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Fix Caves of Qud problems in layers: confirm that your computer meets the current requirements, update the operating system and graphics driver, reboot, verify the Steam installation, then remove mods and non-essential overlays. If the game still fails, reset its local configuration, test a direct executable launch, and use the documented renderer or display flags. These steps are reversible when you back up saves and record the original settings.
The right remedy depends on the symptom. A game that never opens points first to requirements, files, drivers, configuration, launchers, or security software. A freeze that occurs only in one save suggests a save or mod trigger. Low frame rate or slow turn processing requires separating hardware limits from overlays, renderer selection, display scaling, and game-specific content; official guidance does not establish one universal FPS target or a single setting that fixes every system.
Start with a symptom and a safe order of operations
Do the least destructive checks first. The sequence below preserves saves and produces useful evidence if you eventually contact support.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →| Symptom | First checks | More invasive diagnostics | What the result tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reports that the game stops, or no window appears | Requirements, OS and driver updates, reboot, Steam file verification | Disable mods and overlays; reset the local configuration; direct launch; test -force-vulkan or GALAXY:NO |
Whether the cause is likely hardware support, a damaged installation, a third-party conflict, a bad setting, or a launcher/renderer path |
| The game opens but freezes | Check whether it happens in a new game, one save, or one area; disable mods and overlays | Verify files, reset configuration, test another renderer, and collect logs | Whether the trigger follows a save, mod, configuration, or graphics path |
| Frame rate or turn processing is poor | Compare your system with the requirements, update drivers, reboot, and remove overlays | Test renderer and display options; compare a new game with a heavily developed save | Whether the bottleneck is below the supported baseline, caused by software interference, or tied to a particular game state |
Do not change several variables at once. After each step, launch the game and note whether the behavior changed. That record prevents you from losing the one change that helped.
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Check requirements before changing settings
The current Steam listing specifies these minimums. Steam also warns that a computer at or near the minimum can still experience launch or performance problems because hardware and software combinations vary.
| Platform | Operating system | Memory | Storage | Graphics/API requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 21H1 or Windows 11 21H2 | 4 GB RAM | 2 GB available storage | Graphics hardware capable of DirectX 10, DirectX 11, or DirectX 12 |
| macOS | macOS Big Sur 11 or newer | 4 GB RAM | 2 GB available storage | Metal-capable Intel or AMD graphics |
| Linux | Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 | 4 GB RAM | 2 GB available storage | OpenGL 3.2 or newer and Vulkan capability |
Check the actual OS release, installed RAM, GPU model, supported graphics APIs, and free space—not just the computer’s age. A system can satisfy the RAM number while lacking the required graphics API. If it is below a listed requirement, software troubleshooting cannot guarantee a launch or stable performance.
Fix a launch crash or a game that will not open
1. Update the operating system and graphics driver
Install pending operating-system updates and the current driver supplied for your GPU. Restart the computer after both updates. Steam’s general launch guidance places OS and driver updates near the beginning because an outdated driver can fail during initialization even when the game files are intact.
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2. Verify the Steam installation
- Open Steam and go to your Library.
- Right-click Caves of Qud, choose Properties, and open Installed Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files and let Steam finish.
- Launch only after the verification completes. If Steam replaces files, test again before making another change.
Verification repairs missing or altered installation files. It does not remove a broken local configuration or disable a mod, so continue to the relevant steps if the crash remains.
3. Remove mods and non-essential software from the test
Temporarily unsubscribe from every Caves of Qud mod. Also disable non-essential overlays and background tools while testing, including chat, recording, performance-monitoring, or hardware-control overlays. Reboot after removing the mods, as recommended in the developer’s pinned troubleshooting guidance.
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Keep this test clean: do not re-add mods one at a time until an unmodded new game launches reliably. If the unmodded game works, restore subscriptions gradually so the first failure identifies the conflict.
