If your game targets 64‑bit or Proton, you must use a different crash‑reporting mechanism (e.g., Google Breakpad, Crashpad, or a custom solution).
According to the official Steamworks documentation, the function is defined as:
return 0;
This guide explores what this function does, how to implement it, and how to analyze the files it generates. What is SteamAPI_WriteMiniDump? SteamAPI WriteMiniDump
This error occurs when the Steam API isn't properly linked. Solutions:
A hardcoded debug assert triggered in the release build. Steamworks Built-in Alternative: Crash Reporting API
For games already using other crash reporting systems, SteamAPI_WriteMiniDump can serve as an additional channel. Call it alongside other reporting mechanisms: If your game targets 64‑bit or Proton, you
Click "Debug with Native Only" to start the analysis.
: Specific identifiers for the type of error (e.g., access violation).
Once a developer has these files, they use debugging tools like Visual Studio This error occurs when the Steam API isn't properly linked
Remember that build ID values above 10,000,000 will cause the report to fail. Keep build numbers within the valid range, or simply pass 0 as shown in Valve's examples.
Once the dump file is generated (usually in the same folder as your executable), you need to analyze it. Using Visual Studio Open the .dmp file in Visual Studio. Click .
On Windows, wrap critical sections in structured exception handling ( __try / __except ) or set a top-level unhandled exception filter to capture crashes, such as access violations, that are otherwise fatal. 4. WriteMiniDump and Related Functions