Saves/Cities, as .cok files with their matching .cid files, so each save arrives complete. | .cok .cid |
| Maps | Maps/Custom maps you made or downloaded, in the same format as saves. | .cok .cid |
// Where it looks
- Windows
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Colossal Order\Cities Skylines II- Linux
~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/949230/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Colossal Order/Cities Skylines II- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Cities: Skylines II
- Turn mods on and off. Disabled mods move to a
_Disabledfolder the game doesn't load. - Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while Cities: Skylines II is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync Cities: Skylines II in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Cities: Skylines II in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipClose Cities: Skylines II on the PC that's receiving files before you sync. SyncCrate warns you if the game is still running.
// 04 Common problems
When Cities: Skylines II mods don't match
The save is hidden in AppData
Saves live under
AppData\LocalLow\Colossal Order\Cities Skylines II, which Windows hides by default. Finding and copying the right files by hand is easy to get wrong.SyncCrate finds the folder automatically and copies both files of each save.
The city needs the same mods
A city built with mods or assets can lose buildings, roads or settings when it's opened on a PC without them.
Subscribe to the same Paradox Mods on both PCs, and SyncCrate copies the local mods, saves and maps. Then the city opens the same way.
Two versions of the same city
Play on both PCs and you end up with two different cities under one name.
When the same save changed on both PCs, SyncCrate shows the conflict and asks: keep yours, use theirs or keep both.
Sharing a custom map
Map files have to go into the
Mapsfolder on the other PC, and updated versions mean sending them again.The host's maps sync to each PC, and only changed maps are copied next time.
// 05 Cities: Skylines II
Good to know
- Paradox Mods subscriptions are downloaded by the game into its own cache and aren't synced. Each player subscribes in game, or loads the same playset.
- Local mods run code. Code mods are
.dllfiles, so only sync with people you trust. - Your settings stay yours. Only the Saves, Maps and Mods folders sync.
- Cities: Skylines (the first game) is a separate entry in SyncCrate.
// FAQ
Cities: Skylines II questions
Where are Cities: Skylines II saves stored?
In %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Colossal Order\Cities Skylines II\Saves on Windows. SyncCrate finds it automatically, including Steam's Proton folder on Linux.
Can I play the same city with a friend?
Not at the same time, since the game has no multiplayer. You can take turns: sync the save, play, and sync it back. Pick the right side when SyncCrate shows a conflict.
Does it sync mods from Paradox Mods?
No. Those are managed by the game itself. SyncCrate syncs the local Mods folder, your saves and your maps.
How do I move my cities to a new PC?
Install SyncCrate on both PCs, host on the old one, join from the new one and Compare & Sync. Then subscribe to the same Paradox Mods on the new PC.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Cities: Skylines II setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.