Updated November 14, 2026
Your Slay the Spire 2 progress has disappeared, but the corrupted file mentioned in recovery guides is nowhere to be found. That leaves an obvious question: what are you supposed to restore?
Check for progress.save.backup first. A missing .corrupt file does not rule out a backup, another profile, or a surviving copy elsewhere. The right next step depends on what remains.
Quick Answer
Close the game and copy your save folder somewhere safe before changing anything. Check the correct Steam account and profile, look for a backup, and preserve any files available on another device or through Steam Cloud.
Do not delete a small save file or clear cloud data before you have preserved your recovery options. Renaming cannot recreate information that is no longer in the file.
| What you still have | Start here |
|---|---|
| A backup or corrupt file | Restore a recovery copy |
| Progress disappeared after changing mods | Check your profile and mod state |
| Another computer with your progress | Preserve another-device or cloud files |
| Run-history files only | Consider progression reconstruction |
| No usable files | Prepare a support request |
📋 Table of Contents
- 1. Preserve Your Remaining Saves
- 2. Find Your Save Folder
- 3. Check Your Profile and Mod State
- 4. No Corrupt File? Look for a Backup
- 5. Check Another Device and Steam Cloud
- 6. Can Run History Rebuild Lost Progress?
- 7. Singleplayer and Multiplayer Buttons Disabled
- 8. What If No Recovery Copy Exists?
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. Preserve Your Remaining Saves
Before troubleshooting, close Slay the Spire 2 and make a separate copy of the entire game-data folder. Keep this copy outside the original location.
On Windows, press Win + R, enter the following, and press Enter:
%APPDATA%\SlayTheSpire2
Copy the folder's contents into a clearly named backup folder. Keep all profiles and run-history files, even if you do not recognize them.
Then follow three rules:
- Work on copies. Keep the first backup untouched.
- Change one thing at a time. Check the result before attempting another recovery method.
- Avoid starting fresh runs while investigating. New activity can make it harder to distinguish old progression from newly created data.
A file being approximately 1 KB is a clue to investigate, not proof that it is safe to delete.
2. Find Your Save Folder
For the first Windows profile, the save location is:
%APPDATA%\SlayTheSpire2\steam\<SteamID>\profile1\saves
Replace <SteamID> with your account folder. Check the appropriate profile if you use another slot.
Look for progress.save, progress.save.backup, progress.save.corrupt, and a history folder. This is game data under AppData, not the installation folder opened through Steam's Browse Local Files option.
Enable File name extensions in File Explorer before renaming anything. This helps prevent accidentally creating a name such as progress.save.save.
Keep copies from different profiles in separate folders. Similar filenames do not mean the contents belong to the same playthrough.
3. Check Your Profile and Mod State
Before replacing a save, confirm that you are signed into the Steam account you normally use and have selected the intended in-game profile.
If the problem appeared after enabling or disabling mods, check that change carefully. Modded and unmodded progression can be separate. Switching between them can make existing progress appear to have vanished.
Disabling mods does not merge the two sets of progression. Likewise, progress earned in one environment should not be assumed to appear automatically in the other. See Steam's community announcements.
After backing up your files, check the environment where you last saw the correct progress. Avoid repeatedly adding and removing mods while trying different save files.
If you have never installed mods, skip this branch. Missing progress alone does not establish that mods caused the problem.
4. No Corrupt File? Look for a Backup
A progress.save.backup file is an alternative recovery candidate. You do not need to create a fake corrupt file.
Before using the following procedure, preserve local files and any cloud or other-device copies you may need. The cloud delete command is destructive; do not use it simply to investigate whether a backup exists.
The Mega Crit recovery procedure is:
- Launch the game and open the console with ~.
- Enter
cloud delete, then enter it again when prompted. The game closes. - Leave the game closed.
- Move the existing
progress.savesomewhere safe. - Rename
progress.save.backuporprogress.save.corrupttoprogress.save. - Relaunch and check your progression. See the Steam community discussion.
If the replacement fails, stop and preserve the result. Do not cycle through every candidate without keeping originals.
Neither file exists? Leave your remaining files intact and continue below.
5. Check Another Device and Steam Cloud
Another computer may have a useful copy
If you also play on another PC or handheld, preserve its local files before allowing synchronization.
Disconnect that device from the internet before opening Steam or the game. Copy its game-data folder first. You can then compare its account, profile and file dates with the affected machine.
Do not immediately reconnect it just to see whether syncing fixes everything. Preserve the potentially useful copy before testing.
