Steam demo saves should transfer automatically. If a Windows Steam save is missing, tinyBuild says to copy its .dat and .info files from the demo save folder to the full-game folder; Steam Cloud can supply the files. Steam Deck/Linux players also report a separate Proton-folder workaround. The current support list gives no Nintendo transfer status, and cross-platform transfer is unconfirmed.
About this guide
This guide distinguishes official information, player reports, and details that still need gameplay evidence. Source notes below identify what each reference supports.
How information is handled ↗Key details
- Demo
- Free · released September 14, 2026
- Full game
- Steam PC marked released September 22, 2026
- Length
- Publisher estimate: around 3–4 hours
- Save carryover
- Steam automatic; official Windows manual-copy steps
- Deck/Linux
- Community folder-copy workaround; back up saves first
Download the PC demo
Use the “Free Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo · Install on Steam” source below. It is app 5075680; the full-game listing is app 4358690. Choose Install Demo, then open it through Steam. A full-game preorder is not required to download the free demo.
Console availability
The September 14 announcement names Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch 2 alongside Steam. Open your console store and look for the demo listing. The original Switch is not named in that announcement; do not assume the full-game platform list is also the demo list.
How long is it, and where does it end?
Steam describes approximately three to four hours from the opening through the introduction of The Town. This is an estimate, not a stated time limit. It is an opening slice, so reaching its endpoint does not mean the full game is finished.
Can I keep my progress?
The launch post says demo saves carry into the full game, and tinyBuild’s Steam support page says Steam transfer should happen automatically. The current known-issues page no longer lists its earlier Nintendo Switch transfer warning. That removal does not confirm a fix or establish transfer behavior on either Nintendo model; preserve your demo save and check your console’s own import prompt before relying on carryover.
Windows Steam: official manual transfer
If Steam does not import your demo save, close the game and back up both save folders. In File Explorer, open %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Lazy Bear Games\Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo. Copy the matching .dat and .info save files into %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Lazy Bear Games\Graveyard Keeper 2, keeping the originals. tinyBuild also says you can download the files from Steam Cloud before copying them. Relaunch the full game and check the save list. These are the publisher’s Windows Steam instructions; they do not establish a console or Linux import path.
Steam Deck and Linux: a player-reported workaround
If the game does not see your demo save, first close the game and back up the save folders. On Steam Deck, switch to Desktop Mode, open Steam, right-click Graveyard Keeper 2, then Manage → Browse local files. Go up to steamapps/compatdata. The full game uses AppID 4358690; the demo uses 5075680.
In each AppID folder, open pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Lazy Bear Games. Copy the entire “Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo” folder from the demo location into the full-game location, beside “Graveyard Keeper 2”. Do not move or delete the original. Relaunch the game and check for the save. Linux paths vary by installation; the default Steam location starts at ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/.
This workaround comes from a Steam Deck/Linux player post. Other players report that automatic transfer worked for them, so the manual step is not needed on every device. It is not an official migration procedure, does not solve Nintendo transfer, and may not recover a save that exists only in cloud storage. If the game still cannot load it, keep your backups and use the publisher’s bug-report instructions. Kingy has not tested save import.
Keep demo findings separate
A recipe or quest completed in the demo can still differ in the retail build. Record the platform and build when sharing a route, and check whether a current support notice applies before changing or replacing a save.
Related questions
Sources for this guide
Guide reviewed September 23, 2026. Official notices, community reports, and demo footage have separate scopes; Kingy has not playtested this guide.
- Free Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo · Install on Steam ↗
Official demo store listing · September 14, 2026 · Source checked September 19, 2026
- Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo is Now Available! · September 14 ↗
Official demo announcement · September 14, 2026 · Source checked September 19, 2026
- Graveyard Keeper 2 · Steam store page ↗
Official store listing · Source checked September 23, 2026
- Graveyard Keeper 2 is OUT NOW · launch announcement ↗
Official launch post · September 22, 2026 · Source checked September 23, 2026
- [Steam] Transferring Demo Save Files to the Full Game ↗
Official Steam save-transfer instructions · checked September 23, 2026 · Source checked September 23, 2026
- Known issues · official Graveyard Keeper 2 support ↗
Official support list · checked September 23, 2026 · Source checked September 23, 2026
- PSA for people struggling to transfer their saves on Steam Deck or Linux ↗
Community workaround · September 22, 2026 · Source checked September 23, 2026
- Graveyard Keeper 2 · Steam bug reports ↗
Live player bug reports · checked September 23, 2026 · Source checked September 23, 2026
- How to report a bug · official support form ↗
Official bug-report instructions · Source checked September 19, 2026