Sort Them Ducks Save & Progress Recovery: What to Check First

First: preserve what you still have

Before troubleshooting, record the version shown by the installed game, the device you last played on, the last session with correct progress, and screenshots of the shop, upgrades and counters. If you already know where your save is stored, keep a separate copy before replacing anything; this guide has not verified a universal save-file path or a backup-restore menu for the current build.

Avoid starting over, deleting saves, or repeatedly switching between devices while deciding which progress state is the one you want. These are editorial precautions, not a developer-provided recovery procedure. Updating may prevent an older defect from recurring, but a patch note does not guarantee restoration of an already damaged file.

Choose the branch that matches your symptom

Branch 1 — abilities disappeared but the shop is intact

The developer’s August 14 save-data notice describes an incident specifically affecting upgrades and abilities. The expanded Patch 1 announcement says affected players would receive a refund when launching and would need to buy the upgrades again once. This is historical behavior for that incident, not an unlimited refund feature for every future save problem.

After updating, compare your ability board and available funds with the saved screenshots. If the described refund does not appear or sorted ducks are also missing, stop treating it as that known upgrade-only incident. Record the discrepancy for support instead of repeatedly purchasing upgrades or resetting the shop.

Branch 2 — progress changed between devices

Patch 4 states that a bug could corrupt save files when Steam Cloud saves were used between different devices. The same update added a save-backup system. These are two separate changes: a synchronization fix and a protection mechanism, not a documented promise to reconstruct every previous session.

Identify the device and session that last displayed the correct shop. Preserve that state if you can do so without overwriting another copy. The announcement does not document backup filenames, retention limits or exact restoration controls, so this page does not invent a folder to delete or tell you which Cloud conflict option to select. If you cannot identify the wanted copy, ask official support before overwriting either state.

Branch 3 — the counter is wrong, rather than progress lost

The expanded Patch 4 announcement includes a hotfix for a counter that showed only Rainbow Tower ducks and prevented completion. Patch 1 had also addressed endings blocked by a missing duck or an incorrect count. A counter symptom therefore does not, by itself, establish that the save lost all other ducks.

After updating and restarting, compare actual filled shelves, loose ducks and the Tower colors with the counter. Patch 4 also corrected wrong-color Tower ducks being counted as correctly sorted when loading. If a Tower slot is physically wrong, correct the placement rather than using an old count as the final authority.

Branch 4 — a duck or inventory entry seems missing

Patch 3 fixed inventory UI refresh on loading and ducks clipping behind shelves when thrown too close. Patch 2 addressed map boundaries that let ducks escape. Those documented causes should be considered before calling the entire save corrupted.

For a physical missing duck, continue with the existing Missing One Duck guide: update, use the available in-game respawn option and inspect the same area. For a display-only mismatch, preserve screenshots of both the inventory and the visible shop. Do not delete files as a substitute for distinguishing these symptoms.

When to stop and report the issue

1. Stop if the next proposed action would overwrite the only known good copy, or if you cannot tell which device has the wanted progress.
2. Record the game version, device-switch sequence, last good session, exact counter and which parts of progress remain.
3. State whether the problem affects abilities only, sorted ducks, inventory display, Tower colors or the total counter.
4. Use the developer channels linked from the official Steam announcements. Keep credentials and private account details out of public discussions.
5. Attach before/after screenshots if you already have them; do not claim a historical patch fixed your current case until the same save visibly behaves correctly.

What this guide has and has not verified

Sources checked: 21 October 2026. The symptom mapping comes from the developer’s Steam announcement feed. The order of checks and preservation advice is our editorial synthesis; we have not reproduced a corrupted save or tested a restoration on your device. The linked announcements describe historical fixes; they are not proof that every current save is recoverable.

The latest item in the retrieved feed is an October 5 multiplayer-testing announcement, not a new save-repair procedure. This page uses the relevant August patch evidence and does not turn that testing invitation into a requirement to join a beta.

Continue with the related guide