Extract text from Hedgewars save files (HWS)
To convert HWS save files to another format, you need Hedgewars or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Saved Game File" file type, you need software like Hedgewars or a similar tool.
The .HWS file extension is a proprietary game data format used exclusively by the open-source turn-based strategy game Hedgewars. These files store saved game states and match replays. They do not contain video or audio data. They record player inputs, weapon selections, and coordinate data that the game engine uses to recreate a match deterministically.
Users typically try to convert .HWS files to standard video formats like MP4 or MKV to share gameplay on platforms like YouTube or social media. The primary disadvantage of the .HWS format is its strict dependency on the original game engine. Replays often break or desynchronize if opened in a newer version of Hedgewars due to minor physics changes. It is also an isolated format that standard media players, video editors, and web browsers cannot read.
This file format is exceptionally difficult to open or convert because standard online converters fail to process proprietary game engine data. You cannot convert an .HWS directly to a video file. To get an MP4, you must open the replay in Hedgewars and capture the screen using recording software like OBS Studio. If our analysis detects embedded configuration strings, player names, or match settings, viewing the raw data may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your HWS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert HWS file to , you can use Hedgewars or similar software from the "Saved Game and Replay Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to HWS, try Hedgewars or another comparable tool in the "Saved Game and Replay 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 HWS converter.