How to Back Up Your Soulmask Server Save (Dedicated, Local, and Docker)

Back up a Soulmask world only while its server is stopped. For a normal dedicated server, copy the complete WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/Level01_Main folder (or DLC_Level01_Main for Shifting of Sands), including world.db; copy WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json as well when gameplay rates and rules matter. Keep the archive outside the live host, label it with the map and date, and retain the live save as a rollback copy until the restored world has been checked.

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What a Soulmask backup must contain

world.db is the central database for the world. It contains the persistent state players care about: characters, tribes, structures, inventories, and progression. A file copied while the server is writing to it can be incomplete or internally inconsistent, which is why every reliable method begins with a clean shutdown.

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The folder name is part of the save’s identity. Cloud Mist Forest uses Level01_Main; the Shifting of Sands map uses DLC_Level01_Main. A backup from one map should never be renamed into the other map’s directory. The gameplay-rules file is separate from the world database: WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json stores rates and other settings that you may want to carry to another machine.

For a dependable restore point, archive the whole map folder rather than downloading an anonymous database file. That preserves companion files and makes it obvious which map and date the copy represents.

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Manual backup from a rented host or FTP panel

Panel labels differ between providers, but the file operation is the same. ZAP-Hosting documents downloading the dedicated save through FTP, while XGamingServer instructs administrators to stop the server and create a backup before replacing world.db: ZAP-Hosting’s Soulmask save guide and XGamingServer’s import instructions.

1. Stop the server. Use the host panel’s Stop button or issue the stop command in the console. Wait until the panel reports that the process has exited; do not copy files during a restart or while the console is still saving.
2. Open the file manager or FTP client. Browse to WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated.
3. Choose the active map folder. Download Level01_Main for Cloud Mist Forest. If the server runs Shifting of Sands, download DLC_Level01_Main instead. If both maps are used on the installation, preserve both folders.
4. Include settings when required. From WS/Saved/GameplaySettings, download GameXishu.json. This prevents a restored world from unexpectedly reverting to different gathering, taming, combat, or progression rules.
5. Create an archive. On your computer, compress the downloaded folder into ZIP or another archive format. Use a name such as soulmask-cloudmist-2026-10-15.zip or soulmask-shifting-sands-2026-10-15.zip; include the server name if you operate more than one.
6. Move the archive off the host. Keep at least one copy on a separate computer, external drive, or independent storage service. A second copy on the same provider does not protect you from a host account, disk, or control-panel failure.
7. Record what you saved. Note the map, date, server version if you track it, and whether GameXishu.json was included. This small manifest prevents restoring the wrong map months later.

After downloading, open the archive and verify that the expected map folder contains world.db. A transfer that created an empty directory or truncated file is not a usable backup.

Backing up a local Windows Soulmask world

Local co-op saves are not in the dedicated-server directory. XGamingServer identifies the Windows path as %LocalAppData%WS<SteamID>2646460AutoGames<InviteCode>: see its local-save path and import notes.

1. Exit Soulmask completely. Close the game and confirm it is not still running in Task Manager; copying while the host is writing risks the same corruption as a live dedicated server.
2. Press Win+R, enter %LocalAppData%WS, and press Enter.
3. Open the folder matching your Steam ID, then 2646460, AutoGames, and the folder named for your invite code.
4. Copy the entire invite-code folder to a different drive or computer. Do not move it out of the live location; make a copy so the original remains playable.
5. Inspect the copy for world.db. If present, copy GameXishu.json too so custom gameplay settings travel with the world.
6. Compress and label the copy with the invite code and date. Keep multiple dated generations if the world is important.

The invite-code directory is the unit to preserve. Copying only a loose database file can omit settings or other files that the local host expects.

Creating a Docker or self-hosted archive

The ARM64 Docker project for Soulmask stores persistent game data under /home/steam/soulmask/WS/Saved. Its documented pattern is to stop the container, archive the persistent volume, and extract that archive back into the volume for restoration: ARM64 Soulmask server project.

1. Stop the container with your normal Docker Compose or Docker command. Wait for the container to finish shutting down.
2. From the host, create a tar archive of the persistent data. A representative command is tar -czf soulmask-saved-2026-10-15.tar.gz -C /home/steam/soulmask WS/Saved; adjust the archive name and working path to your installation.
3. List the archive before trusting it: tar -tzf soulmask-saved-2026-10-15.tar.gz. The listing should include WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/, the active map folder, world.db, and, when used, WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json.
4. Copy the tar file outside the server’s disk or VM. Keep more than one dated generation rather than overwriting the only archive.
5. For a restore, stop the container again, preserve the current WS/Saved directory as a rollback copy, and extract the selected archive into the persistent volume. Confirm ownership and permissions match the account that runs the container before starting it.

Archive testing matters more with Docker because a volume can mount successfully while containing an incomplete or incorrectly nested directory. Listing the tar file catches a missing top-level path before an emergency restore.

How to restore a dedicated-server backup

Restore only when the server is fully stopped. The sequence below follows GhostCap’s documented process, including its host backup folders: GhostCap’s Soulmask automatic-backup guide.

