What Is a FORGE File?

This is a data file used by a Ubisoft video game

What to Know

  • A FORGE file is a Ubisoft game data file used by some video games.
  • You can't open the file manually, but if you need to extract assets from the FORGE file, try Maki.

This article explains what a FORGE file is and how to open or convert one on your computer.

What Is a FORGE File?

A file with the FORGE file extension is a game data file used in Ubisoft games like Assassin's Creed. It's a container format that might hold sounds, 3D models, textures, and other things used by the game.

FORGE files in Windows 10 that open with Maki

This article is about files that use the .FORGE file extension, not the Minecraft Forge modding API.

How to Open a FORGE File

FORGE files are produced by Ubisoft video games like Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia, and aren't meant to be opened manually by you, but instead used by the game itself.

However, there is a small, portable tool for Windows called Maki that should work. It should be able to extract some or all of the different components that make up the file (textures, sounds, etc.). You'll need a program like 7-Zip to open the RAR archive that Maki is saved within.

If you're having troubles with a specific FORGE file, it's best to either reinstall the game or, if you're Steam, to validate the game files in an effort to replace the broken or missing file.

Although I don't have a FORGE file to test this, it's possible you can just use a free file extractor to open it — my favorites are 7-Zip and PeaZip. However, those programs don't recognize the format by default, so you'll need to open one of those file extractors first and then browse for the file from within the program.

In a sort of opposite situation, you may find that you have more than one program installed that supports this format and one is the default... the one you don't want to be. Changing which program is the default "open" program for files that use this extension in Windows is pretty straightforward.

How to Convert a FORGE File

Popular file formats can usually be converted to other formats using a free file converter, but I don't know of any dedicated converters meant especially for FORGE files. Plus, my understanding of this format is that it shouldn't exist in any other except the one it's currently in, since no other program should have any use for these files aside from Ubisoft games.

However, if there is any program that can convert it, it's most likely Maki. Otherwise, the software that opens a file is normally capable of saving it to a different format, but it's unlikely the game itself has such a capability.

Once you get the game assets extracted, there's a good chance you can convert those files with a file converter. For example, if you extract a WAV file from the FORGE file, an audio file converter would let you convert it to MP3 and other similar formats.

Still Can't Open It?

If the programs linked above aren't working to open your file, and a file conversion didn't help, double-check the file extension at the end of your file. You might have misread it, meaning you're dealing with a different format that works with different software.

For example, a FOR file looks similar to a FORGE file, but only in name. Those are actually source code files written in the Fortran programming language — a simple text editor can open one.

ORG is a similar looking file extension that could be a text document or a music file, depending on the format.

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