Deep Blue Sushi Save Data & Cloud Saves

Deep Blue Sushi ships with cloud saves enabled by default plus a local save file on disk. As of v0.1.5-ea.10 (Aug 24, 2026) the save system was hardened: writes are now atomic so a power cut mid-session cannot corrupt your slot, and you can roll back to the previous generation from inside the game. This page explains exactly where your saves live on Windows, how Steam Cloud syncs them, and the safest way to tinker with a save before joining a playtest.

Where Local Saves Live On Windows

Deep Blue Sushi stores its save data under the standard Unity WinAppDataLocalLow path. The full default path is:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\PaperPixelGames\Deep Blue Sushi\

Inside that folder you will find four file groups (the patterns are exactly what the Steam Cloud config on the store page exposes):

• SaveSlot_*.es3 — per-profile restaurant saves. Slot 1 is the default; the game creates additional slots if you start a second profile from the title screen.
• ClientSave.es3 — shared client state used for cross-profile co-op (lobby preferences, last-used ChefDesk layout, audio output device).
• PPGGeneral_.es3 — PaperPixel’s general telemetry and crash-log anchor. Safe to delete; it just resets in-game crash counters.
• CharacterCustomization\last-character.json — your most recent chef preset (outfit, color, hairstyle, accessories).

The Steam Cloud quota for the game is 9.54 MiB (10,000,000 bytes) across 20 files. You will never hit the quota from a normal play session — the per-profile slot is the largest single file.

How Cloud Saves Sync

Cloud sync is opt-out, not opt-in. Steam pushes the local save up to the cloud after every session ends, and pulls the cloud save down on launch when it detects a conflict. As of v0.1.5-ea.10 the conflict policy is most-recent timestamp wins, which fixes a long-standing bug where two PCs on the same account could end up with their older slot overwriting their newer one.

To verify cloud sync is active:

1. Right-click Deep Blue Sushi in your Steam library.
2. Choose Properties → General → Steam Cloud.
3. Confirm the toggle says “Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for Deep Blue Sushi”.
4. Click View Steam Cloud to see the file list, last-modified timestamp, and download button.

If you ever want to play a different cloud save, use the Download button on the Steam Cloud view; the local copy is overwritten after a confirmation prompt.

Restore Previous Save (v0.1.5-ea.10+)

A small but useful safety net landed in v0.1.5-ea.10. Each save slot now keeps one generation back in the same slot, and you can roll back to it from inside the game:

1. Launch Deep Blue Sushi.
2. Open Settings → Save Data.
3. Choose Restore Previous Save.
4. Confirm the rollback. The game restarts into the previous-generation slot.

This is the right tool to use when:

• A patch broke your restaurant layout and you want to roll back one session.
• A playtest slot got mixed into your live slot by accident.
• A power cut wiped the active slot and you want the version Steam Cloud remembers.

Manual Backup Strategy

Even with cloud sync, a manual backup is the safest habit before you do anything risky (joining a beta branch, installing a mod, or running a save editor). The full procedure takes about a minute:

1. Quit Deep Blue Sushi completely (not just alt-tabbed — close it from the system tray).
2. Press Win + R, paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\PaperPixelGames\Deep Blue Sushi, press Enter.
3. Right-click the Deep Blue Sushi folder → Copy.
4. Paste the copy somewhere safe — an external drive, a different OneDrive folder, or a zip named with today’s date (DeepBlueSushi-backup-2026-08-25.zip).
5. Optionally, copy the Steam Cloud view too via Properties → Steam Cloud → View Steam Cloud → Download for each save file.

A weekly backup rhythm (Sunday evening before the new patch) is enough for most players. If you are joining the playtest branch, back up every time before opting in.

What Each Save File Actually Holds

If you are curious what is inside each file (for example to confirm a backup before editing), here is what each one tracks:

• SaveSlot_1.es3 — restaurant layout (table count and position), current in-game day, fish inventory, chef XP, recipe unlocks, quest flags, and customer reputation meter. This is the file you actually want to back up.
• ClientSave.es3 — last-used ChefDesk layout preset, controller binding profile, audio output device, language preference. Backup if you have a carefully-tuned controller layout.
• CharacterCustomization\last-character.json — your chef preset JSON. Small enough to read in any text editor if you want to copy a colour palette between slots.
• PPGGeneral_.es3 — telemetry counters and crash log anchors. Not gameplay-critical.

Save Editor Warnings

There are third-party save editors floating around the Steam Community. Use them at your own risk:

• PaperPixel does not officially support save editing.
• Edits can desync your local slot from the cloud slot, triggering a forced overwrite on next launch.
• Edits that give you impossible fish counts or recipe unlocks can flag your account for a manual review.

If you want to experiment, back up first. If the edit breaks your game, use Restore Previous Save or re-download the cloud copy.

When PaperPixel Will Announce A Wipe

n PaperPixel has stated publicly that no wipes are planned during Early Access. If a wipe becomes necessary (it should not), they have committed to announcing it at least 7 days in advance on Steam news and the official Discord. The save migrator tool that ships in Drop 3 of the Early Access Roadmap is a one-time optional rebuild, not a wipe.

Multi-Profile Saves

If you want to keep two separate restaurants (one for solo, one for co-op), the game supports multiple save slots. Create the second slot from the title screen:

1. Title screen → Profile.
2. Choose New Profile.
3. Pick a save slot — each profile gets its own SaveSlot_*.es3 file.

This is also the right answer if you share a Steam account with another member of your household.

Related Content

• Known Issues for save-related bugs the team is still tracking
• Patch Notes for the v0.1.5-ea.10 atomic-rename and previous-generation rollout
• PC Specs Hub if your save crashes are actually disk-paging in disguise
• Early Access Roadmap for the planned Save Migration Tool in Drop 3