Deskrawl Online vs Offline Characters and Connection Fixes
Online and offline compared
| Online character | Offline character | |
|---|---|---|
| Save | Important data managed by the server | Local save with Steam Cloud |
| Leaderboard | Yes | No |
| Steam Market | Yes | No |
| Needs a connection | Yes | No |
| Anti-cheat | Client-side plus server-side checks | Client-side |
| Default since 1.0 hot fix | Yes | Pick it manually |
Connection problems
- Blinking yellow dot, lower left: the game is talking to the server and will wait, sometimes on a black screen or without spawning enemies. Give it time.
- Cannot create an online character, STEAMID N/A: update Steam. The launch hot fix fixed the case of very old Steam clients.
- Steam Deck or Linux: players report forcing Proton 10.0-4 in Properties, Compatibility fixes both the online connection and missing DLC items.
- Disconnects during runs: the June patches reduced packet sizes and redundant saves. If it keeps happening, the developers ask for reports in Discord.
Anti-cheat
Patch 0.1.13 added client-side anti-cheat against memory modification, speed hacks and tampering with the game files, with an extra layer of data protection for online characters. This site does not list cheat tables or trainers. If the leaderboard matters to you, play an online character and report impossible times to the developers.
Transparency on Linux
Deskrawl draws on a transparent strip over the desktop. A player reports that transparency works on Linux with
Proton-GE 11-1 or newer and the launch option WINE_LAYERED_OVERLAY_ALPHA=1 %command%. This is a
community workaround; Steam lists Windows only. More on the platforms page.
Online mode questions
What is online mode for in Deskrawl?
Online characters have their important data managed by the server. They can appear on the leaderboard and use the market. It is not co-op; Steam lists the game as single-player.
Can an offline character become an online one?
The developers have not described a conversion. When online characters arrived in patch 0.1.13, existing characters were converted to offline ones, and the choice is made when you create a character.
Why does it say STEAMID N/A?
Launch players saw it when the game could not reach Steam. On Windows, update the Steam client; the launch hot fix addressed very old clients. On Steam Deck or Linux, players fixed it by forcing Proton 10.0-4.
Are cheaters banned?
The game has client-side anti-cheat and the developers described extra server-side protection for online characters. Players on launch day reported suspicious leaderboard times; we have not seen a developer statement about bans.
Can I run several characters at once?
Not officially. A player suggests it may be possible with offline characters only. A Life Skill lets a character keep earning while you are away.
Online mode notes checked:
Sources: developer patch notes 0.1.13 to 0.1.13e and the September 28 hot fix; Steam store page; Steam forum threads on online mode, Steam Deck, Proton and multiboxing.