Quick answer
On Windows, the demo save should transfer automatically, but if Continue does not appear, tinyBuild's official fallback is to copy the save's .dat and .info files from the Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo folder into the full game's Graveyard Keeper 2 save folder.
On Steam Deck and Linux, automatic import can fail because the demo and full game use different Proton prefixes: AppID 5075680 for the demo and 4358690 for the full game. A confirmed community workaround is to copy the entire Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo folder into the full game's LocalLow/Lazy Bear Games/ directory so the demo and full-game folders sit next to each other inside the full-game prefix.
Back up your files before changing anything.
First: do not delete the only copy of your save
The worst outcome here is not a missing Continue button; it is deleting the save while trying random fixes.
Before moving anything, make a copy of the relevant save directories somewhere safe.
A save slot normally uses associated files including:
Keep the matching files together.
Windows: the official tinyBuild method
The publisher provides a direct manual-transfer procedure for Windows.
Demo save directory
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Lazy Bear Games\Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo
Full-game save directory
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Lazy Bear Games\Graveyard Keeper 2
Steps
- 1
Fully close both the demo and the full game.
- 2
Open the Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo save directory.
- 3
- 4
Find the .dat and .info files for your save.
- 5
Copy
them rather than cutting the only copy.
- 6
Paste them into the full game's save directory.
- 7
Start Graveyard Keeper 2 and check Continue or the save list.
This is the publisher-supported fallback, not an unofficial forum trick.
How to open AppData quickly
AppData is hidden by default, but you do not need to enable hidden folders.
Press Win + R, paste:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Lazy Bear Games\Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo
and press Enter.
What if the full-game folder does not exist yet?
Launch the full game once and exit.
That lets the game create the correct save structure. Then repeat the manual transfer.
It is safer than manually guessing the directory layout before the game has ever run.
Why Steam Deck and Linux are different
On Linux, the Windows build runs through Proton. Steam creates a separate Windows-like prefix for each AppID.
GK2's demo and full game have different AppIDs:
5075680 — Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo;
4358690 — Graveyard Keeper 2.
That means the demo save can live in one virtual C: drive while the full game looks for import data in another.
On Windows, both Lazy Bear Games folders share one LocalLow location. Under Proton, those folders are split across separate compatdata prefixes. That is the core reason the automatic import may work perfectly on a Windows PC but fail on a Steam Deck.
Steam Deck: step-by-step workaround
1. Run the full game once
This creates the 4358690 Proton prefix.
2. Switch to Desktop Mode
Open Dolphin or another file manager.
3. Find steamapps/compatdata
A typical Steam Deck path begins with:
/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/
Your exact library location may differ, especially with additional Steam Libraries, so the important part is finding that library's compatdata folder.
4. Open the demo prefix
5075680/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Lazy Bear Games/
Inside it, find:
Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo
5. Open the full-game prefix
4358690/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Lazy Bear Games/
It should contain:
Graveyard Keeper 2
6. Copy the entire demo folder
Copy:
Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo
from the 5075680 prefix into Lazy Bear Games inside the 4358690 prefix.
The final layout should look like:
Lazy Bear Games/
├─ Graveyard Keeper 2
└─ Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo
Then start the full game again.
This exact prefix-based approach was confirmed by multiple Linux and Steam Deck players after release.
Do not rename the demo folder over the full-game folder
The Proton workaround is not the same procedure as the official Windows .dat/.info copy.
The full game needs to see the demo directory alongside its own directory for the import path to work.
Do not delete Graveyard Keeper 2 and replace it with Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo.
What if I already uninstalled the demo?
Uninstalling the demo application does not necessarily mean the save is gone.
Check:
- 1
the old local prefix/save directory;
- 2
The official tinyBuild instructions explicitly mention downloading demo save files from Steam Cloud as an alternative source.
If Cloud still has your .dat and .info, download them and make a separate backup before editing anything.
On Windows, use those files with the official copy method.
On Linux/Deck, restore the demo-save structure and then apply the prefix workaround if the full game still does not detect it.
Steam Cloud can help — and also make troubleshooting messy
Cloud sync is valuable, but avoid repeatedly launching the game, creating blank saves, and changing local files without knowing which state Steam currently considers newest.
A safer sequence is:
- 1
- 2
separately download a Cloud copy if needed;
- 3
keep the game closed while moving files;
- 4
- 5
- 6
sleep/save in the full game;
- 7
- 8
then let Steam Cloud sync the now-correct full-game save.
Continue still does not appear
Check the following:
the game was fully closed while files were copied;
the .dat and .info files belong to the same save slot;
on Windows, the files are in the full game's exact LocalLow folder;
on Deck/Linux, the demo folder is inside the full-game prefix, next to the full-game folder;
the full game has been launched at least once;
you did not accidentally create a nested path such as Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo/Graveyard Keeper 2 Demo/....
That last mistake is easy to make when copying folders through a GUI.
What patch 1.006 changed
Patch 1.006 fixed a separate demo-progression issue: Steam achievements for milestones completed in the demo should now unlock retroactively in the full game.
So your save may have transferred correctly while achievements failed to follow it. That is a different issue, and it is specifically addressed in 1.006.
If the save works but achievements do not, update the game before attempting more file surgery.
What about PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch?
This guide focuses on Steam/PC, because that is where the publisher exposes these save paths and where the Proton-prefix workaround is relevant.
Do not apply Windows file paths to console versions. Console saves are managed by their platform storage systems and normal manual .dat/.info copying is not available in the same way.
FAQ
Is the demo save supposed to transfer automatically?
Yes. Manual transfer is a fallback for cases where automatic import fails.
Which files do I copy on Windows?
The matching save-slot files with .dat and .info extensions.
Why is there no Continue on Steam Deck?
A common cause is that the demo and full game live in separate Proton prefixes because they have different AppIDs.
What are the AppIDs?
Demo: 5075680. Full game: 4358690.
Can I recover the save after uninstalling the demo?
Yes, if local data or Steam Cloud still contains the save files.
Should I copy the whole demo folder on Windows?
The official Windows procedure copies .dat and .info. Copying the whole demo folder is the separate community workaround used for Proton/Linux/Steam Deck.
Why did my demo achievements not unlock?
Update to 1.006 or later. That patch added retroactive Steam achievement unlocks for demo milestones.
