⚡ Know what you're doing? Go ahead and skip to the Summary section!

The current version of Spark 2 keeps its save data in an unusual place: the Windows Registry.

This makes it harder to deal with than a conventional save file and prevents the developer from using Steam Auto-Cloud to provide support for Steam Cloud Saves.

Why is it like this? No idea.

The save data is located in the following location in the registry:


Backing up and restoring your save will consist of backing up and restoring the registry keys under that location.

There are many ways to do this. We'll be using the reg command for simplicity.

To back up your save on a Windows system, open a command prompt and run:


A file named Spark2_save.reg will be created in the current working directory, containing your save data.


To restore your save on a Windows system, open a command prompt and run:


This assumes you have a file named Spark2_save.reg (produced as described above) in the current working directory.

🔒 For added security, open and examine the .reg file in a text editor before importing it. Don't import untrusted .reg files!


A: It can be any valid file name ending in .reg


A: Probably! I haven't used Windows myself in a very long time and I'm writing this without a Windows system to test things on. If you know better, please share in the comments. But note that I would not consider a 10-click GUI adventure through regedit a better solution.


A: If you're going to be doing it frequently, you should probably look into automating it, for example using a batch file. Protip: try add a timestamp to the output file name so your backups are neatly organized.

Spark 2 is a Windows game, so under Linux it runs via Proton.

Proton keeps a separate Windows-like environment for each game in what's called a WINE Prefix.
If all you want is a quick and dirty backup, just make a copy of this text file, which contains the whole "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" part of the registry:


It will contain a section that begins like this:

That contains all the data, but in a format that might not be ideal to restore from. I haven't looked into it myself. See the next section for how to back up properly.

Note: If you're on a Linux system other than a Steam Deck and you installed the game to a secondary Steam Library Folder, then the part that reads ~/.steam/steam/steamapps will vary depending on the location of the specific Steam Library Folder you used. If unsure try browsing the game's files and see where that leaves you.


Similarly to the instructions for Windows, we'll be using the reg command. However, that requires using Wine and selecting the correct WINE Prefix for the game.

The command will be like this:

WINEPREFIX="path_to_game_prefix" "path_to_wine" reg export 'HKCU\Software\Feperd Games\SparkTwo' output_filename.reg


The parts in bold will vary depending on where the game is installed, where Proton is installed and the desired output filename.

Here's a specific example, that should work on a Steam Deck:

You'll be left with a Spark2_save.reg file in the current working directory, in a format that should be suitable to restore even on a Windows system.


There are two main ways of using the command line on the Steam Deck:

1. Set up remote access via SSH and run the commands from another computer
   
2. Go into Desktop mode and use the Konsole app

I won't be elaborating due to time constraints. There are plenty of guides out there that do and it's the same process every time. For example, this guide includes using Konsole in Desktop mode: https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3011832943


Again similar to Windows, using the reg command.

The command will be like this:

WINEPREFIX="path_to_game_prefix" "path_to_wine" reg import input_filename.reg

The parts in bold may vary.

On a Steam Deck, with a Spark2_save.reg file in the current working directory:


🔒 For added security, open and examine the .reg file in a text editor before importing it. Don't import untrusted .reg files!


I wrote a convenience script to make the process easier.
Save the code below to ~/spark2_saves.sh, then use like this:


Or, to save a backup after each game session, add this to the game's launch options:

After each session a new timestamped backup will be generated at ~/saves/Spark2/Spark2_save.YYYY-MM-DD_HH_MM_SS.reg

Each backup takes up about 223 KiB.
If you edit the script to enable compression it's about 8 KiB each.

Obligatory legal disclaimer for the script:

Code for spark2_saves.sh:


A: Probably! If you know better, please share in the comments.


A: Your Proton might live elsewhere. Adjust the path accordingly in the command or script.
Note that the /files/ part might be /dist/ depending on the version of Proton.


A: Yeah, probably. It might also help in case Proton's wine fails to run on your system for some reason. Otherwise you might need to add Steam Runtime into the mix.

Now that you have a way to save and restore your save, you need a way to move those files between your devices.

There are many ways to do this, but if a Steam Deck is involved I recommend the following:

One shot, local network only: Warpinator
Persistent two-way syncing: Syncthing
No network: USB drive
If you have set up SSH: SFTP

SSH is particularly nice to have, since you can do everything in this guide from a desktop computer without going into Desktop Mode on the Deck.

This section serves as a command summary and a guide for busy people who know what they're doing.


Backup save file

Restore save file

🔒 For added security, open and examine the .reg file in a text editor before importing it. Don't import untrusted .reg files!


(And generic Linux, with some luck.)

Backup save file

Restore save file

🔒 For added security, open and examine the .reg file in a text editor before importing it. Don't import untrusted .reg files!


(Identical to the commands for the Steam Deck if you don't edit them first.)

Backup save file

Restore save file