Steam Cloud conflict: which save to choose and what to back up first

When Steam Cloud asks you to choose between local and cloud files, do not pick one just to dismiss the warning. Preserve copies of your saves first, then compare the timestamps with your last session. Local means this device. Cloud means what Steam successfully synchronized, which may not include the last hour you played offline.

A conflict means the versions differ and Steam cannot decide which one to keep. Valve's support guidance says to interpret the dates alongside your recent play. A newer timestamp alone does not tell you which character, chapter or save slot a file contains.

1. Preserve the files before choosing

Keep the game closed on every device. If another PC or your Steam Deck might still hold the correct save, keep it from syncing until you have copied its local files. With that device offline, find the save folder using the game's documentation and copy the entire folder somewhere separate, adding a date to the backup's name.

There is no universal save location. Do not delete userdata or overwrite files using instructions for a different title. If you cannot locate the saves, ask the game's support team for the correct path for your operating system before proceeding.

Take a screenshot of the conflict dialog as well. It preserves the timestamps and choices while you establish where you last played. The purpose is to retain an independent copy before allowing either version to replace the other.

2. Match the save to your last session

Once the backups are safe, connect each option in the dialog to what you actually played. These examples explain the labels, but you still need to check your own session details:

• You last played offline on this PC and it holds the progress you want: the local copy is the candidate to keep and upload.
• You finished on another device, it synced successfully, and you are now opening a PC you have not used for days: the cloud copy should contain that progress and is the candidate to download.
• You cannot identify the correct save, or the timestamps contradict your recollection: cancel the launch. There is no universally safe choice that removes that uncertainty.

3. Check what loads before playing on

After resolving the conflict, check the character, chapter or save slot before continuing. Keep your separate backup even if everything looks right. If an older state loads, stop progressing: playing on may create further saves based on that version.

An unable-to-sync warning is not the same as a conflict between two copies. Check the connection and let synchronization finish before starting the game. Choosing to play anyway is not a fix if preserving progress is your concern.

Can an overwritten save be recovered?

Recovery depends on a valid copy still existing on another device, in a backup or among the game's own saved files. Do not treat Steam Cloud as an unlimited version history you can roll back after any mistake. Valve warns that support cannot recover lost saves.

When moving between PC and Steam Deck, exit the game and confirm cloud synchronization has finished before switching devices. Dynamic Cloud Sync can handle suspension in games that implement it, but you should not assume every title does.

Changing devices is also different from changing accounts. Steam Families shares games, not one combined save for the whole household. Steam Cloud support does not guarantee that a save can move to a console either. That depends on the game's cross-save support.