Running the game in compatibility mode and trying to troubleshoot it was what got the game to screw up. Removing the readme file fixed the file error, but even after deleting the ini file and redownloading the game, it still only gives me the cruise option and none of the other game modes and shows only the one mermaid, not even the other's silhouette.
Hi, just as a heads up, I'm able to reset my save by switching out the .ini file right in the normal game folder (the downloaded folder with the .exe) and it generates new .inis there too, so I think it might be reading from that folder right now, at least for me. Not a problem or anything at all, just thought I should let you know!
Yep, there's a hungrymermaidcruise.ini file in the game folder for me! If I rename it to force the game to generate a new one it resets my save, so it seems to be reading from there too. I am using the previous release where I had to delete README.txt, if that matters, but I haven't had any problems saving and loading, so I'm completely fine with just copying the save into whatever folder it needs to be in for any future releases.
Do you still have your downloaded folder for the last version of the game? It sounds like it somehow overwrote your save file with a fresh one before when you were in compatibility mode (though I'm not sure why it would do that), so just deleting the new .ini will only make the game create a new fresh one. If you can, you want to take the old .ini from the version of the game you played before and copy/paste it into the new folder to replace or overwrite the new .ini.
Unfortunately, if you don't have an old .ini, you might have to start over, but if the game is working properly you should at least be able to unlock the other modes again through playing.
I just want the game to work. The save file doesn't matter any more. Unless the game is meant to be like how it was half a year ago when it was first released when you first start without even the passive mode it isn't working, which is what I was trying to say when I stated it only gives me cruise, no other game modes, and there's not even silhouette's of the other mermaids.
Windows troubleshooting when I was trying to fix the initial error essentially bricked the game.