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Make a verified manual copy of the demo’s complete save and profile data before uninstalling. Steam Cloud may preserve some files, but it is optional, controlled by the developer, and does not guarantee that every roguelike run, unlock, setting, or demo-to-full-game save will return. Finish and quit the game normally, identify its Steam appID and actual save path, copy the files to an independent destination, verify the copy, and only then remove the demo.
Why Steam Cloud is not a complete backup
Steam Cloud synchronizes only the files a developer has configured for that application. A demo can have Cloud enabled, disabled, or only partially configured. A Cloud badge therefore does not prove that every save file is synchronized, that an offline run has uploaded, or that the demo and commercial release use compatible data.
Cloud is also tied to an application ID (appID). A demo and its full game commonly have different appIDs. They share progress automatically only when the developer configured shared Cloud storage or deliberately made the local save format and path compatible. A matching filename by itself is not evidence that the full game can read the demo save.
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Do these checks before copying anything
Finish a clean save and exit normally
Complete or abandon the current run through the game’s normal menus, wait for the profile or run to save, and quit to the desktop. Do not force-close the process, shut down the computer, or put a Steam Deck to sleep while a save is being written. After the game closes, wait until Steam returns to the library and any Cloud synchronization indicator has finished.
An unsynchronized exit can leave a newer local file and an older Cloud copy. Preserving the local files before uninstalling gives you a recovery option if Steam later offers the wrong version.
Check Cloud for this specific demo
- Open the demo’s Steam store page and look for the Steam Cloud badge.
- In your Library, right-click the demo, choose Properties, and open General.
- Check the per-game Cloud setting. Steam can also have Cloud disabled globally, so a disabled global setting overrides what you expect from an individual title.
Record what you find, but treat Cloud as an additional copy rather than your only backup. Developers decide which files are included, and some games do not use Cloud for saves at all.
Record the demo’s appID
The appID is visible in the demo’s store URL or store page. You need it to distinguish this demo from the full game and to locate the corresponding Steam Cloud directory. On a computer with several demos installed, relying on a folder name or a similar-looking title is risky.
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For Auto-Cloud games, Steam maintains an appID-specific area beneath your Steam userdata directory. The appID folder is useful evidence, but it is not necessarily the only save location: many games keep local saves in a user profile, Documents folder, or Proton prefix.
Find the real save location
Start with the demo developer’s official FAQ, support page, community forum, or documentation. Look for the exact save filename and path, including whether the game stores a profile, settings, screenshots, or run history beside the main save. If the developer documents more than one path, copy each relevant folder.
Steam’s common locations are a starting point, not a universal rule. The Cloud cache and the local save can be different directories.
| Platform | Steam Cloud cache (default location) | Common local-save locations |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata[SteamID][appID] |
%APPDATA%, %LOCALAPPDATA%, %USERPROFILE%Saved Games, Documents, or the game’s install directory |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/[SteamID]/[appID]/ |
~/Library/Application Support/ or ~/Documents/ |
| Linux or SteamOS | ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata/[SteamID]/[appID]/ |
Native XDG or home-directory paths; Proton games may use a Windows-style path inside steamapps/compatdata/[appID]/pfx/ |
[SteamID] is your account-specific directory and [appID] is the numeric ID for the demo. Do not copy a similarly named folder belonging to the full game or another account.
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Steam Deck and Proton details
A Windows demo running through Proton can place its save inside the Proton prefix rather than in the SteamOS home paths you might expect. The prefix is associated with the demo’s appID under steamapps/compatdata/[appID]/pfx/. The exact subfolder follows the Windows path used by the game, so the developer’s documented location remains the authority. If you are unsure, launch the demo, make a harmless settings change, quit normally, and use the changed file’s timestamp to identify which candidate folder is active.
Distinguish saves from install content
The installation directory contains executable and asset files that Steam can redownload. A save or profile may be elsewhere and may not have an obvious name. Copy the complete documented save/profile directory, including nearby configuration files the game uses to identify the profile. Do not delete or rename the original while you are still establishing which files matter.
Make and verify a manual backup
- Create a dated backup folder. Use a descriptive name such as
RoguelikeDemo-save-backup-2026-10-19. Include the demo title and the date so you can distinguish multiple versions. - Close the game and Steam writes. Quit the demo normally. Wait for Steam’s Cloud indicator to finish, then exit Steam or at least ensure no Steam process is still updating the files you are copying.
- Copy, do not move. Copy the entire save/profile folder and any additional path identified by the developer into the dated backup folder. Leave the source files in place until restoration has been tested.
- Preserve the directory structure. Inside the backup, retain enough of the original path to show where each folder belongs. For example, keep separate folders for the appID Cloud cache and a local Documents or AppData save rather than merging files with identical names.
- Use an independent destination. Put the copy on another internal disk, a USB flash drive, an external SSD, or encrypted cloud storage. A second location protects the files if the drive containing Steam is reformatted or fails.
- Check file sizes and dates. Confirm that expected files have non-zero sizes and plausible modification times. A zero-byte file, a newly created empty directory, or a timestamp from an earlier run can indicate that you copied the wrong path.
- Read the backup from the second location. Browse the copied folder after disconnecting and reconnecting the external device, or otherwise verify that the files can be opened and read independently of the original. Steam recommends testing backup media after creation.
- Keep the backup untouched. Do not open the save in a text editor, rename individual files, or overwrite it with a newer Cloud copy. Make a second dated copy if you need to experiment with restoration.
Copying the Steam installation through Steam’s built-in backup feature does not automatically include every third-party save location. Steam’s documentation notes that these files vary by game and must be copied back to their corresponding folders during restoration.
