- Cloud Save was announced in 0.1.9 and multiple-character slots in 0.1.13. Confirm Steam account, hero name, class, mode and progress before continuing on another machine.
- When a sync warning, conflict or older hero appears, stop making new progress until the copies are identified. Cloud synchronization does not prove offline-to-online conversion or supply a tested Deskrawl restore procedure.
Know which state you are checking
Three different questions can look like a missing save: which Steam account is signed in, which hero slot is selected, and which saved copy loaded. The official 0.1.13 announcement added multiple-character slots and described important online-character data as server-managed. An offline comparison hero and an online main are distinct characters. Check those identities before treating a lower level or empty bag as a synchronization failure.
Evidence: [0.1.13] New Talents, Online Mode, Leaderboard and Anti-cheat!
| Layer | Question | Useful evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Steam account | Is this the account used on the original machine? | Visible account and library identity |
| Hero slot | Is this the intended class, mode and character? | Name, level, mode and a distinctive equipped item |
| Cloud synchronization | Did the intended local copy sync? | Client status or exact conflict warning |
| Online save behavior | Did the game server accept the session? | Exact game error and time |
| Recovery | Is there a known-good copy to preserve? | Original installation and identifiable local backups |
Evidence: [0.1.13] New Talents, Online Mode, Leaderboard and Anti-cheat! · [Hot Fix 0.1.13e] Stability and Fixes
Cloud availability is a feature record, not proof that every save or setting is synchronized in a particular build. A retail hero’s mode cannot be changed merely by moving a file to another machine. Keep account identity and mode in the evidence whenever you compare two installations.
What the developer announced
| Version/date | Announced change | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1.9 · June 16 | Cloud Save implemented | Exact current save path or a backup recipe |
| 0.1.10 · June 18 | Autosave reliability improved against crash-related loss | A guarantee that force-killing any later build is safe |
| 0.1.13 · June 27 | Multiple slots; online important data server-managed | Offline-to-online conversion of a retail hero |
| 0.1.13e · June 30 | Online town autosave and a revive-related save-loss fix | The cause of a new disconnect or missing item |
| 0.1.13f · July 17 | Save-corruption crash fix; backups moved to a safer folder | The folder name, backup count or interval |
| 1.0.0i · October 3 | Stronger character-deletion confirmation | An undo or restore button |
Evidence: [Patch 0.1.9] - Resizable/Draggable Window, Cloud Save, Buybacks and More · [Patch V0.1.10] New System - Life Skills · [0.1.13] New Talents, Online Mode, Leaderboard and Anti-cheat! · [Hot Fix 0.1.13e] Stability and Fixes · [0.1.13f] Bug Fixes · [Patch 1.0.0i] Various Improvements
These changes give concrete version clues for an old demo report. They do not establish that a similar retail incident has the same cause. The official history confirms that saves and backups received attention, but this guide does not infer a current five-copy rotation, hourly cadence or absolute folder path from a third-party description. Those details require verification on the installed version before any restore operation.
Inspect the client setting without changing copies
Valve’s general Cloud guidance locates the per-game toggle in Library → Properties → General. It describes cloud files under an account’s Steam userdata area and says cloud activity is logged in cloud_log.txt. These are Steam-level references, not a confirmed Deskrawl game-save path. Preserve that distinction when locating files.
Evidence: Steam Support: Steam Cloud
Identify the known-good hero
On the machine holding the intended progress, record name, class, mode, level and a recognizable equipped item or completed map.
Check the account on both machines
Confirm the same Steam account before blaming Cloud. Do not continue a different slot just because its name looks familiar.
Inspect the Cloud choice
In the game’s Steam Properties, read the Cloud setting. Record a warning instead of toggling repeatedly to force a result.
Finish one session at a time
Exit through the game’s own normal flow, then wait for the displayed synchronization state before opening the second installation. Avoid simultaneous progress while comparing copies.
Verify before playing further
On the second machine, inspect the same hero markers first. If they differ, keep the original installation available and stop the transfer experiment.
Evidence: Steam Support: Steam Cloud · [0.1.13] New Talents, Online Mode, Leaderboard and Anti-cheat!
The procedure is a preservation-oriented recommendation. It is not a tested migration on two PCs or a guarantee that every online field travels through Steam Cloud. A normal-looking launch is weaker evidence than recognizing the intended hero and its last meaningful progress marker.
Handle a conflict or sync warning deliberately
Valve says a conflict arises when local and cloud-associated files differ after unsynchronized changes. Compare the prompt’s dates with where and when you actually played; the newest timestamp alone is not enough context. Valve also advises addressing a failed sync before launching, since continuing can create a conflict.
Evidence: Steam Support: Steam Cloud
| Situation | Keep first | Decision to make |
|---|---|---|
| Two copies have different times | Last successful session on each machine | Which copy actually contains the intended progress |
| Second PC is missing the latest session | Original machine and visible hero markers | Whether the intended copy finished synchronization |
| Cloud warning appears before launch | Exact message and current client status | Resolve transport before generating another divergent session |
| You cannot identify either copy | Both installations and screenshots | Do not guess; gather more identity/progress evidence |
| A character was deleted | Deletion confirmation, time and slot | Seek applicable support; do not assume Cloud is an undo |
If you have found identifiable game-save or backup files, copy them to a separate dated location before overwriting or attempting restoration. Keep originals intact and record which machine they came from. A backup copy is valuable because it preserves options; editing or replacing a file is a different action that requires a verified path and version-specific method. No such Deskrawl restore recipe was reproduced for this article.
