The Last Caretaker Troubleshooting: Stuck, Crashes & Save Files

Early Access: official support updated September 8, 2026, Update 5.5 hotfix notes and separately dated player reports.

A = official guidance. B = agreeing sources. Unverified player reports appear in separate C boxes.

Stuck? Use the official -ea menu

For a stuck character or boat, Channel37 provides an experimental Early Access menu enabled with -ea. Back up your saves before using it.

  1. In Steam, right-click The Last Caretaker and open Properties.
  2. Under Launch Options, enter -ea, then launch the game.
  3. Pause the game and open Early Access. Relocate character and Relocate boat are listed there.

Unlock skill items is also listed in this experimental menu.

Grade A · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Channel37 support (2026-09-08)

Early Access support, updated September 8, 2026

Game crashes on startup or loading

Match the crash symptom to the official checks below. Start with the non-file checks; back up saves and the affected files before deleting anything.

  1. For older graphics cards, turn off ray tracing.
  2. If startup stops at the Channel37 splash screen, the support page identifies Intel AI Boost / NPU as a possible cause and advises disabling it.
  3. For error 0x11C7, update Windows first. The official support page also lists allowing the game folder through Windows Defender as an alternative; this is specific to that error.
  4. Back up your saves and copies of the affected files before trying the official cache/settings reset: delete Voyage_PCD3D_SM6.upipelinecache and GameUserSettings.ini. Their exact directories are not established in the reviewed notes; do not delete similarly named files elsewhere.

Grade A · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Channel37 support (2026-09-08)

Early Access support, updated September 8, 2026

Update 5.5 Hotfix 1 addressed old attachment data in saves that could leave loading waiting indefinitely.

Grade A · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Channel37: Update 5.5 Hotfix 1 (2026-09-02)

Update 5.5 Hotfix 1

Where is the save file?

On Windows, the save folder is %localAppData%\Voyage\Saved\SaveGames\<Steam ID>. For Linux and Steam Deck, locate compatdata/1783560 in the Steam library, then the corresponding Voyage/Saved/SaveGames/<Steam ID> folder within it. The reviewed notes do not specify the complete Linux prefix path.

Windows save folder

%localAppData%\Voyage\Saved\SaveGames\<Steam ID>

Linux / Steam Deck directory to locate

compatdata/1783560

Folder to find inside the compatibility prefix

Voyage/Saved/SaveGames/<Steam ID>

Grade A · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Channel37 support (2026-09-08)

Early Access support, updated September 8, 2026

Automatic backups are in the sibling SaveGameBackups folder. The game retains the latest 3 automatic backups per slot and provides 8 manual save slots, numbered 0–7.

Grade A · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Channel37 support (2026-09-08)

Early Access support, updated September 8, 2026

Restore a backup by copying it into SaveGames and removing the date-and-time part of its filename. Preserve your existing files first.

  1. Back up the current save files before replacing or renaming anything.
  2. Find the backup you want in SaveGameBackups. Keep the original backup and copy it into SaveGames.
  3. Remove the date-and-time portion from the copied filename, leaving the rest of the filename intact.

Grade A · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Channel37 support (2026-09-08)

Early Access support, updated September 8, 2026

Are there console commands?

Channel37 does not provide an official console-command list. Its support page instead documents the experimental -ea menu and says mods and third-party tools are not supported during Early Access.

Grade A · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Channel37 support (2026-09-08)

Early Access support, updated September 8, 2026

Water pump and purifier not working

Connect the pump’s salt-water outlet to the purifier’s lower salt-water inlet, then send its fresh-water output through a water tank to the equipment that needs water.

  1. Pump: salt-water outlet
  2. Purifier: lower salt-water inlet
  3. Purifier: fresh-water outlet
  4. Water tank
  5. Water-using equipment

Grade B · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Steam: Acido and TheFort on water connections (2026-09-13); Our reviewed Lazarus water setup (Reviewed 2026-10-07)

Dated community evidence; exact game build not established

Lazarus rack says No Power

A Lazarus rack showing No Power may lack a working fresh-water supply. For the known wiring issue, Channel37 advises disconnecting power, saving, restarting the game and then reconnecting. Two cables placed in the same connector port can also cause trouble.

Grade A · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Channel37 support (2026-09-08)

Early Access support, updated September 8, 2026

Lazarus power and fresh-water connections

Machines that stop by themselves

If a Distillation Tower runs briefly and stops, check that every product has somewhere to go. A full output can stop production.

Grade B · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Steam: Distillation Tower outputs (2025-12-29); Reddit: stopped distillation output (title reviewed) (2026-02-27)

Dated player reports include pre-Update 5.5 builds; current behavior not confirmed

Diesel Refinery consumes organic material and electricity to produce diesel. It is not an electricity generator. Portable Electric Generator and Large Electric Generator burn petrol to produce electricity.

Grade B · Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Sources: Diesel Refinery — wiki (Reviewed 2026-10-07); Diesel Refinery — community item listing (2026-09-15); Portable Electric Generator — wiki (Reviewed 2026-10-07); Portable Electric Generator — community item listing (2026-09-15); Large Electric Generator — wiki (Reviewed 2026-10-07); Large Electric Generator — community item listing (2026-09-15)

Dated community evidence; exact game build not established

Fuel and gases guideCheck cable sections

Troubleshooting FAQ

Where is The Last Caretaker save file location?

On Windows, the save folder is %localAppData%\Voyage\Saved\SaveGames\<Steam ID>. For Linux and Steam Deck, locate compatdata/1783560 in the Steam library, then the corresponding Voyage/Saved/SaveGames/<Steam ID> folder within it. The reviewed notes do not specify the complete Linux prefix path. Automatic backups are in the sibling SaveGameBackups folder. The game retains the latest 3 automatic backups per slot and provides 8 manual save slots, numbered 0–7.

How do I unstuck my boat or character?

For a stuck character or boat, Channel37 provides an experimental Early Access menu enabled with -ea. Back up your saves before using it.

Does The Last Caretaker have console commands?

Channel37 does not provide an official console-command list. Its support page instead documents the experimental -ea menu and says mods and third-party tools are not supported during Early Access.

Why does my Lazarus rack say No Power?

A Lazarus rack showing No Power may lack a working fresh-water supply. For the known wiring issue, Channel37 advises disconnecting power, saving, restarting the game and then reconnecting. Two cables placed in the same connector port can also cause trouble.

Sources