.0ADSAVE File

An 0ADSAVE file is a game save file created by Wildfire Games 0 A.D., an open source, real-time strategy game of ancient warfare. It is a Zip-compressed archive that contains metadata.json and simulation.dat files, which store game progress information at the point it was saved.

0ADSAVE file open in Wildfire Games 0 A.D.

You will most likely only encounter a 0ADSAVE file if you play the 0 A.D. game. The file is created when you save your game and is meant to be loaded by 0 A.D. 0ADSAVE files contain various game-related data, which includes information about civilizations, soldiers, combat experiences, researched technologies, and explored terrain.

Since the 0ADSAVE file is Zip-compressed, you can extract the contents in the 0ADSAVE file with a Zip-decompression utility. To do this, change the .0adsave file extension to .zip, then decompress it with a Zip utility, such as Microsoft File Explorer, which is bundled with Windows, or Apple Archive Utility, which is bundled with macOS.

The decompressed 0ADSAVE file will reveal a folder that bears the same name as the name of the 0ADSAVE file. The folder stores a .JSON and .DAT file:

• metadata.json - Contains game metadata, such as the game type, starting resources, and map
• simulation.dat - Contains information about the simulation in progress