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To roll back RimWorld safely, stop using the new build, copy the entire Saves folder (and your mod files if the colony is modded), then select the matching older branch in Steam under Properties → Betas. Test the rollback with a duplicate save before opening the original. A save made on another game version may load, but version differences can cause gameplay problems.
What a safe RimWorld rollback involves
A rollback is not just an executable swap. A playable colony depends on several pieces being aligned:
- The exact RimWorld version that created or last saved the colony.
- The same downloadable content (DLC) state, where applicable.
- The mod files and load order used by that colony.
- The save file itself, preserved before Steam or the game can overwrite it.
- An officially published Steam branch for the version you need.
The safest candidate is the branch that matches the save’s original version and mod set. An arbitrary older branch is not equivalent. If the required patch is not offered in Steam’s Betas list, the available official material does not guarantee that Steam exposes every historical patch.
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Stop the updated build
Exit RimWorld and do not continue saving the colony in the updated version. If the game is open, close it normally; then close Steam or at least make sure RimWorld is no longer running. This prevents a later save from becoming your only copy while you are preparing the rollback.
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Make a complete copy of the Saves folder
On Windows, RimWorld’s documented save location is:
%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/Ludeon Studios/RimWorld by Ludeon Studios/Saves
Open that path in File Explorer by copying it into the address bar. Copy the entire Saves folder to a separate location, such as a folder on another drive. Keep the original folder untouched until you have tested the older branch. A folder copy is preferable to copying only the colony you remember playing because it preserves the other saves and the game’s expected directory structure.
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Label the backup so it cannot be confused with a live save
Use a descriptive folder name such as RimWorld-Saves-before-1.7-to-1.6, including the build you are leaving and the branch you intend to test. Do not place the backup inside RimWorld’s active Saves directory; keep it outside the game-data path. If the rollback fails, this untouched copy is what lets you return to the newer build without relying on a damaged or converted file.
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Preserve mods and their load order
A game rollback alone does not recreate an older mod environment. A mod can update independently of RimWorld, and a colony may depend on a particular mod version, configuration, or load order. Ludeon has previously instructed modded players who change versions to back up their mod files.
What to preserve
- Copies of the mod files that were enabled when the colony was last working.
- A written or screenshot record of the active mod list and its order.
- Any mod-specific configuration or settings files that the mod author stores with the game data.
- The DLC combination enabled at the time of the save.
Keep this material next to the save backup, but outside RimWorld’s live folders. If you cannot recover the exact mod files, treat the rollback as a test rather than a return to a known-good state. Do not open the original colony while experimenting with a different mod list.
Choose the branch that matches the colony
Before opening Steam, identify the version shown by the save’s last successful session, your backup label, or the notes you kept. Match more than the major version when possible: a save made on a particular patch can behave differently on another patch in the same release line.
| Decision factor | Safest match | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Game version | The exact version that last saved the colony | RimWorld save contents are version-sensitive. A different version may load but can develop gameplay issues. |
| DLC state | The same DLC enabled or disabled | Changing the DLC set changes the definitions and systems available to the save. |
| Mod versions | The same mod files used for the working session | Updated or missing files can cause errors even when the base game version is correct. |
| Mod load order | The recorded order from the working session | Order affects which definitions and patches are applied first. |
| Save age | A backup made before the update | A save made after launching the new build may already contain changes from that build. |
| Steam availability | An official branch published for the required version | Steam does not promise that every historical patch remains selectable. |
Switch RimWorld to an older Steam branch
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Find RimWorld, right-click it, and choose Properties.
- Open the Betas tab.
- Open the branch selector and choose the exact older branch published by Ludeon, if it is listed. Ludeon’s compatibility guidance gives
version-1.5as an example of a named version branch. - Close the Properties window and let Steam finish downloading and applying the branch before launching the game.
Branch names are release-specific. In Ludeon’s 1.7 announcement, the branch documented for testing 1.7 was unstable, while the main branch remained on 1.6 at that time. Ludeon’s wording was: “You can try 1.7 right now on the unstable beta branch.” That means unstable is not a generic “go back one version” control; it identifies the testing branch described in that announcement.
Likewise, the historical instruction “If you want to keep playing on version 1.5, use Steam beta branch ‘version-1.5’” applies to the branch Ludeon published for that release. Select the branch whose name and version correspond to your target, rather than choosing the first entry that merely looks older.
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Launch the rollback without risking the original colony
Confirm that Steam finished
Wait for Steam’s download or update indicator to complete. Launching while files are still changing can produce a mixed installation that is difficult to diagnose. If the Betas tab shows a branch name, compare it with the target you recorded before beginning.
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- Temporarily place a copy of the target save in the active
Savesfolder, leaving your untouched backup elsewhere. - Launch RimWorld on the selected branch.
- Load the copied save, not the only original.
- Wait for the map to finish loading and watch for red error messages, missing-content warnings, or a return to the main menu.
A successful load screen is only the first check. A version-mismatched save can appear to open and still show broken systems later, so spend time inspecting the colony before deciding that the rollback worked.
