The Steam Store lists Cloud support for IRON NEST. PATCH 1.0 (1558) explicitly fixed save-file corruption and failure to enter missions after a crash. The safest recovery order is update, preserve, verify, reproduce, and report—not delete an unknown profile or paste a Demo save path.
2950790, public 1.0 on Windows, checked 2026-08-09. No filesystem save path is published because it has not been verified across current installations and cloud configurations.Let normal save boundaries finish
Complete the operation, read and dismiss the newspaper, and wait for the transition before exiting. The developer FAQ ties Challenge score saving to correct completion and newspaper dismissal. Quit through menus rather than force-closing during a result.
Watch Steam Cloud status after the game closes. Do not immediately launch on another device while synchronization is pending.
Update before recovery
Install the latest public content and confirm the official announcements. At this check, PATCH 1.0 (1558) is latest and contains the relevant corruption/mission-entry fix. Restart Steam and verify game files.
Try entering a known mission once after the update. If it works, exit normally and confirm progress before making other changes.
Preserve evidence before resetting
Record visible campaign progress, last completed operation, last newspaper, challenge scores, patch, crash timing, and Cloud status. If you locate files through supported Steam or operating-system tools, copy them to a separate safe location before alteration and inspect for personal data.
Do not rely on a path from Demo AppID 4300500, another operating system, or an old forum post. Never delete an entire user-data directory to solve one game’s profile.
Handle a Steam Cloud conflict
Stop and compare device names and timestamps. Determine which side contains the last confirmed completion. Preserve both when possible before choosing. Selecting an older cloud copy can overwrite newer local progress.
After resolution, launch on one device, verify the expected newspaper/mission list, exit normally, and wait for Cloud to finish before opening the second device.
New campaign and profile questions
Use an in-game new-campaign or profile control when available. Read whether it replaces existing progress. The checked evidence does not justify a manual “clear profile” path, so do not rename or erase files as the default method.
For ending research, maintain a choice log and use supported replay/new-game behavior. A copied save can unlock an achievement without proving its condition and may corrupt cloud history.
Mid-mission expectations
Do not promise a mid-mission checkpoint unless the current operation visibly restores one. Treat the normal completed-operation/newspaper transition as the dependable save boundary. If a crash occurs mid-operation, expect to verify state on restart rather than assuming every lever position was stored.
PATCH 1.0 (1558)‘s fix improves a known crash consequence but does not make forced termination safe.
Report persistent missing progress
Provide AppID, patch, Windows/Deck, Steam Cloud enabled state, last good completion, crash or exit sequence, mission-entry behavior, and file-verification result. If logs are requested through an official support channel, review them before sharing.
Avoid uploading raw saves publicly. They can contain identifiers or overwrite another player’s progression when misused.
Confirm a backup is meaningful
A backup is useful only if its product, date, patch, and last visible progress are known. Store it outside any directory Steam automatically synchronizes, without deleting the original. Do not test restoration during an active Cloud conflict. Prefer developer-supported recovery if an official tool or instruction appears later.
After any recovery, validate more than the campaign menu: enter the last unlocked operation, confirm expected progress where visible, exit normally, relaunch, and check Cloud status. Do not begin ending or gold research until this cycle is stable. A profile that opens once but fails its next transition is not yet safely recovered.
Write down which device performed the final successful synchronization, especially when alternating between Windows and Steam Deck or returning from offline play.