1. Stop the server and preserve the current state. Download or copy the live map folder to a separate rollback directory before changing anything. If the restore fails, this is your quickest way back.
2. Select the matching map. Use Level01_Main for Cloud Mist Forest or DLC_Level01_Main for Shifting of Sands. Host panels may expose dated files in Backups_Level01_Main or Backups_DLC_Level01_Main.
3. Upload the backup into the matching directory. Place the selected file or folder under WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/<map-folder>. Do not put a Shifting of Sands database in Level01_Main, or vice versa.
4. Keep the active database as a rollback. Rename the existing world.db to something such as world-before-restore-2026-10-15.db, or move it outside the live folder. Delete it only after that copy is safe.
5. Install the selected database. Rename the uploaded backup to exactly world.db. Check capitalization and spelling; the server expects that filename.
6. Restore settings deliberately. If the backup includes GameXishu.json and you want the old rates and rules, place it in WS/Saved/GameplaySettings. If you intentionally want the server’s current settings, leave the current file in place instead.
7. Start the server and validate the world. Join with an administrator account and check the expected characters, tribe membership, structures, inventories, map, and progression. Watch the console for database or permission errors.
8. Retain the rollback copy. Do not delete the pre-restore database or older archives until players have confirmed that the world is correct through at least one normal save cycle.

A successful boot alone is not proof of a correct restore. A database from the wrong map can still be readable, while showing an apparently empty or unfamiliar world to players.

Moving a local save to a dedicated server

A local-to-dedicated move is a file replacement, not a conversion performed by the game. First create a clean local copy using the Windows path above. Then stop the dedicated server, preserve its current map folder, and place the local save’s database in the corresponding dedicated map directory.

1. Identify the local invite-code folder under %LocalAppData%WS<SteamID>2646460AutoGames<InviteCode> and make a dated copy while the game is closed.
2. Determine which map the local world uses. Cloud Mist Forest belongs in WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/Level01_Main; Shifting of Sands belongs in WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/DLC_Level01_Main.
3. Stop the dedicated server and copy its existing world.db out of the way as a rollback.
4. Upload the local world.db into the matching dedicated map folder and ensure its final name is exactly world.db.
5. Copy GameXishu.json into WS/Saved/GameplaySettings only if the dedicated server should use the local world’s gameplay rates and rules. Back up the server’s existing settings file first.
6. Start the dedicated server, connect, and verify player identities, tribe data, structures, and progression. Keep both the original local folder and the pre-move dedicated backup until everyone has confirmed the result.

Player identity and permissions can depend on the server’s account configuration. If the world loads but a player cannot see a character or tribe, restore the rollback copy before experimenting with account settings; do not destroy the known-good source.

Automatic backups: what they do and what they do not guarantee

Some hosting panels create periodic snapshots and expose dated restore folders. Self-hosted installations may use a startup -backup option and a backup directory. Games.gg documents WS\Saved\Worlds\Dedicated\Level01_Main\backup\ and the -backup option: Soulmask server setup guide. GhostCap also describes host backup folders for both map names: automatic-backup examples.

There is no universal interval or retention policy. Before relying on an automatic system, check the panel or startup script for:

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• How often a snapshot is created and whether the interval is fixed or activity-based.
• How many generations are retained before older copies are deleted.
• Whether backups remain on independent storage or share the live server’s disk.
• Whether GameXishu.json is included or only the map’s world.db.
• Whether you can download an archive and test it on a spare installation.

Automatic snapshots are convenient recovery points, but they do not replace an independently stored archive. A host outage, account mistake, or full disk can affect both the live world and snapshots stored beside it.

Choosing a backup method

For a small private server, a scheduled host snapshot plus a weekly downloaded archive is a practical combination. For a self-hosted Docker instance, retain several tar generations on a separate disk and periodically extract one into a disposable volume.

Verification and troubleshooting

The archive contains no world

Recheck that the server was stopped before copying, then inspect the archive path. The expected nesting is WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/Level01_Main/world.db or WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/DLC_Level01_Main/world.db. A common mistake is archiving an empty host-side mount point instead of the persistent volume.

The server starts with a new or empty world

Stop it immediately to avoid saving over the evidence. Confirm that the database is named world.db, that it is in the map folder matching the original world, and that the upload did not create an extra nested directory such as Level01_Main/Level01_Main/world.db. Restore the pre-restore rollback if the expected world is not visible.

Gameplay rates changed after restore

The world database and gameplay settings are separate. Place the intended GameXishu.json under WS/Saved/GameplaySettings, restart the stopped server, and verify the rules in-game. Keep the previous settings file so you can revert if the rates were intentionally different.

FTP upload or download is incomplete

Compare the transferred file size with the source, retry in binary mode if the client offers transfer modes, and open the archive locally before deleting the source. Never treat a zero-byte or unexpectedly tiny world.db as a valid restore point.

Permissions prevent a Docker server from loading the save

After extracting a tar archive, check that the files are owned and readable by the account used inside the container. Correct ownership before starting the container, then inspect its logs for the first database or permission error rather than repeatedly restarting it.

You cannot decide which backup is newest

Use a naming convention that includes the server, map, and UTC date, and keep a short text manifest beside each archive. Host-generated folders such as Backups_Level01_Main and Backups_DLC_Level01_Main should still be downloaded and renamed locally so their dates remain clear.

A maintenance routine that survives mistakes

• Make a manual copy before game, mod, or configuration changes.
• Keep at least one recent archive outside the server host and one older generation in case corruption is discovered later.
• Preserve GameXishu.json whenever custom rates or rules are part of the intended experience.
• Periodically test an archive by extracting it to a spare directory or test server; an untested backup is only an assumption.
• After every restore, validate characters, tribes, structures, inventories, and progression before removing the rollback copy.

This routine separates three failure domains: a bad live save, a mistaken restore, and a host or disk failure. Keeping dated copies away from the running server is what protects against all three.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which folder should I back up for Shifting of Sands?

Back up the complete WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/DLC_Level01_Main folder, including its world.db. Keep the map folder name unchanged when restoring.

Is copying only world.db enough?

It preserves the central world database, but copy the entire map folder and WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json when you need companion files and custom gameplay rules.

How long should I keep the old save after restoring?

Keep the pre-restore rollback and older dated archives until players have confirmed the expected world and it has completed at least one normal save cycle.

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