To apply the exact save bug fix Tattoo Removal Simulator requires, players must first download Uraga's latest hotfix via Steam, which stops the "first casual scene" from overwriting your main career state. If your studio funds have already reset to $10 and your plasma technology upgrades are completely gone, you will need to manually restore your backup .sav file located in your local AppData directory. Do not click "New Career" until you have verified your Steam Cloud saves are synchronized. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to recover your progress.
Indie developer Uraga released their highly anticipated debut title on June 1, 2026, offering players a therapeutic, slow-paced escape into the world of cosmetic modification. Billed as a poignant take on the PowerWash clean-up genre, the game tasks you with erasing the permanent mistakes of a bustling city's residents. However, beneath the relaxing hum of the laser lies a critical flaw that has tanked the game's initial reception.
Currently sitting at a "Mixed" review score on Steam, the game is suffering from a catastrophic progression wipe. Players who simply want to try out the game's sandbox mode are finding their entire studio erased. This guide will walk you through the technical steps to reclaim your lost hours, restore your hard-earned tech, and get back to fading ink.
Understanding the Save Bug Fix: Tattoo Removal Simulator's Launch Crisis
The premise of the game is beautifully simple: you operate a small studio tucked away in a restless city, helping clients erase symbols of once-eternal love, jokes that didn't age gracefully, and secrets asking to disappear. It is a game built heavily on narrative progression. As you carefully trace over colorful ink with your standard laser, clients open up to you, sharing their emotional stories of regret and rebirth.
But the immersion violently breaks due to a severe coding oversight in the game's save state logic. The glitch triggers under two specific conditions: selecting "New Career" from the main menu after already starting a playthrough, or, more commonly, launching the "first casual scene." The casual scene is meant to be a stress-free sandbox where you can practice your laser precision on generic tribal tattoos without worrying about client pain thresholds or narrative choices.
Instead of creating a separate temporary save state for this sandbox mode, the game actively overwrites your Career_Main.sav file. The result is devastating. Your studio is reset to its default state. The narrative flags tracking which clients you have helped are wiped clean. Most painfully, your studio funds are hard-reset to exactly $10, and all equipment upgrades—including the highly coveted plasma technology—are deleted from your inventory.
The Economics of the Wipe: Why the $10 Reset is Devastating
To understand why a manual intervention is necessary, you have to understand the game's internal economy. You do not just erase tattoos; you manage a business. Every session earns you income based on your precision, the comfort of the client, and the speed of the removal.
In the early game, you are restricted to a basic Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. It is slow, it generates a lot of heat, and it requires constant application of expensive cooling gels to keep the client's pain meter from maxing out. Players grind for hours, carefully managing their overhead costs, to afford the game's premium upgrades.
Unlocking the advanced plasma technology is a game-changer, allowing you to fade stubborn green and blue inks in half the time without relying heavily on consumables. Furthermore, players invest their hard-earned cash into studio ambiance—purchasing the in-game radio system to play lo-fi beats, upgrading the waiting room furniture, and unlocking new interactable objects that make the environment feel alive.
When the bug triggers and your bank account plummets to $10, you cannot even afford a single bottle of basic cooling gel. You are effectively soft-locked, forced to take on complex, multi-session tattoos with entry-level gear, resulting in angry clients and failed sessions. This is why waiting for a retroactive official patch is not enough; you must take matters into your own hands to restore your lost economy.
Step-by-Step Save Bug Fix: Tattoo Removal Simulator File Restoration
If you have fallen victim to the casual scene overwrite, do not panic, and crucially, do not continue playing. The game keeps a hidden backup of your previous session, but playing further will overwrite this backup with your corrupted $10 state.
Follow these exact steps to perform the manual save bug fix Tattoo Removal Simulator requires to restore your progress:
- Disable Steam Cloud Synchronization: Before touching any local files, open your Steam library. Right-click the game, select Properties, navigate to the General tab, and toggle off "Keep games saves in the Steam Cloud." If you skip this step, Steam will simply redownload the corrupted $10 save file the moment you launch the game.
- Navigate to the AppData Directory: Open your Windows File Explorer and type
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Uraga\Tattoo Removal Simulator\Savesinto the address bar. This folder is hidden by default, so ensure you have "Show Hidden Files" enabled in your Windows view settings. - Identify the Corrupted File: Inside the Saves folder, you will see a file named
Career_Main.sav. Check the "Date Modified" timestamp. If it matches the exact time you launched the first casual scene, this is the corrupted file. Delete it. - Restore the Backup: You should see a second file in this directory named
Career_Backup.sav. This file was generated at the end of your last successful career session. Right-click this file, select Rename, and change it toCareer_Main.sav. - Verify the Restoration: Launch the game (keeping Steam Cloud disabled for now). Click "Continue Career." You should spawn back in your upgraded studio with your plasma technology intact and your funds restored to their rightful amount.
