Depending on your intent, this write-up covers two distinct angles: the mechanics and lore within the video game Pony Island (by Daniel Hagström), and the technical implementation for a hypothetical software project of the same name.
Cause: You played offline, then online, and Steam asks "Which file do you want to keep?" every time.
Solution: Navigate to userdata\[yourSteamID]\403640\remote\ (Yes, Steam stores another copy here!). Delete everything in the remote folder, then launch the game. The game will rebuild the local storage and re-upload cleanly.
The final boss fight (against the demonic router) is notoriously buggy. I recommend a manual backup process:
%localappdata%\Pony Island.PonyBackup_PreBoss.zip.If the boss fight crashes or your soul gets permanently trapped (soft-lock), simply delete the corrupted folder and unzip your backup. You will restart at the exact arcade cabinet before the fight.
A key element of code storage in the game is the "Lost" progression mechanics. The game creates a meta-narrative where players must locate "static files" hidden within the game's interface. These files often contain code snippets required to solve puzzles or bypass barriers.
Unlike standard games where a "Save" button secures your data, Pony Island often requires players to manually input code strings into a terminal to "store" their achievements. This creates a sense of vulnerability; the player is never quite sure if the code they are storing is actually saving their progress or simply feeding into the game's malicious intent.
This storage is intended for: