It won't let me start a new game

[late tinsel]

I just bought the game right now and I'm having problems, when I finish creating my character and want to complete and start a new game, it just won't let me, is there any way to fix this?

[versed prairie]

heyas! the devs are gonna need a bit more info! please follow the pinned post on bug reporting guidelines or check here! #1222877204233584722 message every bit of the info helps the devs out in fixing the issue!

[late tinsel]

true, sorry and thank u!

Title: It won't let me start a new game
Reproduction Steps: just click on create new game, create my character, click on complete, then click yes and the yes doesn't work
Repro Rate: all the time
Game Platform: Steam
Game Version: v1.1b-1237
Input Mode: Keyboard and mouse
Your save file: i mean i cant, bec i don't have anything saved
Attachment: the video above

[solemn hatch]

Hello @late tinsel!
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’ve received a similar report before, and the team is still currently investigating the issue.

May I ask — are you using Microsoft Family Sharing, or do you have two Microsoft accounts on your device?
If so, could you try launching the game using the local administrator account (instead of a non-administrator one) to see if that helps? 😮

[solemn hatch]

Thank you so muchoo, Vixia! ✨

[late tinsel]

hello! Yes, I have family sharing, but I am the administrator and there is no one in my family, just me, and I don't have two accounts, just mine

[solemn hatch]

I see! Just to check — do you happen to play Coral Island through Steam Family Sharing?

Also, have you tried verifying the game files? You can do this by:

• Right-clicking Coral Island in your Steam Library
• Selecting Properties
• Going to the Installed Files tab
• Clicking "Verify Integrity of Game Files"

Let us know how it goes!

[late tinsel]

I don't use Steam Family Sharing with Coral Island and I tried verifying the game files and it still doesn't work

[solemn hatch]

Thank you for trying our suggestion. Just to check — have you also tried running the game as an Administrator?

Here’s how you can do that:

1. Right-click Coral Island in your Steam Library
2. Click Properties > go to the Installed Files tab
3. Click Browse… to open the game folder
4. Right-click the Coral Island application file (the one listed as “Application” type)
5. Click Properties > go to the Compatibility tab
6. Check “Run this program as an administrator”
7. Click Apply

If you’re able to, it would also be super helpful if you could record a quick video of you trying this step. Since it may include personal info, feel free to send the video via DM.

Let us know how it goes — we’re here to help! 🙌

[late tinsel]

I sent you screenshots to DM

[solemn hatch]

Hi there! Thanks again for trying the previous steps, and send me the screenshots.

After setting the game to run as an administrator, sometimes the change doesn’t apply right away unless Steam is fully restarted. To make sure the new setting takes effect, please try the following:

1. Exit Steam completely
   – Right-click the Steam icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen)
   – Select "Exit"
2. Reopen Steam
3. Once Steam is open again, try launching Coral Island as usual.

Thank you!

[late tinsel]

mm nope, its not working;/

same error

[solemn hatch]

Hi there, thanks so much for giving it a try!

That’s unfortunate to hear — this workaround has helped resolve the issue for some other players, but it seems like it’s not working in your case. 🙇‍♀️

For now, let’s try removing the “Run this program as an administrator” setting from the game’s .exe file to reset it back to default:

1. Go to your Steam Library
2. Right-click Coral Island > Manage > Browse local files
3. In the folder that opens, go to:
   ProjectCoral > Binaries > Win64
4. Right-click the Coral Island application file > Properties > go to the Compatibility tab
5. Uncheck the box that says "Run this program as an administrator", then click Apply and OK

After that, try launching the game again from Steam.

We’ll also be sure to relay this issue to the team so they can investigate it further and get back to you if we need any other info.
Thank you! 🙌

[late tinsel]

I did it and now it lets me into the game, so there is currently no solution?

[solemn hatch]

Oh! After a quick check with the team, could you please try reinstalling the game and clearing all Coral Island data to see if that resolves the issue?

Here’s how to do it:
• Uninstall the game through Steam.
• Manually delete leftover files:
○ Go to the drive where the game was installed (usually C: or D:).
○ Navigate to: SteamLibrary > steamapps > common
○ Delete the Coral Island folder completely.
• Reinstall the game via Steam.

