Extract text from Naughty Dog game objects (CGO)
To convert CGO Game objects to another format, you need OpenGOAL or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Compiled Asset Archive" file type, you need software like OpenGOAL or a similar tool.
A .cgo file is a Compiled Game Object used by Naughty Dog for their proprietary game engines, most notably in the Jak and Daxter series. These files are the binary output of the GOAL (Game Object Assembly Lisp) compiler, a custom dialect of Lisp developed to handle the complex streaming worlds of the PlayStation 2 era. A single .cgo archive typically contains a mix of compiled MIPS machine code, game logic, textures, and 3D mesh data.
Because .cgo files are compiled binary blobs linked specifically for a game's runtime memory, they cannot be opened or edited in standard text editors like Notepad or hex editors without deep knowledge of the format. They do not have a standard file header that generic tools recognize. Users typically encounter these files when attempting to mod games or analyze game assets. To convert or edit these files, you must use decompilation tools like the community-driven OpenGOAL project. This software can reverse-engineer the binary data back into human-readable GOAL source code (text) or extract 3D assets into common formats like OBJ or GLTF for use in Blender. Direct editing of the .cgo file is destructive and will likely crash the game engine due to checksum and memory offset mismatches.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CGO file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted BTY files.
If you want to convert CGO file to OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D, STL, PLY or WRL, you can use OpenGOAL or similar software from the "Compiled Game Object Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to CGO, try OpenGOAL or another comparable tool in the "Compiled Game Object Data" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CGO converter.