Your demo save should carry over automatically. Back it up anyway.

What happens automatically

The October 29 Early Access post is unusually direct: demo saves will transfer. The developer says demo saves can be converted into regular game saves once Early Access launches, and that the save files are forward-compatible. Steam Cloud backs them up automatically.

“There's no need to do anything on your side. When you launch the Early Access version, your save will be waiting and ready to load.”

That is the default path. The rest of this page is the insurance policy the developer also recommends: a local copy of the save string.

The official backup steps

1. Open the demo and reach character select. Do not start a new character if you already have the one you want to keep.
2. Click the gear icon on the character-select screen. This is where the official instructions place the save tools.
3. Choose “Copy save string to clipboard.” This copies a text version of the save.
4. Paste it into a plain text file. Save it with a clear name, such as melvor-idle-2-demo-backup.txt.
5. Store a second copy somewhere safe. A cloud drive, password-manager note or another device is enough. Do not edit the string.
6. Confirm Steam Cloud is active. The developer says the save is backed up automatically, but the local copy is your fallback.
7. Load the save after November 17. The developer says no manual conversion is needed; if the character is not there, use your backup and ask in official support channels.

What transfers

The developer describes the save file as forward-compatible. That is the whole character state, not a partial import of one skill or one quest. The official post does not itemise every system, so we will not invent a checklist of “all achievements, pets and collection log entries transfer” beyond the save itself.

• Character progress: covered by the save-file statement.
• Demo-only level cap: levels above 60 are not part of the demo; the save continues under the Early Access cap of 99.
• Steam achievements: not specified in the post. Do not assume they transfer.
• Demo installation: not the save. Keep the save string or cloud backup even if you uninstall the demo.

Alpha and Patreon saves

If you played the Patreon alpha, the developer has repeatedly said there will be no save wipes. Alpha saves are planned to be supported into the future, just like the first Melvor Idle. That is separate from the free demo transfer, but the principle is the same: the save is meant to survive the release boundary.

The developer still recommends backing up. Treat the cloud as convenience, not the only copy.

Steam Cloud and Melvor Cloud

Two cloud systems are involved:

• Steam Cloud backs up the PC save automatically and is the system the demo post mentions for the transfer.
• Melvor Cloud is the cross-platform account system planned to carry the same character to mobile when those versions launch. It is not needed to play the PC build, but it is the future cross-device path.

The mobile version is not available at launch. A Melvor Cloud account does not create a mobile client early, and it does not replace the local backup for launch day.

If the save is missing

The official launch post does not document a recovery menu path, so there is no responsible step-by-step fix we can publish yet. If the character does not appear after launch:

1. Do not overwrite the old save by starting a new character in the same slot.
2. Check that you are on the same Steam account and that Steam Cloud has synced.
3. Keep your local save string untouched.
4. Ask in the official Melvor Idle Discord or the Steam community hub, where the current recovery procedure can be confirmed.

We will update this page when the developer publishes a documented import path. Until then, an invented menu sequence would do more harm than good.