Guide coverage: patches through 1.0.12
How to Fish saves and Steam Cloud
Patch 1.0.12 (2026-09-04) moved How to Fish saves onto Steam Cloud. The one thing to remember: a save only uploads after you play and exit the game once on the PC that holds it.
Upload a save to the cloud
- Open How to Fish on the PC that has the progress and load the save you care about.
- Exit through the in-game menu (Save → Main Menu → Quit). Since 1.0.6 the game writes on those buttons instead of saving during a crash.
- Let Steam finish syncing before closing it. The Cloud tab in the game’s properties shows the state.
PC ↔ Steam Deck
- Both devices need patch 1.0.12 or newer — the cloud upload itself was added in that patch.
- Same Steam account on both, and both online at least long enough to sync.
- Syncing is not instant: after quitting on device A, wait for Steam to report the cloud sync complete before launching on device B.
- Do not force-quit the game to move a save faster — a clean exit through the menu is what triggers the write.
What actually carries over
| Saved | Since | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Island progress, quest hand-ins, money and inventory | launch | The base save file: the game keeps your progress in Steam Cloud now instead of only on one machine. |
| Items dropped on the ground | 1.0.10 | Up to 64 objects, prioritising weapons, tools, quest items and creatures when you go over the cap. |
| Save backups | 1.0.11 | The game checks a save for corruption before loading it and keeps a backup copy. |
| Sold-item rule | 1.0.11 | An item has to have been held once before it can be sold — relevant if you are cleaning up a full inventory after loading. |
The save did not appear: checklist
- Confirm both devices run the same patch version. Restart Steam after an update; the notes ask for it every time.
- Check that the Cloud tab in the game’s properties says the sync is finished — “pending upload” means the file is still local.
- If the game shows a fake server named “Game Name”, the save failed to load. That specific symptom was addressed in 1.0.6 and again in 1.0.9/1.0.11 with corruption checks.
- Items that vanished from a boat but were never dropped on the ground are a different problem — see the fixes page.
Quick answers
Where are How to Fish save files stored?
Since patch 1.0.12 the game stores its saves through Steam Cloud (Steam app 4001890), so you do not pick a folder yourself. Steam’s own Cloud tab — the game’s Properties → General → Steam Cloud — shows the sync state.
How do I get my save onto Steam Cloud?
Play and exit the game normally once on the PC where the save exists. That upload is what puts it in the cloud; quitting from inside the game menu is the safe way to close it.
Can I move a save between PC and Steam Deck?
Yes, as long as both devices run patch 1.0.12 or newer, are signed into the same Steam account, and have finished syncing. Wait for Steam to report the cloud sync complete before launching on the second device.
What is saved between sessions?
Patch 1.0.10 started saving items dropped on the ground, up to 64 in total, with weapons, tools, quest items and creatures taking priority if you exceed the cap. That is a save limit, not extra inventory space.
What happens if a save is corrupt?
Patch 1.0.11 made the game check saves for corruption before loading them and keep backups, so a damaged file should no longer stop you from reaching the menu.