Based on my testing, this is a bug with v0.11.0.48. Use v0.11.0.49 which shouldn’t (at least in my testing) experience this issue.
https://files.aemony.se/sharex/Special%20K%20v0.11.0.49.zip
Damn random bugs that can appear… I was going crazy trying to figure this one out as SK typically didn’t have a need to create the steam_appid.txt file for this game or in general (it’s a fallback that should only be used if the Steam API doesn’t properly initiate), and I didn’t remember having any issues of this sort when I played through the game back in June with SK.
Turns out throwing v48 at the game reproduced the issue immediately for me as well 
v0.11.0.49 technically isn’t ‘official’ yet, but it’s mostly stable based on my testing, although the 64-bit DLL file is an hour or two newer than the 32-bit, and includes some minor change or something mentioned somewhere in Topic-Free Mega Thread - v 1.11.2020.