Let us know again how it goes — thank you!

[late tinsel]

not working:(

delete absolutely everything and everything from the trash

[solemn hatch]

Ahh, just to confirm — you're able to launch the game, but you still can’t get past the character customization screen, is that right?

[late tinsel]

yes, I am exactly in the situation of the first video I sent here

[versed prairie]

Probably a dumb question but are you by chance using any mods?

[late tinsel]

nono, I literally bought the game today, started it, tried to create my character and this happened to me

[versed prairie]

Hmmm. Sure you have the right specs? Are u saving on ssd or hd?

[solemn hatch]

I see. Thank you for give it a try and keeping us updated!

Yes, yes. Could you please share your PC specifications (CPU, GPU, RAM, and are you playing the game on a hard drive or SSD)?

You can also find it by following these steps:

• Press Windows Key + R to open the Run window
• Type dxdiag and press Enter
• Send the dxdiag file here, or send a screenshot of that screen

[late tinsel]

I'll send you the screenshot by DM

[solemn hatch]

Thank you for sending the DxDiag screenshots over — we appreciate it!

We have a follow-up question: are you using any third-party antivirus or security software besides Windows Defender? (e.g. Avast, AVG, McAfee, Bitdefender, etc.)

If so, could you try temporarily disabling it or adding an exception for Coral Island’s folder in your antivirus settings? Sometimes, certain antivirus programs can interfere with the game’s files. Thanks again!

[late tinsel]

I don't have any antivirus, the only similar thing I have is Valorant Vanguard

[solemn hatch]

Got it — I’ll add the details you’ve provided and share them with the team for further checking.
If we have any follow-up questions or updates, we’ll be sure to get back to you.

Thank you for your patience in the meantime!

[late tinsel]

Thanks for joining me in this, I hope this has a solution, I really want to play this game:) !

[solemn hatch]

Hi again, thank you for your patience!

As the next step, we’d like to try a fresh install of the game, but this time to a different drive (not on C:). Sometimes issues can happen due to permission settings or Windows protection on the C: drive.

Could you please try the following:

1. Uninstall Coral Island from Steam
2. Create a new Steam Library folder on another drive (for example, D: or E:):
   ○ Open Steam > Settings > Storage > Click “Add Drive”
   ○ Choose D: or E:, then click “Add”
3. Reinstall Coral Island on that new drive

After the reinstall, try launching the game again and let us know if it gets past character creation or opens properly.

Thank you again for your help — we really appreciate you sticking with us!

[late tinsel]

Good morning! I don't have any other drive, only C:

[solemn hatch]

Hi hi! Ahh, I see. Thank you for your confirmation.

Our team would like to check if Windows Security might be blocking Coral Island from saving data properly. If you're using Windows 11, there’s a feature called Controlled Folder Access that can sometimes prevent games from functioning correctly — especially during save or load moments.

Here’s how you can turn it off temporarily:

1. Click Start > Settings > Privacy & Security
2. Select Windows Security > Virus & threat protection
3. Scroll down and click Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings
4. Scroll to Controlled folder access and click Manage Controlled folder access
5. Toggle it OFF (you can turn it back on after testing)

After turning it off, try restarting Steam and verifying the game files. Then, relaunch Coral Island and see if you can get past the character creation screen.

Hope this works, kindly let us know how it goes!

[late tinsel]

Hi, I was in the process of doing this and I had already disabled the option to control access to the folder

[solemn hatch]

Ahh, I see! For now, could you please try toggling it ON and then launching the game again to see if that resolves the issue?

[late tinsel]

ommggg, its working

thank u very muuuchh!!!

and truly thank you very much for your patience and attention

[solemn hatch]

OMG! That’s fantastic news — we’re so glad to hear you finally made it past the character customization screen! 🎉

Thank you so much for your patience and for sticking with us through all the troubleshooting steps. Your help really means a lot, and we appreciate you taking the time to try each suggestion.

If you run into anything else while playing, feel free to reach out anytime — we’re always here to help!