Check the files available in Steam Cloud
Sign into the correct account and open Slay the Spire 2 Steam Cloud storage. Download potentially useful files into a separate folder without overwriting your local backup.
Steam Cloud should not be treated as a guaranteed archive of older versions. The available copy may already reflect the missing progress.
If Steam presents a conflict, compare both options against when and where you last played successfully. A newer timestamp does not necessarily mean more progression. Do not automatically choose "local" or "cloud" without checking.
If a synchronization error appears, resolve it before launching again. Steam's cloud troubleshooting guidance explains the conflict and synchronization checks.
6. Can Run History Rebuild Lost Progress?
If your history folder still contains completed-run .run files, the third-party STS2 Progress Rebuild tool offers another possible route.
It reconstructs progression from surviving history. It cannot reconstruct missing runs from nothing, and incomplete history can produce incomplete results.
Treat this as an advanced fallback:
- Back up both game data and the Steam cache locations identified in its documentation.
- Check compatibility with your game version and progression content.
- Close Steam completely before running it.
- Confirm that it targets the correct account and profile.
The tool changes progress.save, Steam's local cloud cache and remotecache.vdf. It is not just a viewer or an export utility. See the STS2 Progress Rebuild repository.
Do not assume support for newer character data, including Fool progression, unless the tool's documentation confirms it. Reconstructing progression from completed runs also does not restore the exact state of an unfinished run.
If you are uncomfortable with those changes, keep the history files and contact support instead.
7. Singleplayer and Multiplayer Buttons Disabled
Disabled menu buttons do not, by themselves, tell you whether your progression is permanently lost.
Take a screenshot and note whether the problem appeared after an update, a mod change or an interrupted session. Check the account and profile branches above before replacing files.
Do not delete current_run.save merely because the buttons are unavailable. Removing an active-run file and restoring overall progression address different problems.
If the buttons remain disabled, preserve the files and report that exact symptom. It is more useful than describing every issue simply as "save corruption."
8. What If No Recovery Copy Exists?
If there is no usable backup, other-device copy, cloud file or run history, there may be nothing available to reconstruct your previous progression.
Reinstalling the game does not itself recreate missing save contents. Preserve what remains before taking further action.
Use F2 to report the issue in-game, or contact [email protected]. Windows logs are available at:
%APPDATA%\SlayTheSpire2\logs
These reporting options let you provide the files needed to investigate the problem. See the Steam community discussion.
Include:
- Your operating system, game version and Steam branch
- The affected profile and whether mods were used
- What happened immediately before progress disappeared
- Screenshots of the menu or error
- Relevant logs and a description of the save files still present
Keep account details and save attachments in the support conversation rather than posting them publicly.
Returning to your runs
Once your profile is working again, our Slay the Spire 2 character tier list can help you choose your next character.
Continuing a specific build? Use the Fool Melody guide for Wah, Cho and Ki, or the Regent Star-Engine deck guide when planning your next Regent run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover progress without a corrupt save file?
Possibly. Another usable copy or surviving run history may provide a recovery route. Check the options above before assuming your progress is permanently gone. Recovery depends on what data remains.
Should I delete a 1 KB save file?
Not based on size alone. Preserve the entire save folder first and establish what you would replace the file with. Deleting a file without a usable replacement does not restore progress.
Why did progress disappear after enabling or disabling mods?
You may be viewing a different progression environment. Check the profile and mod state you used previously. Do not assume switching modes merges their saves.
Can Steam Cloud restore an older save?
Only if a useful copy is available. Do not assume Steam Cloud retains a selectable history of every save. Check what it currently holds and preserve another device's local files before syncing.
Can I recover my unfinished run from completed-run history?
Completed-run history is not a snapshot of your unfinished fight or map position. A progression-reconstruction tool should not be treated as an active-run recovery tool.
Will reinstalling Slay the Spire 2 restore my progress?
Reinstalling replaces game files; it does not recreate missing progression data. Check saved copies and recovery options before reinstalling, and preserve your game-data folder first.
Final Thoughts
A missing corrupt file does not mean recovery is impossible, but it does mean your next step depends on what you still have. Preserve your save folder before doing anything else, then check for a backup, another profile, another device, or Steam Cloud copies.
If nothing usable remains, run-history reconstruction and support reporting are the remaining options. Reinstalling the game will not recreate missing progression, so avoid it as a first step.
Change one thing at a time, keep your original files, and describe the exact symptom when you contact support. That gives you the best chance of recovering what can still be recovered.
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