Message From Aliens save folder: Location & Backup

Find the Message From Aliens save folder on Windows, back up your progress, restore saves, and understand demo carryover and Steam Cloud precautions.

Where Is the Message From Aliens Save Folder?

Your alien-language discoveries are worth protecting before you restart or move files. The Message From Aliens save folder holds the local progress location identified by the developer, making it the place to start when backing up your playthrough. Finding the Message From Aliens save folder also helps explain why progress from the demo can appear in the full game.

Message From Aliens official screenshot

Official screenshot · Source: Steam store

On Windows, the developer-confirmed location is:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Artless Games\MessageFromAliens

Paste that entire path into File Explorer’s address bar, then press Enter. Windows expands %USERPROFILE% to the folder for your current user account.

Artless Games identifies this location in the official Message From Aliens launch announcement. The same announcement confirms that the demo and full release share a save folder and mentions an in-game option for switching save slots.

Quick question	Confirmed answer
Where is local progress stored on Windows?	`%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Artless Games\MessageFromAliens`
Do the demo and full game share this folder?	Yes, according to the developer
Should demo progress carry over?	Yes; the developer says it should
Can you switch save slots in-game?	Yes, but the announcement does not explain the controls
Does the Steam listing include Steam Cloud?	Yes
Are individual save filenames documented in the supplied official sources?	No

This guide covers the Windows version using official information available on November 4, 2026. File-management steps below are general Windows precautions, not a developer-published backup or recovery procedure.

How to Open the Save Folder on Windows

You do not need to browse through your Steam installation to reach this location. The confirmed path sits under your Windows user profile, rather than inside the game’s installation directory.

Use File Explorer or the Run dialog

The quickest method is to paste the path directly into File Explorer. Alternatively, use the Windows Run dialog:

Step	Action	What to check
1	Close Message From Aliens	Avoid copying files while the game may be updating them
2	Press Windows + R	The Run dialog should appear
3	Paste `%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Artless Games\MessageFromAliens`	Keep the spaces in `Artless Games`
4	Press Enter	File Explorer should open the folder if it exists
5	Check the address bar	Confirm that the final folder is `MessageFromAliens`

For example, on a typical Windows setup with an account named Alex, the expanded path would be:

C:\Users\Alex\AppData\LocalLow\Artless Games\MessageFromAliens

That is an example, not a universal absolute path. Your account name or user-profile location may differ, so the %USERPROFILE% version is preferable.

If the folder does not open

First, check the spelling. The developer folder is Artless Games, with a space, while MessageFromAliens has no spaces.

If you are browsing manually, remember that Windows may hide AppData. Pasting the complete address avoids needing to change hidden-folder visibility.

Other useful checks include:

Confirm the Windows account. A different account has a different user profile.
Confirm that you have launched the game. If you have never played, local progress data may not exist yet; the official sources do not specify exactly when the directory is created.
Check the parent folder. Open %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Artless Games to see whether the game’s folder is present.
Do not create placeholder save files. The developer has not published filenames or a file format in the supplied announcements.

A missing directory is a reason to investigate, not proof that your progress is permanently lost.

How to Back Up and Restore Your Progress

Before changing anything inside the Message From Aliens save folder, make a separate copy. Because the official material does not identify which files contain individual slots, notes, or settings, copying the entire directory is the more cautious approach.

This is especially useful in a game built around interpreting an unfamiliar writing system. Your accumulated observations matter, and guessing which file is expendable introduces unnecessary risk.

Create a full-folder backup

Exit the game.
If Steam is synchronizing, allow it to finish.
Open %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Artless Games.
Copy the entire MessageFromAliens folder.
Paste it somewhere separate, such as a dedicated backup directory.
Give the backup a descriptive name, such as MessageFromAliens-backup-2026-11-04.

Rename the backup copy, not the active game folder, unless you intentionally want to test a reset.

Backup choice	Benefit	Limitation
Copy the entire game folder	Preserves the folder contents without guessing which files matter	May include settings or other local data
Keep dated copies	Makes different progress snapshots easier to distinguish	Requires some manual organization
Store a copy on another drive	Provides separation from the original disk	You still need to verify that copying finished
Keep only one constantly replaced backup	Simple to maintain	A mistaken overwrite can remove your earlier recovery point

After copying, open the backup and confirm that it contains files. A folder name alone does not prove that the contents transferred successfully.

Restore cautiously

The supplied official sources do not publish a tested restore procedure. As a general Windows file-management approach, restoration means placing the backed-up folder contents back at the original location while the game is closed.