Valve notes that cross-platform Cloud integration depends on the game. A Windows-to-Deck transfer and a same-platform PC transfer therefore need separate confirmation. Do not infer native Linux support or mode conversion from a Cloud icon.
Evidence: Steam Support: Steam Cloud
Diagnose what actually disappeared
| Observation | First distinction | Information to record |
|---|---|---|
| Another character loads | Slot/account mismatch versus old save | Name, class, mode and last selected slot |
| Correct hero, lower level | Older copy versus rejected session | Last known level, time, device and game error |
| Ground loot is gone | Uncollected drop versus saved inventory | Where the item was before town/round transition |
| One sold item is absent | Sale versus deletion or rollback | Merchant action and buyback availability |
| Several equipped items vanish | A broader state mismatch | Before/after screenshots, session, version and exact error |
| Only a new online operation fails | Server/Steam connection versus local files | Operation and error without deleting the hero |
Evidence: [0.1.13] New Talents, Online Mode, Leaderboard and Anti-cheat! · [Hot Fix 0.1.13e] Stability and Fixes · [Patch 0.1.9] - Resizable/Draggable Window, Cloud Save, Buybacks and More
Official 0.1.9 provides an eight-item NPC buyback window, but that is not a restore service for everything missing from a save. It does not establish recovery of destroyed items, deleted heroes or loot never collected. Read the scope of the remedy before making another inventory action. Likewise, a historical save-loss fix does not diagnose every error string that contains a number.
Evidence: [Patch 0.1.9] - Resizable/Draggable Window, Cloud Save, Buybacks and More · [Hot Fix 0.1.13e] Stability and Fixes
A useful support report names the build, character mode, Steam account context, machine switch if any, exact timestamp with timezone, the last known-good hero markers and the operation immediately before the loss. Keep the original files private; screenshots and error text usually convey the immediate symptom without publishing account-specific data.
Save questions
Q: Where is the exact Deskrawl save directory?
The cited official game announcements do not publish an absolute path. Valve’s userdata/cloud-log references concern Steam itself; inspect the game’s applicable current documentation before a restore.
Q: How many automatic backups does Deskrawl keep?
Official 0.1.13f says backups moved to a safer folder, but gives no count or cadence. This guide does not certify a third-party five-copy/hourly claim.
Q: Can Cloud turn an offline hero into online?
No conversion procedure is supplied by these sources. Mode creation and synchronization are separate questions.
Q: Should I keep playing when the other PC loads an old hero?
First identify the intended account, slot and saved copy. Continued progress on two divergent copies complicates the choice.
Q: Does stronger deletion confirmation mean I can undo deletion?
Official i strengthens the confirmation. It does not announce an undo; check the selected hero carefully before confirming.
Evidence: [0.1.13f] Bug Fixes · [0.1.13] New Talents, Online Mode, Leaderboard and Anti-cheat! · [Patch 1.0.0i] Various Improvements · Steam Support: Steam Cloud
Sources and scope
Source-reviewed guide for Deskrawl: Idle ARPG retail app 4623570. Historical demo/beta announcements are labeled by version; secondary mechanics and individual player reports retain attribution. Source review expanded the article; no game session, Steam Deck or Linux hardware test was performed. Current implementation and identified gaps still require gameplay confirmation.
- Review status
- verified
- Game version
- Retail identity: Steam app 4623570. Official news captured through 1.0.0i; any earlier 0.1.x announcement is historical, not a current installed-version observation.
- Checked
- Method
- Bounded first-release dossier review, including source roles, preserved conflicts and explicit limits. Recomputed retained source hashes, exact excerpts and line ranges and signed reader content. No installed-client or live-server verification.
- [Patch 0.1.9] - Resizable/Draggable Window, Cloud Save, Buybacks and More first-party
Official June 16 announcement of width/drag, Cloud Save, auto revive, eight-item NPC buybacks, Alt+B and persistent taskbar icon; historical intended behavior.
Checked
- [Patch V0.1.10] New System - Life Skills first-party
Official June 18 introduction of Life Skills auto-filter/auto-sell, autosave reliability and carriage town drop-off changes.
Checked
- [0.1.13] New Talents, Online Mode, Leaderboard and Anti-cheat! first-party
Official June 27 introduction of online creation, legacy offline conversion, multiple save slots, Combat Settings, item Lock and Reset UI only. Its Treant leaderboard rules belong to that test build.
Checked
- [Hot Fix 0.1.13e] Stability and Fixes first-party
Official June 30 Online Mode town autosave, redundant-save reduction and revive-related save-loss fixes; not a current incident diagnosis.
Checked
- [0.1.13f] Bug Fixes first-party
Official July 17 fixes for video-player interruption, ultrawide cropping and corrupted saves, plus backup relocation. No exact save path or backup cadence is announced.
Checked
- [Patch 1.0.0i] Various Improvements first-party
Official 1.0.0i ability coefficients, Flare radius, Violet Skybow condition change, Legendary Rein pickup exception, deletion/salvage confirmations and in-Steam auction buttons.
Checked
- Steam Support: Steam Cloud first-party
Valve general guidance on per-game Cloud toggle, conflicts, sync failures and account/app cloud files. It does not establish Deskrawl game-save paths or cross-platform integration.
Checked