Wishing you a smooth and fun journey on Coral Island! 🏝️ 🍃

[late tinsel]

Thank you so much Rachma!🖤

[late tinsel]

@solemn hatch Sorry to bother you again, but I created a save to check if it worked and I would like to delete it but I hit delete and for some reason it doesn't let me, I feel very embarrassed for bothering you again

[solemn hatch]

That's totally fine — we're happy to help! 😊

If possible, could you send us a short video showing what happens when you try to delete it? Even a phone-recorded video is fine. Thank you! 🙆‍♀️

[late tinsel]

Sure, i send u on MD

[solemn hatch]

Well received!
By any chance, do you have a controller connected to your device?

If so, could you please try disconnecting it and then attempt to delete the save file again using your mouse and keyboard?

[late tinsel]

nope, I only have the keyboard and wireless headphones connected

[solemn hatch]

I see. Have you tried to restart the game to see if it resolves the issue? 😮

[late tinsel]

i restart steam and the saves disappeared but I got this error

[solemn hatch]

Ohh, we checked your video again — it looks like you were pressing Backspace when trying to delete the save file earlier. Could you try pressing the "Del" (Delete) key instead and see if that works?

As for the Steam Cloud notification that’s showing now, if you try to launch the game again, do you see any additional prompt from Steam, like “Continue without sync…” or something similar?

[late tinsel]

Thanks for the first and second no, I can enter and it doesn't ask me anything, but if I change the language it doesn't save it or anything

If I log in, the previous games no longer appear and the language is not saved

[solemn hatch]

Could you please check if Steam Cloud is enabled for Coral Island? Here's how you can do it:

• Open your Steam Library.
• Right-click on Coral Island and select Properties.
• Go to the General tab.
• Scroll down to Steam Cloud and make sure the box that says
  “Keep game's saves in the Steam Cloud for Coral Island” is enabled.

Once that’s confirmed, try launching the game again and let us know if the cloud sync issue still appears.

[late tinsel]

yes, I had it activated previously

I tried to deactivate it and activate it again and the same error still appears

[solemn hatch]

I see. Since Steam Cloud sync is failing on your end, could you please check the following first?

1. Is your internet connection stable and working properly right now?
2. Are you using a VPN, proxy, or special firewall setting that might block Steam from syncing in the background?
3. You can try restarting your router or switching to another network (if available), then reopening Steam and launching Coral Island again

If everything looks fine with your connection but the cloud sync error still appears, kindly let us know!

[late tinsel]

No, everything is fine and I don't have any VPN, Cloud only stopped working on Coral Island

[solemn hatch]

Thank you for confirming it. For now, could you please check this folder on your device:
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\LocalLow\Stairway Games\Coral Island\

Make sure the folder isn’t set to read-only, as that might prevent the game from saving your settings properly.

To check:

1. Right-click on the Coral Island folder.
2. Click Properties.
3. Under the General tab, make sure the “Read-only” box is unchecked.
4. Click Apply if you make any changes.

Let us know if that helps!

[late tinsel]

not working

I can only get to LocalLow, but then Stairway Games, it doesn't find it

I don't know if this helps, but my local files are saved in this path C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Coral Island

I'm at this point, but every time I disable the read-only option, apply and accept, suddenly I look at the properties again and it's enabled again

To explain better what happens, I disable the read-only option, apply and accept, then I play and apparently it seems that the cloud is updated, but when I exit the game it is deactivated again and the read-only option is automatically activated again

[solemn hatch]

Ahh, understood — thank you so much for giving it a try and keeping us updated!

For now, could you try unchecking the "Read-only" setting in the SaveGames folder for Coral Island?
You can find the folder by copy-pasting this path into your File Explorer:
%localappdata%\ProjectCoral\Saved\SaveGames

Then, try launching the game again and changing the in-game language to see if the settings save correctly.

Thanks again for your help!

[late tinsel]

It's strange because the same thing keeps happening to me, when I enter the game, it seems that the cloud is updated, but if I exit it tells me again that the cloud is not synchronized

[late tinsel]

what, again, does not let me click on yes to complete a character

I deleted the Coral Island folder to see if it worked, and now it won't re-create itself and it won't let me access that path. I think I'm messing it up

[solemn hatch]

Oh no 😢 I’m really sorry to hear this is happening again.
Could you let us know the exact path where you deleted the Coral Island folder? If possible, please also send us a screenshot of the current folder—this will help us a lot in understanding the situation better.

