SteamDeck - Save file location for those trying to play.

[Tsukiko]

With help from an older save location thread ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/19680/discussions/0/490124466468715069 ) I'm posting this for others to help them since it would've saved me so much time.

A:MR does not use the steam cloud save, so if you want to continue your save on a SteamDeck or a new PC, you need to sync or transfer across your save files.

On PC the location is roughly:
C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Games\Alice Madness Returns\AliceGame\CheckPoint
If you pointed your Windows Documents folder to somewhere else, it will instead point to there for example:
H:\Documents\My Games\Alice Madness Returns\AliceGame\CheckPoint

On the SteamDeck it is stored in:
/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame/CheckPoint

You need to copy it all across including the "PC_ProfileList.sav" to get it to load correctly (you can ignore the .stfolder on Windows since it doesn't work).

I haven't got sync fully working yet but it would be best to use something like SyncThing to sync the files if you plan to play between PC and SD on same save file.


p.s. The mods to the gameengine.ini for better framerate among other things all work grand on the SD. Haven't benchmarked it yet but I'm hitting 60fps mostly (some frame drops at times) with low physx, no motion, vsync on on opening london streets and in an empty area of the Deluded Depths chapter. I can report back another time if peeps want as i intend to bounce my play between pc and SD.

[Falkentyne]

How do you copy this to a PC, if the steam deck's file format is different?

[Tsukiko]

The file format isn't different, just the folder location. Just copy the files from one folder to the other between PC and SD and it works straight off. I copied my save file from PC to my SD and it loaded back where i left off.
File format isn't different primarily because SD "emulates" a windows file and folder structure through proton so the files should be identical.

[Falkentyne]

Originally posted by Tsukiko:

The file format isn't different, just the folder location. Just copy the files from one folder to the other between PC and SD and it works straight off. I copied my save file from PC to my SD and it loaded back where i left off.
File format isn't different primarily because SD "emulates" a windows file and folder structure through proton so the files should be identical.

Thanks for the reply, but I'm confused here.
How do you connect a Steam Deck to a PC like this?
I guess this is over my head or something. I apologize.

Everywhere I read, it says the Steam OS's file format is EXT4 and windows can't read this file format.
Maybe I should just google this... :(

[Tsukiko]

ah, fair enough.
Steamdeck is linux, so it uses a linux filesystem (EXT4), but that's the method of how it stores on the disc (like comparing using ink v pencils on paper - the same words, on the same paper, just different methods).
Directory wise, and file name and extension wise, it looks like windows explorer.

For me, i transfer the files across the network using something like Winpinator or Syncthing which makes file transfers fast and easy.

[keithdw]

This is so annoying! I though the whole point of Steam (at least one of the points) was to sync game progress to the cloud and between computers. I have about 5 hours play on my Steam Deck, don't want to have to mess about with copying files between devices if I want to have a quick blast on my desktop

[keithdw]

Originally posted by keithdw:

This is so annoying! I though the whole point of Steam (at least one of the points) was to sync game progress to the cloud and between computers. I have about 5 hours play on my Steam Deck, don't want to have to mess about with copying files between devices if I want to have a quick blast on my desktop

I notice in the same Engine/Config/BaseEngine.ini file that is edited to enable the 60fps, there is an entry regarding saved file locations! Do you think there could be some scope in editing this, that would allow the cloud sync to work?

I have no idea where the save files should be put to do this!

[keithdw]

I recently updated the SSD on my steamdeck. With the extra space I used the move game feature in Steam to move Alice Madness Returns from a microSD card I was using to the new SSD.

That seems to have lost all settings and save games. Once the game was on the SSD, when I started it, it was like it was a clean install. No settings, no saves

Looking on the microSD, there are no Alice files left on there & in the new location on the SSD, there is no CheckPoint folder.

Very disappointing. Not sure I can be bothered starting the game again, from the beginning.

The only hope I have is that somehow the save games are on the original SSD, even though the game was installed on a different drive - so I doubt it.

[Tsukiko]

It's probably buried in there under a hidden folder.
What about moving it back to SSD? Maybe it will work again.
Always back up your save/settings when doing major changes like this since it's not steamcloud enabled <3

[keithdw]

Finally sorted it.

Even though the game was installed on the MicroSD card, the Steam Deck was putting the saved games on the internal SSD.

So, taking the original internal SSD out to replace with a larger one, and then using Steam to move the game from the MicroSD card to the internal drive missed the saves, as they were still on the original SSD.

Putting the original SSD into an external enclosure, I was able to plug it into my Linux Laptop and quite quickly found the save game file.

I have not done it yet, but I'm hoping that putting this in the same location on the new internal SSD will fix everything.

[Tsukiko]

I hope it works for you <3

[keithdw]

Worked perfectly, but I will say the save location Steam was using on the new SSD was different again to what it was using on the original drive.

Thank goodness for the search facility in the file manager!

[Tsukiko]

Oh, if you don't mind can you post what directory it went to please? it might help someone else who runs into this issue like us and finds this thread.

[keithdw]

Sure thing. With my original setup (original steam SSD, with the game installed on MicroSD card), the saved games were on the SSD here,

/home/doorstop/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame

With the new arrangement (larger steam SSD and game installed there), the saved games were here,

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame

In that folder there are two subfolders

Checkpoint, containing a folder named after the profile created in the game and the game saves (I'm not sure if you have to, but I kept the same profile name). I just copied the old contents into here, and hey presto - everything works.

Config, I just copied the old contents into here - don't know if that was necessary.

There is a file in this location, called DefaultEngine.ini which can be edited to change the game's performance on the deck. There are plenty of guides already on how to do this - https://www.protondb.com/app/19680.

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame/Config/

[yuki]

Originally posted by keithdw:

Sure thing. With my original setup (original steam SSD, with the game installed on MicroSD card), the saved games were on the SSD here,

/home/doorstop/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame

With the new arrangement (larger steam SSD and game installed there), the saved games were here,

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame

In that folder there are two subfolders

Checkpoint, containing a folder named after the profile created in the game and the game saves (I'm not sure if you have to, but I kept the same profile name). I just copied the old contents into here, and hey presto - everything works.

Config, I just copied the old contents into here - don't know if that was necessary.

There is a file in this location, called DefaultEngine.ini which can be edited to change the game's performance on the deck. There are plenty of guides already on how to do this - https://www.protondb.com/app/19680.

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame/Config/

Can you pls help me I try to do what you suggested but I don’t know why it won’t work

[hectormanuel27]

Originally posted by yuki:

Originally posted by keithdw:

Sure thing. With my original setup (original steam SSD, with the game installed on MicroSD card), the saved games were on the SSD here,

/home/doorstop/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame

With the new arrangement (larger steam SSD and game installed there), the saved games were here,

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame

In that folder there are two subfolders

Checkpoint, containing a folder named after the profile created in the game and the game saves (I'm not sure if you have to, but I kept the same profile name). I just copied the old contents into here, and hey presto - everything works.

Config, I just copied the old contents into here - don't know if that was necessary.

There is a file in this location, called DefaultEngine.ini which can be edited to change the game's performance on the deck. There are plenty of guides already on how to do this - https://www.protondb.com/app/19680.

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Alice Madness Returns/AliceGame/Config/

Can you pls help me I try to do what you suggested but I don’t know why it won’t work

It should work