Inspect the colony after it loads
Use a deliberate checklist rather than immediately unpausing for a long play session.
- Pawns: Open several colonists and verify names, health conditions, genes or traits used by your DLC and mods, equipment, schedules, and work priorities.
- Maps: Visit every map in the colony. Check terrain, buildings, power, storage, zones, doors, furniture, and any map added by a mod.
- Quests and incidents: Open the quest tab and inspect active quests, timers, rewards, and incident-related letters. Look for missing or malformed entries.
- Research: Confirm that completed projects remain completed and that the current research project is valid.
- Items and bills: Inspect stockpiles, inventories, work bills, recipes, and production benches for unknown or disappearing definitions.
- World data: Check the world map, factions, caravans, settlements, and any active travel. These systems can expose problems that are not visible on the home map.
- Mod errors: Read the full error text and identify the first mod or definition named. Several later errors can be consequences of one earlier incompatibility.
After inspection, make a new test save with a name such as rollback-test-1.6. Quit and reload that test save once. If it survives a save-and-reload cycle and the checklist is clean, you can make another backup before resuming normal play.
What to do when the save will not load
Return to the backup rather than repeatedly overwriting files
Close RimWorld and remove the test copy from the active Saves folder. Restore a fresh copy from the backup only when you have selected the branch and mod set you intend to test. Do not use a partially loaded or automatically resaved file as your recovery source.
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Check the branch first
Verify that the Steam Betas selection is the intended version, not unstable, the default branch, or another release. A branch that is older than the save is not automatically the correct branch. If you know the save was created on 1.6, for example, choose the published branch that corresponds to that release rather than assuming any 1.x branch is interchangeable.
Check DLC and mods as a set
Confirm that the same DLC is enabled and that the preserved mod files are installed. Recreate the recorded load order exactly. Avoid “fixing” the list by adding newer replacements or rearranging entries while you are trying to establish a baseline; each change creates another possible cause.
Separate a base-game problem from a mod problem
If the colony is modded and you have a legitimate copy of the matching mod files, test systematically with the preserved set. If the save loads only after removing a mod, do not continue the colony on that altered state unless you accept the consequences and have a separate backup. Removing a mod can delete or transform content that the save expects.
Switch back when the target branch is unavailable
If Steam does not list the required historical branch, stop rather than substituting a random executable or an installation from a differently ordered mod list. Keep the save backup and the current installation intact, then check Ludeon’s release-specific instructions for that version. The official material does not guarantee that every old patch is exposed through Steam’s Betas dropdown.
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Loading without an immediate error does not prove compatibility. Symptoms can include missing research, altered pawn health, broken quests, invisible buildings, invalid recipes, stalled bills, or errors that appear only after an incident occurs. Treat any such symptom as evidence that the version, DLC, mod files, or load order still differs from the original session.
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- Quit without overwriting the only backup.
- Record the symptom and the first error shown.
- Compare the selected branch with the save’s original version.
- Compare DLC and every mod file and load-order entry with your preserved record.
- Retest from a clean copy of the backup after correcting one variable at a time.
Do not use a damaged test save as proof that the original is lost. The untouched backup remains the reference copy until you deliberately choose a compatible environment.
Returning to the newer RimWorld version
- Exit RimWorld.
- Copy the rollback test saves somewhere outside the active
Savesfolder so they cannot be confused with newer-version saves. - Open Steam’s RimWorld Properties → Betas page.
- Select the default branch or the newer branch you were using before the rollback, then wait for Steam to complete its download.
- Launch the newer build and load only a save that was last written by that build, unless you have separately verified the older save in the newer environment.
Keep the version-specific backups separate. A file that has been opened and saved by one version should not be treated as an untouched backup for another version.
A repeatable update-and-rollback workflow
For future RimWorld updates, make the process predictable:
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- Before launching a new build, copy the complete
Savesfolder. - Record the current game version, DLC state, active mods, and load order.
- Give each backup a date and version-based name.
- After an update, test a copied colony before committing to a long session.
- If you need to roll back, select an official branch first and restore the matching save and mod backup together.
- Keep the original backup until the colony has loaded, been inspected, saved, and reloaded successfully on the chosen branch.
This workflow turns a rollback from a file-recovery gamble into a controlled comparison between a known save, a known branch, and a known mod environment.
Key limitations to keep in mind
- RimWorld does not promise that a save from another version will remain fully functional. It may load and still develop gameplay issues.
- Steam’s Betas menu contains only branches Ludeon has published and made available; it is not a complete archive of every historical patch.
- A matching base-game version cannot compensate for missing, updated, or differently ordered mods.
- No authoritative success-rate or compatibility percentage is established for rollbacks, so a clean test of your own copied save is more meaningful than a claimed universal success rate.
The Bottom Line
Back up the entire save and mod environment first, select the exact official Steam branch that matches the colony, and test a copied save before touching the original. If that branch is not available, preserve the backup instead of forcing an unverified executable or mod combination.
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