Match the missing-folder error
If Thunderstore Mod Manager shows “The How to Fish folder does not exist”, open its Settings and check the game folder. This error can appear when the saved path no longer matches the installation Steam uses.
This check is for Dazed Games' How to Fish, Steam App 4001890. A folder lookup failure happens before normal gameplay. A Unity crash window, Steam Error 51, or a game that opens without mods needs a different next step.
Find the installed game folder through Steam
- Open How to Fish in your Steam Library. Confirm that it is installed. A moved library, disconnected drive or incomplete install can leave an old path behind.
- Right-click the game and choose Manage → Browse local files. Use the folder Steam opens instead of assuming a particular drive letter or typing a path from someone else's PC.
- Open the matching How to Fish profile in the mod manager. In Settings, find the game-directory location. In r2modman, use Locations → “Change <game> directory”; Thunderstore wording can vary by version.
- Select the actual installation directory. Match the folder opened by Steam. A folder picker may hide files while still showing the right directory.
- Try launching again and note the result. If the folder error disappears but another error replaces it, the path check succeeded and the new message identifies the next problem.
The game directory, Steam directory, mod-profile folder and LocalLow save folder serve different purposes. For a game-directory field, use the installed game. A separate Steam-directory field points to the folder containing Steam itself.
1.1.0: ground pickup works, but shop buying throws MissingMethodException
A September 28 player report explicitly describes a modded setup: ground items can be picked up, shop purchases fail, and the log names MissingMethodException in a Player/PlayerPickUp[/keyboard/e] callback. The reviewed thread has no confirmed culprit or fix. It is not the same symptom as a folder that cannot be found before launch.
- Back up the wanted save and preserve the mod profile. Record the game build, loader and plugin versions before changing the setup.
- Compare the same purchase in a clean setup. Steam launch is not necessarily unmodded if a loader was installed manually or launch arguments remain active. Follow the loader’s own removal or disable instructions; do not randomly delete files.
- Check compatibility with 1.1.0. Look for an explicit package update or maintainer note, not just a recent download date. No specific plugin is identified as the cause by this report.
- Keep the actual exception and result. If only a modded profile fails, report that controlled comparison to the relevant maintainer. If a clean game also fails, retain that distinction in the game report.
These are reversible diagnostic checks, not a proven repair. The 1.1.0 announcement does not list a shop-input fix. A euro-priced bow or bone that your dollar balance cannot cover is a different question; see euros versus dollars. Do not bypass a purchase by editing a save or replacing the game executable.
Choose the next check from what launches
| Result | Next check |
|---|---|
| Steam cannot open the installed folder | Check installation status and the library drive in Steam before changing a mod profile. |
| Steam starts the game; the manager still reports a missing folder | Recheck the selected game, profile and saved game-directory path. |
| Steam starts the game; the manager opens it without mods | Use the manager's modded launch option, then inspect the profile's loader and dependencies. |
| A Unity or Steam error also appears when launching from Steam | Follow the matching Unity crash or Steam Error 51 guide. |
| Only a populated mod profile crashes | Preserve that profile, compare with a separate minimal profile, and add plugins back one at a time. |
Launching through Steam normally gives an unmodded baseline, but manually installed loaders or custom launch arguments can remain active. Record any manual installation or launch arguments before interpreting the comparison.
Does How to Fish have Steam Workshop mods?
As of September 10, Dazed Games has not announced Steam Workshop support in the official patch notes through 1.0.12, and the Steam app feature list checked then did not list Workshop. Thunderstore packages use their own mod-manager or manual installation steps; they are not Steam Workshop subscriptions.
For community VR, follow the HowToFishXR setup guide. For mouse settings, the browser sensitivity calculator works without installing a mod.
Protect the profile and existing save
Keep your original mod profile while testing another one. Back up local progress with the save-folder guide before loading an important campaign under a changed plugin set. Correcting the installation path does not require deleting saves, reinstalling Steam or replacing the game's executable.
Record the game version, manager version, loader and individual plugin versions. A package being available to download does not establish compatibility with every game patch, another loader, Steam Deck or every host/client combination. Follow the selected package's own dependency instructions rather than mixing loader files.
Details that make a support report useful
Include the exact dialog, the selected game profile, whether Steam launches the game, and whether a separate minimal profile launches. If the game starts, keep its current Player.log; Patch 1.0.10 added the game version to that log. If the manager cannot find the folder at all, a fresh game log may not exist because the game never started.
Add the relevant loader log when one is produced. Remove personal directory names from any public report, and describe the missing-path result separately from any later plugin error.