SyncCrate
RimWorld guide · Updated
Your RimWorld mods on another PC.
Local mods, your own patches and non-Steam setups, on a friend's PC or your laptop. SyncCrate copies the host's RimWorld Mods folder, and after the first time only the mods that changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why RimWorld mod lists are hard to copy
A RimWorld colony often runs on a hundred mods or more, each with its own dependencies, like Harmony, and a load order that has to be right. On Steam most of them come from the Workshop, and a friend can subscribe to the same list. Local mods are a different story: mods from GitHub or forums, your own XML patches, older versions you kept because an update broke something, and whole setups on the DRM-free or GOG version, which has no Workshop at all.
Those live in the Mods folder inside the game folder, and the only way to get them onto another PC is to copy them. Community multiplayer mods make it stricter: every player needs exactly the same mods, in the same versions and order.
SyncCrate syncs the local Mods folder from one PC to the others. 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 RimWorld
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Mods | Mods/Every mod folder in the game's local Mods folder, with its About, Defs, Textures and Assemblies. | All files |
| Saves | %USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/Ludeon Studios/RimWorld by Ludeon Studios/Saves/Outside the game folder. Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/RimWorld/Saves/, Linux: ~/.config/unity3d/Ludeon Studios/RimWorld by Ludeon Studios/Saves/ | .rws |
// Where it looks
- Steam
steamapps/common/RimWorldin every Steam library, on every drive- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for RimWorld
- Script warnings.
.dllfiles run code on your PC, so they're flagged for you to review before they sync. - 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 RimWorld 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 RimWorld in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add RimWorld 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 RimWorld before syncing. SyncCrate warns you if the game is still running. After a sync, check the mod list in game or in your mod manager.
// 04 Common problems
When RimWorld mods don't match
Mods that aren't on the Workshop
Local mods, forks and your own patches never download for a friend by subscribing to a collection.
The host's local Mods folder syncs to every PC, one mod folder at a time, compared by content.
GOG or DRM-free copy
Without Steam there's no Workshop, so a big mod list means downloading and unpacking every mod again on each PC.
Set up the list once on the host, and every other PC syncs it.
Multiplayer mod refuses the mod list
Community multiplayer mods check that every player has the same mods and versions, and one different file is enough to stop the join.
Syncing the host's local mods removes that difference for everything in
Mods. Workshop mods still need the same subscriptions.Mods with code
Many mods ship
.dllassemblies that run in the game..dllfiles are flagged before they sync, and nothing changes until you approve the list. Only sync with people you trust.
// 05 RimWorld
Good to know
- Workshop mods aren't synced. Steam keeps them in its own folder, outside the game folder, so SyncCrate can't sync them; the Content page says how many you have. Friends subscribe to the same items.
- Load order isn't synced. The active mods and their order are saved in RimWorld's config folder, not in
Mods. Share it through a mod manager like RimSort, or set it by hand after syncing. - Saves sync too. Colonies are saved in your user profile, outside the game folder, and SyncCrate finds that folder on its own. To take turns on a colony, share it with your crew under Shared saves on the Dashboard. Friends connect from Crews or with the join code, not over the local network.
- DLC isn't copied. Expansions come with each player's copy of the game. Only the
Modsfolder syncs.
// FAQ
RimWorld questions
Where are RimWorld local mods stored?
In the Mods folder inside the game folder, for example Steam/steamapps/common/RimWorld/Mods, one folder per mod. SyncCrate finds it in every Steam library; for GOG or DRM-free installs, point it at the game folder once.
Does SyncCrate sync my Workshop mods?
No. Workshop mods are downloaded and kept by Steam, outside the game folder. Friends subscribe to the same items. SyncCrate syncs what's in the local Mods folder.
Can I use it with the RimWorld Multiplayer mod?
Yes, for the local part: every player syncs the host's Mods folder, so those mods match file for file. Workshop mods and the load order still need to match separately.
How do I move a modded RimWorld to a new PC?
Install SyncCrate on both, host on the old PC and sync from the new one to copy the local mods. Your saves come across in the same sync. Subscribe to the same Workshop mods on the new PC.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same RimWorld setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.