It Takes Two Save File Location: Backup and Restore

Where Is the It Takes Two Save File Location?

Keep your next co-op night on track: the It Takes Two save file location on Windows is C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\ItTakesTwo. Backing up your save gives you a copy of your checkpoint before you replace files or start another session. Inside the It Takes Two save file location, look for SaveData.Nuts, the file to preserve when backing up your current adventure.

Replace USERNAME with the name of the Windows user account you use to play.

Platform or version	Save path
Windows PC	C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\ItTakesTwo
Steam version on Windows	C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\ItTakesTwo

The Windows folder is the destination used for the Steam version’s save restoration instructions. Keep that location handy when moving a backup back into the game.

Which save file should you copy?

The important filename is:

SaveData.Nuts

This file holds the saved checkpoint used to resume your session. Preserving it lets you keep a copy of where you stopped, rather than relying entirely on selecting a chapter and replaying from there.

Keep the filename intact inside the active save folder. If you want to label different adventures, label the folders containing your backup copies instead. That makes it easier to tell sessions apart while keeping the file ready to restore.

For example, create separate backup folders named “Weekend Session” and “Other Co-op Session.” Each folder can contain its own copy of SaveData.Nuts, with a short note identifying the partner and stopping point.

The It Takes Two save file location is useful for checkpoint backups, restoration, and managing separate copies of your progress. The Windows path above applies to PC saves; use the PC workflow throughout this guide.

Official page: It Takes Two (ea.com)

How to Back Up Your It Takes Two Save

Finish the session at an autosave before copying anything. Watch for the autosave icon in the bottom-right corner, let saving finish, and then close the game.

Image: Steam / Hazelight Studios

That order matters: your backup should represent the checkpoint you just reached. Copying a file before the latest save has finished defeats the purpose of preserving your stopping point.

Step	What to do	Purpose
Reach an autosave	Play until the autosave icon appears and saving finishes	Capture your latest saved checkpoint
Close the game	Exit before handling the save file	Prepare for copying the completed save
Locate the file	Open the Windows save folder and find SaveData.Nuts	Identify the checkpoint file
Make a backup	Copy the file into a separate, clearly labeled folder	Preserve it for later restoration

Copy the file; leave the active original in place. Your backup should be an additional copy stored outside the folder the game uses.

Choose a backup location you can recognize immediately. A folder labeled only “Save” becomes confusing once you have several copies. Include the session name, your partner’s name, or a description of where you stopped.

Keep an untouched copy

Before replacing anything in the It Takes Two save file location, preserve the current file separately—even if you think you no longer need that session.

This gives you a way back if you choose the wrong backup. It also keeps a troubleshooting attempt from turning into the loss of a different adventure.

Use this checklist whenever you finish playing:

• Wait for an autosave and let it finish.
• Close It Takes Two.
• Copy SaveData.Nuts into the correct session’s backup folder.
• Check that you saved the copy under the intended session label.
• Keep older backups until you are satisfied with the newer one.

Treat the backup as a snapshot. If you keep playing afterward, make another copy when you finish so your stored version reflects the later checkpoint.

How to Restore a Save Without Losing the Current One

Restoring a backup means putting the saved copy of SaveData.Nuts back into the active save folder. Preserve the file already there before replacing it.

Image: Steam / Hazelight Studios

Start with the game closed. Choose the backup belonging to the adventure you want to resume, then copy it into:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\ItTakesTwo

The restored file should retain the name SaveData.Nuts.

Stage	Action	What to check
Preserve current progress	Copy the existing active save into a separate backup folder	The current session has its own saved copy
Choose the replacement	Find the backup for your intended session	The folder label matches the adventure
Restore the file	Copy that backup into the active save folder, replacing the current file	The restored filename is SaveData.Nuts
Check in-game	Launch the game and inspect your progress	The loaded session matches your intended backup

Check the session before continuing

After restoration, check where the game places you before settling into another long session. The useful test is whether you have loaded the adventure you intended.

If you selected the wrong backup, close the game and return to your preserved copies. Keep the original backups intact while you sort out which file belongs to which session.

Avoid renaming every backup file and relying on memory to reverse those changes later. Identical filenames inside descriptive folders are easier to manage than a collection of differently named files.

The It Takes Two save file location remains the destination; your labeled folders are storage for the copies you move in and out.