- Re-enable Steam Cloud: Once you have verified your progress is back, close the game. Return to the Steam properties menu, re-enable Steam Cloud sync, and launch the game one more time. Steam will detect a conflict between your local file and the cloud file. Always choose to Upload to the Steam Cloud from your local machine to permanently overwrite the glitch.
Official Patch vs. Manual Save Bug Fix: Tattoo Removal Simulator Status
Indie studio Uraga has not been entirely silent on the issue. On June 2, 2026, a SteamDB update logged a "Progress save fix" pushed to the live branch. While this hotfix is a welcome sight for new buyers picking up the game at its $19.99 introductory offer, it has caused some confusion among veteran players regarding what exactly it accomplishes.
Here is a breakdown of how the official patch compares to the manual file restoration method:
| Feature / Fix | Official Steam Patch (June 2) | Manual AppData Rollback |
|---|---|---|
| Prevents Future Overwrites | Yes | No |
| Restores Lost $10 Balance | No | Yes |
| Recovers Plasma Upgrades | No | Yes |
| Fixes "New Career" Wipe | Yes | No |
| Requires Cloud Sync Disable | No | Yes |
The official patch acts as a tourniquet, not a cure. It successfully isolates the casual scene logic from the main career logic, meaning you can now safely play the sandbox mode without fear of overwriting your studio. However, Uraga's patch cannot magically guess how much money you had before the glitch occurred. If you were already hit by the bug prior to June 2, the official patch will simply lock in your corrupted $10 state. The manual rollback remains the only way to genuinely reclaim your lost hours.
Rebuilding Your Studio: Post-Fix Upgrade Strategy
Once you have successfully executed the save bug fix Tattoo Removal Simulator demands, it is time to future-proof your studio. The psychological toll of almost losing your progress should serve as a wake-up call to optimize your in-game economy.
First, prioritize the acquisition of the advanced plasma technology over aesthetic studio decor. While the in-game radio system and new waiting room chairs are tempting, they do not increase your session efficiency. Plasma tech drastically reduces the heat generated on the client's skin, which directly translates to less money spent on cooling gels per session.
Second, pay close attention to the narrative cues during your sessions. Clients who are removing "symbols of once-eternal love" often have lower pain thresholds due to the emotional weight of the tattoo. Using standard lasers on these clients will drain your cooling gel reserves rapidly. Save your plasma tech for these high-emotion sessions to maximize your profit margins and ensure you never drop near that dreaded $10 threshold naturally.
Finally, make it a habit to manually back up your Saves folder after every major milestone. Indie simulation games are notorious for launch-window instability, and while Uraga is committed to ongoing bug fixes and quality improvements, taking ownership of your local data is the ultimate insurance policy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does the Tattoo Removal Simulator save bug affect VR players? Yes. The career progression logic is tied to the game's core engine, meaning both standard desktop and VR Supported modes suffer equally from the casual scene overwrite glitch.
How do I get my money back if it dropped to $10?
If your balance has reset, the official Steam patch will not retroactively restore your funds. You must use the manual file restoration method detailed in this guide to rename your Career_Backup.sav file, which contains your previous bank balance.
Will Uraga release another patch for the career bug? Indie studio Uraga deployed a "Progress save fix" on June 2, 2026. While this stops the bug from triggering in the future, players who already lost their saves must rely on manual local rollbacks to recover their specific studio data.
Can I play the casual scenes safely now?
After downloading the latest Steam update, the first casual scene will no longer overwrite your main career. However, it is highly recommended to manually back up your .sav files to a separate desktop folder before testing the sandbox mode.
Closing Thoughts
There is a deep, therapeutic joy to be found in Uraga's debut title. Peeling back the layers of a client's history, listening to their confessions, and watching a regrettable piece of ink fade into oblivion is a genuinely unique gameplay loop. It is a shame that a technical oversight threatened to ruin the game's launch window, but with the right file management, you can bypass the frustration entirely. Secure your save files, upgrade your lasers, and get back to making the past less permanent.
Sources
- Steam Store: Tattoo Removal Simulator
- SteamDB: Patch notes & update history
- GamesPress: Tattoo Removal Simulator is Out Now on Steam!
- Rock Paper Shotgun: Genre comparisons and launch bug analysis