Suggestion: Add an automatic backup feature in a game's properties tab

[ChronoTravler]

Hello!
It'd be awesome if there was some method of backing up a game to a file/directory automatically.

I know that there is a manual solution that involves entering the game properties then saving a backup to a location... and that seems really tedious.

could we have a checkbox for regularly backing up game data both in the settings and in the install menu? something like

[ ] regularly back-up game files

possibly with a directory and with a drop down menu such as:

[C:// custom-Dir ] > [weekly | bi-weekly | monthly | custom? ]


*it could be made to accept all manners of directories, maybe even ones to file servers?

in terms of the back-end, it could check a "most recent backup" variable, compare to the date, then start a backup if there hasn't been one for more than the time limit.

could even be controlled such that if no activity in the game has occurred, it skips that step


For those with ultra safe backup strategies, maybe there could be multiple directories?
say one for local storage, and then one for an offsite solution



I mainly want this to reduce the amount of space a game I am not likely to return to can take up on my device and cloud, which is starting to be significant

the idea is that i can then uninstall just the game (another tweak: have the uninstall feature include a "remove backups too" feature) and leave the save data; allowing for an eventual return without having lost progress

what does steam think?

[nullable]

I mean it kinda seems like overkill for games. And pretty a niche request for the level of redundancy. Ultimately the important data isn't the game data, it's the save files that matter. You can re-download the game any time, and restore save game backups. Or restore a backup you made before uninstalling the game.

For backing up save games I use Game Save Manager and have it run on a weekly schedule and store the archived files in drop box.

The only possible value I can imagine for this level of redundancy is if your internet is so slow that downloading anything more than much is a huge burden. But then, any game updates are going to be super painful too, and that sort of problem doesn't really put you in Steam's primary demographic either.

[rawWwRrr]

Steam is your backup provider.

Steam provides Cloud storage for saved game data to back up to. Of course, the publisher/developer of the game needs to allow for that to take place. As far as the actual game files, if you're not planning to play a game for a while, uninstall it. Then when you get back around to playing the it, you just reinstall it from Steam. Then, assuming the dev did their part, as soon as you start up the game, Steam will sync what's backed up in the cloud to your computer and your saved progress is all there.

If you were to backup game files to a cold storage, it will most likely need to be updated by Steam anyway but the time you get back to it.

If you're wanting to keep things local, there should be far better tools to automate that on your own than to bake it into Steam. Acronis, FBackup, etc.