For a simple restoration, keep the process narrow: preserve the current save, restore the intended file, and check the result. There is no need to start a new adventure merely to identify an existing backup.

How to Keep Separate Co-op Sessions

Playing with different partners creates a practical problem: you want to resume each adventure at its own stopping point. Manual backups let you maintain separate checkpoint copies outside the active save folder.

Image: Steam / Hazelight Studios

The routine is to save the outgoing session before restoring the incoming one.

Suppose you have an adventure with one partner and another adventure with someone else. At the end of each session, wait for an autosave, close the game, and copy SaveData.Nuts into that partner’s labeled backup folder.

Before switching partners, restore the file associated with the next adventure.

Use a consistent switching routine

1. Finish the current session after an autosave.
2. Close the game.
3. Back up the current SaveData.Nuts under the outgoing session’s label.
4. Find the incoming session’s backup.
5. Copy that file into the active save folder.
6. Launch the game and check that you have the intended progress.

Preserve the outgoing adventure before replacing its active file.

Keep your session folders outside the It Takes Two save file location so the distinction stays clear: one folder contains the active save, while the others hold your archived adventures.

Chapter Select or a checkpoint backup?

Chapter Select provides another way to return to the adventure. A checkpoint backup is useful when you want to preserve a particular session’s stopping point instead of selecting a chapter and repeating gameplay.

Choose Chapter Select when returning to a chapter suits your plans. Keep individual save copies when maintaining each partner’s saved checkpoint matters more.

Manual switching adds file management to your co-op routine. Keep the labels simple, update the correct backup after playing, and avoid collecting unidentified copies that you cannot confidently match to a session.

Steam Cloud Behavior and Missing Progress

The Steam version uses Steam Cloud for save games. The May 2024 update removed the EA App launcher requirement for Steam and moved that version’s cloud saving to Steam Cloud.

Local saves already on your computer are uploaded to Steam Cloud when you start the game. That makes the local file especially relevant when restoring progress.

Situation	Save behavior or recovery option
Playing the updated Steam version	Save games use Steam Cloud
Starting with an existing local save	The local save is uploaded to Steam Cloud
Looking for saves previously held in EA App Cloud after the transition	Those earlier EA App Cloud saves are no longer accessible
Recovering chapter access after lost progress	A completed replacement save allows continuation through Chapter Select

Keep local backups alongside cloud saving

Steam Cloud handles synchronization, while your labeled backups preserve copies you deliberately set aside. Keep those copies when managing separate adventures or preparing to replace your active save.

Because starting the game uploads local saves, check which file you have restored before launching. Preserve both your current save and the intended replacement outside the active folder so you retain your options.

Do not assume an old EA App Cloud save will reappear through the updated Steam version. For that transition, recovery centers on a local backup or the completed replacement save offered for players who lost progress.

Recover chapter access with a completed save

A completed replacement save is available through Hazelight’s recovery instructions associated with the Steam update. Placing that SaveData.Nuts file in the Windows save folder lets you use Chapter Select to continue from a point in the game.

This restores access to chapters rather than recreating your personal checkpoint backup. If you still have your own saved copy, preserve it before trying a replacement.

The It Takes Two save file location is the same destination for this recovery file. Close the game, back up the current file, and keep the replacement’s filename intact.

After launching with the completed save, use Chapter Select to return to the part of the adventure you want to play with your partner.

FAQ

What is the It Takes Two save file location on Windows?

The Windows save folder is C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\ItTakesTwo. Replace USERNAME with your Windows account name. The file to preserve for a checkpoint backup is SaveData.Nuts.

Which file should I back up before starting another session?

Copy SaveData.Nuts into a separate, labeled folder. Wait for an autosave to finish and close the game first. Keep a different backup folder for each adventure so you can identify the correct file when switching sessions.

Does the Steam version use Steam Cloud or EA App Cloud?

The updated Steam version uses Steam Cloud. Existing local saves are uploaded when you start the game. Saves previously stored in EA App Cloud became inaccessible during the transition introduced with the May 2024 update.

Can a completed save recover my exact lost checkpoint?

A completed replacement save gives you access to Chapter Select so you can choose where to continue. Use your own checkpoint backup when you want to restore the saved stopping point from your particular co-op session.