💡 Tips & Strategy
- Start Small: Focus on Small Island and Archipelago areas first — lowest client counts mean less heat
- Build Reputation: Each town tracks your reputation independently — supply reliably to build trust
- Follow Questlines: Cartel Operations alone has 67 tasks and 57,300 XP — the biggest questline by far
- City Access: Bahía de Oro requires progression through earlier areas first
- Use the Map: Invest in navigation — the island is large with distinct biomes and territories
- Characters Matter: Influencers in each town unlock special deals and wholesale access
🐛 Common Bugs & FAQ
⚠ Save Warning
If game models fail to load correctly, do NOT save your game — this can permanently damage your save file. Reload your last save instead.
Fatal Error / Crash on Startup
Open %localappdata%\DrugDealerSimulator2\Saved\Config\Windows\GameUserSettings.ini and change FrameRateLimit=0.000000 to your monitor refresh rate (e.g. FrameRateLimit=60.000000). Also try launching with the DX11 option.
LowLevelFatalError / Oodle Decompression Error
Common on Intel 13th/14th Gen CPUs. Disable overclocking in BIOS or lower Performance Core multiplier via Intel XTU.
Benita Questline Bug
Do NOT kill Benita's brother Ramón — this triggers a bug that locks you out of Dueño and Colina. If Jean dies to gangsters/police or you die in the cave fight, the quest can also break. Follow the mission strictly and avoid distractions.
Keybinds Cannot Be Reassigned
Delete %localappdata%\DrugDealerSimulator2\Saved\SaveGames\UserSettings.sav and restart the game. Linux users: navigate through Proton files to find the same file.
Street Cred Starts at -1
Known bug where you start with -1 street cred instead of 0. Fight a thug and it resets to 0.
Game Saves Disappeared from Load UI
Backup your cartel folder from %localappdata%\DrugDealerSimulator2\Saved\SaveGames\Cartels, delete from AppData, create a new cartel with the exact same name, paste backup files (except CartelDefaults.sav), and reload.
Polish Tooltips Appearing
The dev team is Polish — some minor tooltips may temporarily appear in Polish. This will be resolved after more critical bugs are addressed.
Co-op Issues
Ensure all players have the updated game, same mods (or no mods), and a legit version. If guests don't see quests on the phone UI, complete any available quest to reset the UI. To switch solo→co-op: save, return to menu, click Continue, enable “Allow joining,” then invite friends via pause menu.
🐧 Linux & Steam Deck
Compatibility
DDS2 works on Linux and Steam Deck via Steam’s Proton compatibility layer. Enable Proton in Steam settings. First runs may be slower as shaders compile. The Flatpak version of Steam tends to be more stable.
Performance
If experiencing lag or low FPS, try launching with DirectX 11 instead of DX12. This is the most common fix for performance issues on Linux.
Save File Location
your-steam-directory/steamapps/compatdata/682990/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/DrugDealerSimulator/Saved/Serialized
Controller on Steam Deck
You must manually map the controller using the Steam Deck’s controller settings menu. On desktop Linux, use the Controller Configurator in Steam.