What is the CRY file format?
Files with the .cry extension store maps and levels for CryEngine, the game engine developed by Crytek. .cry is a proprietary binary format and serves as a container for game levels and maps. CryEngine is best known for powering demanding first-person shooter games, and each .cry file holds all the data needed to render a single level.
What data do .cry files hold?
CRY level files store the complete information required to render a game map or level, including:
- terrain heightmap and textures,
- structures and buildings,
- game mission objectives and trigger volumes,
- entity and respawn points,
- vegetation layers and water bodies,
- lighting and environment settings.
The Far Cry series used a modified version of CryEngine 1, the engine's debut release. CryEngine has evolved through many major versions since - CryEngine 2 powered Crysis (2007), and subsequent releases carried the engine into the current era.
Creating and using .cry files
.cry files can be used to create custom game maps with CryEngine's Sandbox Editor. When saving over an existing .cry file, the editor automatically creates a backup copy saved as .bak (or .bak2 if a .bak already exists). Games running on CryEngine access .cry level files automatically during gameplay. For distribution, shipped game levels are typically packed into .pak archives rather than distributed as standalone files. Manually editing .cry files in a hex editor is not recommended due to the format's binary complexity and performance implications.
As of CryEngine 5.6 (2019), the monolithic .cry level file was replaced by a folder-based .level format for new projects.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMLegitimate CRY files from CryEngine SDK are game data and pose no direct execution risk. However, some ransomware families (notably the CryptXXX variant) append .cry to encrypted victim files. If you received a .cry file unexpectedly on a non-game-development machine and your files appear corrupted, it may be a ransomware encryption marker, not a CryEngine file. Scan with an antivirus tool and check No More Ransom (nomoreransom.org) for decryptors.
Format details
in a nutshell- Cry file (encrypted/corrupted file marker) - Some ransomware variants append .cry to encrypted files as a marker - unrelated to CryEngine.
- Crysis level info file (legacy db_name) - The db labels this a 'level information file' but the .cry extension is the full level container, not a metadata file.
Programs that open CRY files
Windows1 app
CRYENGINE (Sandbox Editor)
Free Download the matching CryEngine SDK version from cryengine.com; open the .cry via File > Open Level in the Sandbox Editor. Engine version must match the level's format generation. Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Proprietary binary game level container |
| Encoding | Binary |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Container | CryEngine proprietary binary chunk format |
| Compression | Proprietary per-section compression (zlib-based, engine-version dependent) |
| Typical file size | 10 MB - 2 GB (varies by terrain resolution and embedded assets) |
| Terrain heightmap | Power-of-2 textures up to 4096×4096 per tile (CryEngine 2/3 era) |
| Stored data types | Heightmap, static mesh placements, entity spawns, lighting, vegetation, water volumes, trigger areas |
| Backup behaviour | Saving over an existing .cry auto-creates .bak; a second save creates .bak2 |
| Engine version range | CryEngine 1 (Far Cry, 2004) through CryEngine 5.5; deprecated in CryEngine 5.6+ |
| Distribution form | Shipped game levels are packed into .pak archives; .cry files appear in editor and modding contexts |
| Associated OS | Windows |
| Successor format | Folder-based .level directory format (CryEngine 5.6+, released 2019) |
| Released | 2004 (CryEngine, debut with Far Cry) |
| Latest version | CryEngine 5.x (.cry levels deprecated in favour of .level folder-based format in CE 5.6+) |
| Specification | docs.cryengine.com |
CRY conversions
Community Q&A
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