The short answer
Update KOTAMON first, then make a separate manual save before you rely on Continue or autosave. The August 21 update added an autosave whenever a new trash heap opens and addressed save/load interface crashes, but players have continued to report older state loading from autosave and upgrades disappearing after a patch.
One launch-build report gives a recognizable symptom: every save showed upgrades at 3/2/2/2/2 after reloading even though the card collection remained saved. Other players in the same thread reported upgrades returning to zero while cards and figurines survived. That split state is a reported save fault, not a normal full-release reset.
There is no developer-published recovery procedure for progress that is already missing. Protect every remaining slot before testing anything else, and do not delete local save data or start overwriting slots in search of a fix.
Protect your current progress first
- Install the newest KOTAMON update and restart Steam before opening the save again.
- If the correct session still loads, create a new manual save in a different slot. Do not overwrite your only good slot.
- Open the Load screen and compare the manual slot and autosave timestamps before choosing one.
- Use Load to select the intended slot instead of assuming Continue will choose the newest state.
- Before opening another trash heap, pick up every loose card, tape, figurine, and outfit from the current heap.
- After opening a new trash heap, allow the autosave to finish, but keep the separate manual slot until you have reloaded successfully.
Planned demo reset or unexpected full-game loss?
| Situation | What the developer or players report |
|---|---|
| Moving from the demo to the release build | The developer says money and upgrade progress were intentionally reset after demo balance changes, while card collection was preserved. |
| Loading a full-release save | Cards remaining while upgrades or recent progress disappear is still being reported by players and is not described as an intended reset. |
| Upgrades show 3/2/2/2/2 | That exact state appears in a player report where cards still saved. It is a useful bug-report signature, not a recovery code or intended cap. |
| Opening a new trash heap | The current official autosave trigger. It supplements manual saves; it does not make a single autosave a safe backup. |
If saving or loading still fails
- Stop before overwriting any more slots and note which slot still has the best timestamp.
- Record the game version, whether the affected data is money, upgrades, cards, figurines, or the whole session, and the action immediately before the loss.
- Use Steam’s Installed Files integrity check to rule out damaged installation files. This can repair game files, but it cannot recreate lost progress.
- Report the exact symptom and version in the KOTAMON Steam Discussions so the developer can distinguish a current regression from the planned demo reset.
Does KOTAMON autosave?
Yes. The August 21 update says the game autosaves when a new trash heap opens as well as when exiting, but current community reports make a separate manual slot advisable.
Why did my upgrades reset while my cards stayed?
That combination was planned only for the demo-to-release transition. If it happens to progress earned in the full release, treat it as a current save problem and avoid overwriting the remaining slots.
Why are all my KOTAMON upgrades 3/2/2/2/2?
That exact split was reported after loading while cards remained saved. No official recovery method is published; preserve alternate slots and report the version and exact values.
Can an integrity check restore a lost KOTAMON save?
No. Steam’s file check can repair installed game files; it does not reconstruct missing money, upgrades, cards, or playtime.