Before doing that:

Preserve another copy of the current folder, even if its progress is not what you want.
Check Steam Cloud settings and synchronization status.
Restore a copy of your backup rather than moving your only backup.
Launch the game and verify the result before deleting any recovery copies.

Do not combine files from different snapshots unless you understand their roles. No official file-level documentation in the supplied material establishes that mixing saves is safe.

How to Restart Without Losing Your Original Save

There are two distinct approaches: use the game’s save-slot feature or remove local progress. They are not interchangeable.

The developer confirms that a way to switch save slots exists, but deliberately leaves players to discover it. The official announcement does not provide a menu route, translated button label, keyboard shortcut, or slot count.

Try the in-game save-slot option first if your goal is simply to begin another playthrough while retaining existing progress.

Approach	What is officially established	Main caution
Switch save slots in-game	The feature exists	Exact controls and slot behavior are not documented
Remove local progress	The developer identifies the folder for this purpose	Back up first; individual file roles are unspecified
Rename the local folder temporarily	General file-management workaround, not an official game procedure	Reset behavior is not verified
Edit individual files	No supported editing instructions are provided	Avoid guessing at formats or values

If you want to remove local progress

Back up the Message From Aliens save folder before deleting anything. Close the game, preserve the complete directory elsewhere, and only then consider removing the original local data.

A reversible alternative is to rename the local folder after making a separate backup. This keeps the original contents available while you test what happens at the next launch. However, the supplied official sources do not verify this method or describe how the game recreates missing data.

Steam Cloud also deserves attention before a reset. Since the store lists cloud support, do not assume that removing local files guarantees an empty start. Check synchronization settings first, and preserve your backup regardless of which reset approach you choose.

Deleting save data is not a documented way to reset Steam achievements. The official material does not establish any connection between local deletion and achievement removal.

Demo Carryover, Steam Cloud, and Platform Limits

The shared Message From Aliens save folder is the key detail for demo players: the developer says progress should carry over to the full version because both versions use the same location.

That means the full game retaining your demo progress is expected behavior, not necessarily a failed installation or an incomplete reset.

Moving from the demo to the full game

A cautious transition is straightforward:

Close the demo.
Back up the shared save directory.
Launch the full version.
Check whether your previous progress is available.
Keep the backup until you are satisfied that the transition worked.

If progress does not appear, confirm that you are using the same Windows account and inspect the confirmed folder before moving or replacing anything. The developer’s wording indicates expected carryover, not a guarantee covering every installation or synchronization issue.

Situation	What the official information supports	What remains unspecified
Demo to full release	Shared folder; progress should carry over	Detailed troubleshooting and migration exceptions
Steam Cloud	Listed as a supported Steam feature	Exact synchronized files and conflict behavior
Moving to another Windows PC	The local Windows path is known	A developer-published manual transfer procedure
macOS	A build was announced as planned	A confirmed Mac save path in these sources
Linux	No Linux version is listed in the supplied store snapshot	A native Linux save location

Treat cloud sync and backups as different safeguards

Steam Cloud support does not document precisely which parts of the Message From Aliens save folder are synchronized. The supplied material also does not explain retention, recovery options, or conflict resolution for this game.

Keep a separate backup before resetting progress, restoring older data, or transferring files between computers. If Steam presents a synchronization conflict, avoid choosing reflexively: consider which copy reflects the progress you want to preserve.

As of this guide’s date, the supplied store listing supports Windows. The developer announced plans for a macOS build, but these sources do not confirm its availability or publish a Mac save path. A planned release is not enough evidence to invent one.

FAQ

Where is the Message From Aliens save folder?

The Windows location is %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Artless Games\MessageFromAliens. Paste it into File Explorer’s address bar or the Windows Run dialog. The developer identifies this folder in the official launch announcement.

Does demo progress transfer to the full game?

The developer says it should. The demo and full release share the same save folder, so existing progress is expected to carry over. Make a backup before switching versions, and check the full game before removing any files.

Can I start over without deleting my current progress?

The developer confirms an in-game save-slot switching feature. However, the official announcement leaves its discovery to players and does not explain the controls. Back up your existing folder before experimenting, especially if you are considering a manual reset instead.

Which save file should I delete or edit?

The supplied official sources do not publish individual save filenames, file roles, or editing instructions. Avoid selecting files based on guesses. Preserve the complete folder first, and use the in-game save-slot feature when your goal is a separate playthrough rather than permanent deletion.