4. Reset the Windows local configuration
On Windows, the developer’s troubleshooting instructions identify this configuration directory:
C:Users{username}AppDataLocalLowFreehold GamesCavesOfQud
Before moving or deleting any user-data folder, back up your saves to a separate location. Then close the game and Steam, rename the directory (for example, append .backup) rather than deleting it, and launch the game. Renaming gives you a reversible test: if the new configuration fixes the crash, you can copy back individual data items later instead of losing the original folder.
This procedure resets local settings and other data stored there; it is not the same as verifying installation files. If the game still fails, close it and restore the backup only after you have recorded the result.
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5. Launch the executable directly
The developer troubleshooting thread recommends trying the game executable directly instead of starting it through Steam. Use the executable in the installed game directory, with Steam closed or bypassed only for the test. A direct launch can distinguish a Steam handoff or overlay problem from a failure inside the game itself. Record whether a window appears, whether an error message changes, and whether a log is produced.
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6. Test documented launch arguments
Treat launch flags as diagnostic experiments, not permanent performance tweaks. In Steam, open the game’s Properties, select General, and enter one argument at a time in Launch Options. Remove an argument if it worsens the behavior.
| Argument | Use as a test for | How to interpret the result |
|---|---|---|
-force-vulkan |
A renderer initialization or graphics-API conflict | If the game starts only with this flag, the default renderer path deserves further investigation; it is not proof that Vulkan is faster on your system. |
GALAXY:NO |
A launcher or platform-integration conflict | If behavior changes, compare a clean launch with and without the argument and keep the working state documented for support. |
Do not combine both flags on the first test. A single-variable result is more useful than a launch that happens to work with several unknown changes.
7. Check antivirus or security software
If antivirus is active, temporarily test an exclusion for the game directory, following your security product’s own controls. Launch once, then restore normal protection settings after diagnosis. An exclusion should be a short, controlled test—not a reason to leave the game permanently unprotected. If the exclusion changes nothing, remove it and continue troubleshooting.
Platform-specific launch checks
Windows
Windows users have the documented local-configuration path and can test both direct execution and -force-vulkan. Confirm that the GPU supports at least one of DirectX 10, 11, or 12, then update its driver before experimenting with flags. If a reset produces a clean launch, restore saves cautiously and leave the renamed configuration backup untouched until the issue is understood.
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macOS
macOS requires Big Sur 11 or newer and Metal-capable Intel or AMD graphics according to the current listing. The developer troubleshooting guidance suggests forcing a display size with these arguments, replacing the letters with your display’s resolution:
-screen-width n -screen-height m
Enter both values together for a test, such as the width and height reported by macOS display settings. Remove the flags if the game becomes less stable or the window is unusable.
For Intel HD graphics, the same guidance suggests choosing Scale Full Screen instead of Maintain Display Scaling. Change only that display-scaling setting, test, and record the result. This is a compatibility check for a particular graphics path, not a universal quality recommendation.
Linux
The listing names Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04, OpenGL 3.2 or newer, and Vulkan capability. Confirm that the installed graphics stack exposes those APIs before testing launch flags. If the game opens through a direct executable but not through Steam, compare the environment and launch path rather than assuming that the renderer is at fault.
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When the game launches but freezes
Determine whether the freeze follows a save or location
Test a new game before repeatedly loading the affected save. Note whether the freeze happens during startup, while loading one save, after entering one area, or after a repeatable action. A freeze that follows one save or location is different evidence from a freeze that occurs in every new game.
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- Only one save or area: preserve the original save, test without mods, and record the exact reproduction steps.
- Every new game: prioritize file verification, configuration reset, driver updates, renderer tests, and overlay removal.
- Intermittent: record session length, actions immediately before the freeze, and whether a reboot changes the frequency.
Use a clean configuration and mod-free test
Complete the mod-removal test and, on Windows, the configuration-folder rename described above. Do not judge the result from a previously modded save alone: start a new game so that old mod data is not part of the comparison. If the clean test works, restore one change at a time and stop when the freeze returns.
Separate a visual freeze from slow turn processing
Some apparent freezes are long processing pauses rather than a permanently unresponsive window. Check whether audio, animation, or input resumes after waiting, and record how long the pause lasts. Compare a new game with the affected save. Official guidance does not publish a universal wait time or FPS target, so do not treat one number as a guaranteed failure threshold.