Choose a backup destination
| Destination | Strength | Limitation | Good use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another local disk | Fast and convenient for a same-computer reinstall | Can be lost with the computer or a shared storage failure | Short-term protection while removing and reinstalling a demo |
| USB flash drive | Portable and independent of the Steam drive | Small devices can be misplaced or fail; verify that the copy remains readable | A simple offline copy for a single demo or profile |
| External SSD | Room for multiple game backups and fast copying | Requires a separate device and safe storage | A library of dated saves across several roguelikes |
| Encrypted cloud storage | Protects against loss or damage to local drives | Requires a separate service and careful account security | Long-term retention or access from another computer |
Steam does not require a particular brand, capacity, or speed. The important properties are separation from the drive being uninstalled, reliable read access, and a backup you can identify and restore.
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Can the demo save move to the full game?
Sometimes, but only under conditions established by the developer. Steamworks supports shared Cloud storage between two appIDs, a common way to let a demo and full game use the same progress. Developers can also use compatible local paths and formats. Without one of those arrangements, the full game may ignore the demo files, reject them as incompatible, or start a new profile.
Signs that transfer is supported
- The developer explicitly says the demo and full game share saves or unlocks.
- The support documentation identifies both appIDs and a shared Cloud configuration.
- The demo and full game use the same documented save path and format, with instructions for moving or importing the profile.
Safe transfer procedure
- Finish the demo and make the verified manual backup first.
- Install the full game without deleting the backup.
- Launch the full game once, then exit. This lets it create its own folders and any initial profile.
- Quit Steam and the game before replacing files.
- Follow the developer’s transfer instructions exactly. If shared Cloud storage is configured, avoid manually mixing files from different appIDs unless the instructions require it.
- Start the full game and check unlocks, settings, and the expected profile. Keep the original backup until that test succeeds.
Do not infer compatibility from a shared title, an identical filename, or the fact that both products appear in the same library. The appIDs, save format, and developer configuration determine whether a transfer works.
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Windows
After the manual copy has been verified, uninstall the demo from Steam. Uninstalling removes installed content. If you need the installation files later, preserve the relevant steamapps data rather than assuming Steam will retain it. Your independent save backup should not be inside the folder being removed.
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macOS
Steam documents that the SteamApps directory contains game downloads and local save files when retaining game data for a reinstall. Still, keep the separately copied save/profile folder: local save layouts vary, and a reinstall is not a substitute for a tested backup.
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Linux and SteamOS
Before uninstalling a Proton demo, check both the normal home-directory locations and the demo’s compatdata/[appID]/pfx/ prefix. Removing the game can remove the prefix that contains the Windows-style save. Copy the needed files out of that prefix first.
Restore a demo or full-game save
- Reinstall the same demo or the intended full game. Use the correct appID and account. If the game was moved to another library, verify the installation location before copying anything.
- Launch once and exit if necessary. A first launch can create the expected folders. Do not make meaningful new progress before deciding which backup is authoritative.
- Quit the game and Steam. This prevents an active process from rewriting files while you restore them.
- Check the target path. Use the developer’s documented path and the current appID. For Proton, confirm that the prefix belongs to the installed appID.
- Preserve the newly created files. Rename the new folder or copy it elsewhere before replacing it, so you can undo the operation.
- Copy the backup into the corresponding location. Restore the complete folder rather than one guessed file, and maintain the original directory structure.
- Handle Cloud conflicts deliberately. If Steam displays a conflict, compare the modification times shown for the local and Cloud versions. Choose the copy that represents the progress you want. Offline play and exits that were not synchronized can produce conflicting versions.
- Test in the game. Load the profile or run and check unlocks, settings, inventory, and the expected run state. Do not delete the backup immediately after the first successful launch.
If the game starts with a blank profile, quit without making new progress. Re-check the appID, the developer’s exact path, and whether the demo used a Proton prefix. Then try the other verified backup or the Cloud version, one at a time, while preserving each candidate.
Troubleshooting common failure cases
The Cloud badge is present, but progress is missing
Check whether Cloud was disabled globally or for the demo, whether the last exit completed synchronization, and which files the developer actually configured. Look for a local save in AppData, Documents, Application Support, Saved Games, or the Proton prefix. A Cloud cache folder can exist even when the meaningful save is elsewhere.
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You may be looking at the wrong Steam library, account directory, or appID. Confirm the numeric ID from the demo’s store page and check every Steam library location. The game may also use a local path that is unrelated to userdata.
The restored profile is ignored
Verify that the game is fully closed, the backup matches the installed edition, and the files are in the exact developer-documented folder. Some games create a new profile with a different identifier on first launch. Restore the complete profile directory, not only a file that happens to contain “save” in its name.
Steam keeps choosing the wrong Cloud version
Stop launching the game repeatedly. Compare the conflict dialog’s timestamps and select the version with the desired progress. If the dialog no longer appears, temporarily preserve the local files, restore your manual copy while Steam is closed, and then allow synchronization only after confirming the in-game state.
The demo was uninstalled before a backup was made
Do not install or play unrelated games on the same drive if recovery is important. Check the Recycle Bin or Trash, any remaining Steam library folders, the Cloud version, and system or external backups. Recovery is not guaranteed, particularly if uninstalling removed the local save or if a newer empty profile has already synchronized.
Quick Recap
A repeatable routine for future demos
- Before uninstalling, finish a normal save and wait for Cloud synchronization.
- Record the demo’s appID and the developer-documented save paths.
- Copy the complete save/profile data to a dated, independent location.
- Verify readable, non-zero files and retain the original until restoration is tested.
- After reinstalling, resolve Cloud conflicts by timestamps rather than guessing.
- Load the restored profile and check unlocks and run state before deleting any backup.
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