[late tinsel]

sorry, I made a mistake. I didn't delete the Coral Island folder, but the ProjectCoral folder

[solemn hatch]

Ah, I see. Could you please try reinstalling the game again?
You can follow the steps we shared earlier here:
#1391818031361163344 message

[late tinsel]

that folder still doesn't appear and the cloud still doesn't sync

[solemn hatch]

Thanks for the update. Could you now try to turn Controlled Folder Access ON or OFF again, following the steps we shared previously? #1391818031361163344 message
Then, try to launch Coral Island and see if the Project Coral folder reappears.

[late tinsel]

nope, not working

[solemn hatch]

Just to clarify—did the ProjectCoral folder not reappear at all, or did it show up but now you're stuck at the character customization screen?

If possible, could you please send us a short video showing the current situation? For example:

• When you're checking for the ProjectCoral folder
• When you're trying to create a character in-game
• Your Controller Access settings

This would really help the team investigate further. Feel free to DM me the video. Thanks so much!

[late tinsel]

How can I send it? I can't send it by DM because it's too heavy, and I wouldn't want to send it here because it exposes private information

Is there any way I can send it here, download the video quickly, and i delete it?

[solemn hatch]

Ohh! Could you upload the video to Google Drive and share access with [e-mail] only?

You can drop the link here or DM it to me, whichever’s easier.

[solemn hatch]

Hi again @late tinsel! Our team would like to request a screenshot or video of your Local folder (I’ll share mine in your DM as a reference).

To find it, please follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer
2. Go to C: drive
3. Open the Users folder
4. Click on your user name
5. Open the AppData folder (if you don’t see it, make sure hidden items are enabled)
6. Then go to Local

Once you're there, please check if the ProjectCoral folder appears. If it’s still missing, kindly send us a screenshot or short video showing the contents of that folder so we can verify it on our end.

Thank you so much!

[solemn hatch]

Hi @late tinsel! Thank you again for sending the details to us.
Since you mentioned that you previously deleted the ProjectCoral folder, have you tried to check your Recycle Bin?

You can check it by following these steps:

• Open your Recycle Bin
• Look for a folder named ProjectCoral
• If it’s there, right-click it and select Restore
• That should return it to the original location:
  C:\Users\kamus\AppData\Local\ProjectCoral

Once it's restored, try launching Coral Island again and see if it lets you create your character or save your settings properly. Let us know how it goes!

[late tinsel]

Good morning! the recycling bin is completely empty

[solemn hatch]

Ahh, I see! Thank you for letting us know the update.
Let’s try a clean reinstall with a different step just to make sure nothing left behind is causing issues.

Here’s what to do:

1. Uninstall Coral Island from your Steam library
2. Then go to this folder manually:
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\
3. Inside, look for the Coral Island folder and delete it manually
4. After that, reinstall Coral Island from Steam
5. Once installed, right-click the game > Properties > Installed Files > click Verify integrity of game files

Then try launching the game and creating your character again. Let us know how it goes!

[late tinsel]

itss not working

[solemn hatch]

Hi! We just got back from the weekend off — thanks for your patience!
When you mentioned it's not working, did the ProjectCoral folder not reappear at all? Or did it show up, but now you're stuck at the character customization screen?

[late tinsel]

dont worry, both of them

[solemn hatch]

Thank you for your confirmation!
We’ve cross-checked this matter again with the team, and we’re really sorry to say that there’s not much more we can do at this point. Since the game file folder was deleted manually, and reinstalling the game doesn’t restore that folder — which you've already tried — it prevents the game from continuing normally after character creation.

We completely understand how frustrating this must be, and we’re truly sorry you’re experiencing this. Right now, the only remaining options we can suggest are either trying to play Coral Island on a different PC, if one is available to you, or — if you're open to it — doing a full Windows reinstall on your current PC. We know that's a huge and inconvenient step, and we don’t take that suggestion lightly. 🙇‍♀️

Again, we're so sorry it came to this. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like help with either of the options above — we’re here to support you as best as we can. 🙌

[late tinsel]

okey i understand, thank u for all!!