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Confirm the baseline first
Check the requirements table, free storage, graphics API, driver version, and operating-system version before changing quality settings. A machine at or near the minimum can have performance problems even when the game technically starts; Steam explicitly cautions about that boundary.
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Disable non-essential overlays and background tools for one controlled run. Reboot, start an unmodded new game, and compare the same area or sequence. If performance improves, re-enable tools individually to identify the source rather than leaving every program disabled indefinitely.
Compare renderer and display paths
On a system that meets the Vulkan requirement, test -force-vulkan by itself. On macOS, test the documented width and height flags or the Intel HD scaling option when display initialization or scaling appears involved. Keep notes on frame pacing, input responsiveness, load times, and turn-processing pauses; a higher instantaneous frame rate does not necessarily mean that simulation turns process faster.
Distinguish hardware limits from content-specific slowdowns
Run the same short sequence in a new game and in the affected save. If only the developed save is slow, report the save context and reproduction steps rather than claiming that one global graphics setting is responsible. If every test is slow on hardware near the minimum, the evidence points toward a capability or workload limit; official sources do not promise a universal setting that removes it.
Reversibility and what each remedy changes
| Remedy | Platforms | Reversible? | Resets settings or disables mods? | Useful escalation evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OS and driver update, reboot | Windows, macOS, Linux | Usually; driver rollback depends on the platform | No | Before-and-after driver and OS versions |
| Steam file verification | Steam-supported platforms | Yes; it repairs installation files | No | Files Steam reacquired and verification result |
| Unsubscribe from mods | All platforms | Yes; resubscribe after testing | Disables mods for the test | Whether a new unmodded game works |
| Rename the Windows configuration directory | Windows | Yes, if the backup is retained | Yes; local settings and data in that directory are replaced on next launch | Whether a fresh configuration changes the symptom |
| Direct executable launch | All platforms where the executable is accessible | Yes | No | Difference between direct and Steam launch behavior |
-force-vulkan or GALAXY:NO |
Launch-option test | Yes; remove the argument | No | Which exact argument changes startup |
| macOS resolution or scaling test | macOS | Yes; remove flags or restore scaling | No | Display resolution, GPU type, and result |
| Antivirus exclusion | Any platform with active antivirus | Yes; remove it after the test | No | Whether the exclusion changes launch behavior |
Collect the right evidence before contacting support
When the layered checks do not resolve the issue, send a concise reproduction report to Freehold Games at support@freeholdgames.com, the support address listed on Steam. Include:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Operating system and exact version.
- CPU, GPU, graphics API support, installed RAM, and available storage.
- Game branch or version shown by Steam.
- Whether the installation was verified and whether the OS and graphics driver were updated.
- Mod subscriptions and whether the issue occurs with every mod removed.
- Any launch arguments, including
-force-vulkan,GALAXY:NO, or macOS resolution flags. - Whether you launched through Steam or directly from the executable.
- Exact reproduction steps, including whether the problem occurs in a new game, one save, or one area.
- The result of configuration reset, overlay removal, and antivirus testing.
Attach output_log.txt. If a crash can be reproduced from a save, include Primary.sav as the developer troubleshooting guidance recommends. Preserve an untouched copy of the save and explain which file is the original. Logs without the platform, version, reproduction steps, and launch options are much harder to interpret.
Quick Recap
A compact decision path
- Confirm the OS, RAM, storage, GPU, and graphics API against the current Steam requirements.
- Update the OS and graphics driver, reboot, and verify Steam files.
- Remove all mods and disable non-essential overlays; test a new game.
- If Windows is affected, rename the local configuration directory after backing up saves.
- Try a direct executable launch, then test one documented launch argument at a time.
- On macOS, test the documented resolution flags or Intel HD scaling option when display initialization is implicated.
- Run one controlled antivirus-exclusion test, then restore protection.
- Record the exact outcome and send the logs and, when relevant,
Primary.savto support.
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