Start with the current game build
A post-migration hotfix addressed existing saves that did not appear in the Steam Deck load menu. Let Steam finish updating the game, restart the Deck, and open the load menu once before moving files manually.
The native SteamOS build should run with Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool unchecked in the game’s Compatibility settings. If Proton was forced in the past, the old save may still be sitting inside its Windows-style prefix while the native game is reading the Linux folder.
Back up both possible locations
Switch to Desktop Mode and enable hidden files in the file manager. The native Linux save folder is:
~/.local/share/FieldsOfMistria/saves
A previous Proton installation may keep its copy under Steam’s compatibility data for app 2142790:
steamapps/compatdata/2142790/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/FieldsOfMistria/saves
Copy both saves folders somewhere outside those locations. Add the date to the backup folder name so there is no doubt which copy is older.
Use Steam Cloud as a recovery copy
Steam’s Remote Storage page can expose cloud files even when the game’s load menu is empty. Download the Fields of Mistria files to a separate folder first. Do not drop them directly over the live save directory until you can compare names and modified dates with the backups.
Once the likely newest copy is identified, place that copy in the native Linux path above, launch the game, and inspect the load menu. Keep the older folders untouched until the recovered farm has loaded and saved successfully.
The Windows folder if you also play on PC
On Windows, Fields of Mistria reads saves from:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\FieldsOfMistria\saves
If a current PC still sees the farm, make a manual copy there before reopening the Deck. A working local PC copy is often safer than asking Cloud synchronization to decide between one visible save and one empty folder.
After the farm returns
Load the recovered save, use the journal to create a fresh manual save, exit normally, and only then re-enable Cloud synchronization. If Steam presents a conflict, compare timestamps carefully and choose the copy created after the successful recovery.
If none of the locations contains the farm, keep the backups and send a bug report with the platform, game version, whether Proton was forced, and the point when the save disappeared. Avoid community fixes that begin by deleting recent save folders; deletion removes the very evidence a recovery attempt may need.
Paths and native Steam Deck behavior were checked on August 10, 2026. Report a recovery step that no longer matches the current build.