Opening a CK2 File

The CK2 file type is primarily associated with Crusader Kings II.

CK2	File extension: CK2
	File type:	save game file

What is a CK2 file?

CK2 files mostly belong to Crusader Kings II. Crusader Kings II (CK2) Save Files: This file holds your saved game data for Crusader Kings II. It is created when you save your game and stored using a ZIP format.

The file contains game state data like player choices and settings.

It is managed by the game engine to load your progress.

You can use a ZIP extraction tool to view its contents if needed.

FilExt.com note: For more details on the game, visit Paradox Interactive.

How to open a CK2 file

You need a suitable software like Crusader Kings II to open a CK2 file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your CK2 file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a CK2 file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online CK2 Text Viewer

Choose your .ck2 file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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Programs that open and convert CK2 files:

Crusader Kings II
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. CK2 files are often referred to as Crusader Kings II games because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
iD/Apogee Commander Keen 1 Data File
iD/Apogee Commander Keen 2 Data File
ViewChoice by Payroll Associates, LLC
ViewChoice is a payroll document viewer. Get to the program using the Download link on the website.

CK2 file format:

Why is it important to know the file format? This is the only way to find out which program to use to open the file. The file format can be deduced from the file extension and the signature. Nonetheless, different programs can utilize the same file extension to represent distinct file formats. Double-clicking on the file often results in an error when opening. Knowledge is power - this also applies when dealing with unknown or faulty files. Our evaluation of the CK2 files looks like this:

CK2 is seldom used as a file extension and mainly uses a special format. But the following two file formats are common:

70% of all CK2 files use the ZIP format, that is, a CK2 file includes multiple compressed files. The included 2 to 2 files have file names such as meta. A little tip: If you rename the file extension to .zip and then double-click, you will see the included files and images. The files are on average 6 MB in size and range from 2 MB to 13 MB. Such files are related to ironman, sardinia, empire and mumu.
20% of all CK2 files start with the magic bytes CK2txt version=", which are always the first bytes of this file format. These files are not plain text files, so they also contain binary data. The files are often between 28 MB and 69 MB in size. The following keywords are characteristic: CK2txt, date, player=, player_realm, type=66, player_name, player_age, player_portrait=, fem=no, King and version="3.3.5.1". A common filename is autosave.ck2.

All other CK2 files (10%) have different formats. You can get all the details of your CK2 file by dragging it onto this page or by clicking the button "Choose your .ck2 file to analyze" above.

Technical Data for CK2 File Extension

File classification:

Game

Related files:

ck3, ck, zip, qhd, qt1, kk1, sav, xml, bak

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: CB_CK2Format (ck2)
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ChessBase\CBReader\CBReader.exe

a ck2 save game file is a special file format and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with CK2 files

Associate the CK2 file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open save game files. Because only the current version supports the latest CK2 file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the manufacturer website after an available Crusader Kings II update.
To make sure that your CK2 file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .CK2 file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.