Start with where you're playing
The public browser alpha uses Google sign-in. Your Cred and collectible inventory belong to that signed-in game account. Returning with the same account loads that account's collection.
The Steam edition uses Steam's account and inventory systems. Browser and Steam inventories are separate. Opening a Case File in the browser does not grant its five cards to your Steam inventory, and owning a Steam copy isn't a promise that it will appear in the browser Stash.
This isn't a distinction you should have to discover after an opening. The browser alpha page states the separation before you play. If carrying one collection between platforms is essential to you, judge the current feature set on that published behavior.
| Question | Browser alpha | Steam edition |
|---|---|---|
| How do I identify the account? | The Google account used to sign in | The Steam account used by the game |
| Where is the collection? | The signed-in game account's inventory | The edition's Steam Inventory integration |
| Does an opening transfer automatically? | No automatic grant to Steam | No promised automatic browser copy |
| Where should I check availability? | The public browser page | The official Steam store page |
A save is not the browser's artwork cache
The browser downloads game art and 3D assets as you move through the experience. An initial visit may take longer than a return to a screen whose assets are already cached. That loading behavior is different from ownership.
A fast-loading portrait doesn't prove that your account owns a particular slab. A slowly loading portrait doesn't prove that it lost one. Check the account's inventory and let its request finish rather than judging the result from an empty image placeholder.
The same distinction helps when changing computers. Your local cache and your signed-in collection are different things. Start by signing into the intended account, then look at its balance and Stash. Don't create another account as an attempted repair before checking whether you've simply chosen a different Google identity.
If a card seems missing
First check the platform. A card opened in the browser belongs on the browser side. Next check the account. Finally, clear Stash filters and inspect the collection by date, since a role or variant filter can hide a perfectly healthy item.
Make the report specific if the discrepancy remains: which edition, roughly when the opening happened, which card or Case File you expected, and what the screen currently shows. A screenshot of the relevant balance or opening result is more useful than repeatedly buying another file to test whether the first purchase worked.
Never include a password, account token or payment-card information in that report. The useful evidence identifies the event; it doesn't require handing someone your login.
Steam adds another display layer
A Steam inventory thumbnail and an in-game inspected slab don't necessarily show the same amount of detail. Steam's general item system separates shared definitions from properties attached to individual copies. Valve documents attached accessories as one way to display per-item details in inventory and Market views.
That is relevant to reading a slab's grade and wear badges, but it doesn't connect the browser inventory to Steam. Nor does a “tradable” item description override Steam's own account restrictions or establish that a buyer is waiting for it.
The Steam edition is currently listed as coming soon and can be wishlisted. The browser alpha is playable now. Choose the browser to try the game today, and keep its separate inventory in mind before you collect.