Slay the Spire is different from the usual one-folder save model: PCGamingWiki lists preferences, runs, saves, and betaPreferences as game data. That means “backup the save file” is incomplete advice. A user may restore card/progression information yet lose an active run or related preferences if only one directory is copied. SaveEditor therefore treats the four directories as one logical backup set for standard desktop builds while keeping the Microsoft Store package path separate.
Which storefront context matters
Documented Slay the Spire PC launchers/storefronts: Steam, GOG, Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Store sandbox path differs significantly from Steam/GOG. Standard desktop installs can keep data alongside game resources, so reinstall/move operations deserve an explicit backup first. The active storefront/account should be identified before any restore because cloud and local storage may not use the same path or container across editions.
Documented cloud behavior
Steam Cloud and Xbox Cloud support are documented depending on edition. Cloud synchronization is useful for continuity, but it can also turn a restore into a conflict-resolution event. Let synchronization settle before making a manual backup, and keep an offline copy outside any folder monitored by the launcher or operating-system sync service.
Local save roots still matter
The researched local save boundary is Windows: Desktop builds: <path-to-game>preferences, <path-to-game>runs, <path-to-game>saves and betaPreferences ; Microsoft Store: %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesHumbleBundle.SlayTheSpire_q2mcdwmzx4qjaLocalCacheLocalMicrosoftWritablePackageRootsaves; the known file or folder pattern is Multiple files across preferences, runs, saves, and betaPreferences rather than one universal slot file.. A cloud-enabled game still has concrete local data involved in ordinary play, and that local context is what you need when identifying which copy was modified most recently.
Avoid accidental overwrite loops
Back up preferences, runs, saves, and betaPreferences together before reinstalling or moving the game. On Microsoft Store, preserve the package-local save path separately. When restoring, close the game and launcher, preserve both the current local copy and the backup you want to test, then place the intended data in the matching profile/storefront location. Do not repeatedly open the game between different copies without noting which side the cloud client selected.
Compatibility and conflict checks
Unlock/progression data and an in-progress run are not necessarily represented by the same file. A partial directory copy can therefore restore one aspect but not another. If progress disappears or rolls back, If ascension/unlocks or the current run do not match after restoration, compare all four data directories rather than repeatedly overwriting the saves folder alone. Resolve identity/path/cloud questions first. A cloud conflict is not proof that the save itself is corrupt, and a successful upload is not proof that files from another storefront are compatible.
Verification context: Reviewed against current PCGamingWiki Slay the Spire save-data locations and multi-directory layout.