Is the Deep Dish Dungeon demo free?
Yes. It is a free, separate download on Steam and on the Microsoft Store for Windows PC.
Deep Dish Dungeon Demo: What to Know Before You Play
The Deep Dish Dungeon demo is free on Steam and on the Microsoft Store for Windows PC. The developers describe it as about an hour of content with no time limit. Since the June 2026 update you can save and load, but the save does not carry over to the full game, which launches October 13, 2026.
Deep Dish Dungeon demo: the short answer
For what the game is and our other guides, start at the Deep Dish Dungeon guide hub.
- Price: free, as a separate download from the full game.
- Length: about an hour of content, no time limit; players report anywhere from an hour to a couple of hours.
- Saves: yes since June 2026; demo saves stay in the demo.
- Platforms: Windows PC through Steam or the Microsoft Store. As of October 5, 2026 there is no Mac or Xbox console version of the demo.
- Ending: walking into the prison shows an "END OF DEMO" screen.
The Deep Dish Dungeon demo at a glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Price | Free. Evidence: The Steam and Microsoft Store demo pages, checked October 5, 2026. |
| Out since | February 19, 2026 on Steam; June 15, 2026 on the Microsoft Store. Evidence: The Steam and Microsoft Store demo pages. |
| Where to play | Windows PC, through Steam or the Microsoft Store. Evidence: Steam's download data and the Microsoft Store listing, checked October 5, 2026. |
| Mac and Xbox consoles | Neither has the demo as of October 5, 2026; the developer says a macOS build is being made and a console demo is planned. Evidence: Steam's download data and the Microsoft Store listing; developer replies in the official Discord, August 24 and October 1, 2026. |
| Length | About an hour of content, with no time limit. Evidence: The store description and the official announcement of February 19, 2026. |
| Saves | Save and load since the June 2026 update; saves do not carry over to the full game. Evidence: The official announcement of June 12, 2026 and the demo's in-game menus (build 23712006). |
| Co-op | Solo or online co-op with friends. Evidence: The Steam demo page and the demo's in-game menus. |
| Controller and languages | Controller support since the June 2026 update; 11 languages. Evidence: The official update notes of June 15, 2026 and the Steam demo page. |
| Download size | About 0.5 GB to download and 1.9 GB installed on Steam; the store asks for 2 GB of free space. Evidence: Steam's download data and the Steam demo page, checked October 5, 2026. |
| Current version | The June 2026 update, Steam build 23712006. Evidence: Steam's download data (built June 13, 2026) and the official update notes of June 15, 2026. |
| Where it ends | An "END OF DEMO" screen once you walk into the prison. Evidence: The demo's in-game text (build 23712006) and developer replies in the official Discord, February and August 2026. |
Store and platform rows were checked on October 5, 2026.
The gameplay rows describe the June 2026 update, Steam build 23712006.
What's in the demo, and what's held back
The demo drops you into a slice of the dungeon with its own route, secrets and treasure. The official announcement at launch called it "longer than most demos out there" and said two things are kept for the full game: bosses and big puzzles.
Other things the developer has said are not in the demo:
- Clay. "There's no Clay in the demo," the developer wrote in February 2026, so any recipe that needs it cannot be made.
- Spiders, including the giant boss spider from the trailers.
- The full game's range of weapons, each with its own timing and speed.
The first demo update, on March 4, 2026, also took some content out on purpose: the Azurea mushroom cave (with its coal pile, cilantro, bats and cuica), the mushroom mural in the First Camp, the inside of the Jaguar Door and the Magic Silver Dagger. That is why the Jaguar Door stays shut in the demo however many Key Pieces you chase.
You can play the demo alone or bring friends in online co-op, inviting them through Steam or from inside the game. Player limits, private and public games and what to do when a friend can't join are on our Deep Dish Dungeon multiplayer guide.
How long is the Deep Dish Dungeon demo?
The official answer to the Deep Dish Dungeon demo length is about an hour of content, and there is no timer: you can keep playing as long as you like. The developer gave the same picture in the official Discord, "around 45-60 minutes, depending on the way you play" in February 2026 and, after the summer update, "Our average time is 1 hour! Average."
Your own time can land well away from that. On the Steam discussion board, two players said it took them about an hour and a half to reach the end together, and other players have reported two hours or more. Several players on the Steam board got stuck at the barred fences before they found the Hammer; the stuck section below points to each step.
Because the demo has no time limit and now saves, you can stop halfway and come back later.
Can you save in the demo, and does it carry over?
Yes, you can save, and no, the save does not move to the full game.
The save system came with the June 2026 update. The official announcement on June 12, 2026 put it this way: "Feel free to start a game, stop anytime, save, and then load it back." The demo's menus now include "Save & Exit to Main Menu" and "Save & Exit Application", the game shows "Game Saved!" when it saves, and "Loading saved game..." when you pick it back up. A sleeping bag also sets your spawn point: the game says "Sleeping bag saved as a spawn point!"
The same announcement was clear about the full game: "the save file in the demo doesn't carry through to the full game." When the full game comes out, you start fresh.
If you read that the demo has no saves, that comes from older text. The demo's store description still says "There's no Save and Load of games", but it was written in February 2026, before the June update, and many forum answers from that time say the same.
Which platforms have the demo: PC, Mac and Xbox
The demo is a Windows PC game, available from two stores:
- Steam: the Deep Dish Dungeon Demo on Steam, out since February 19, 2026. About 0.5 GB to download and 1.9 GB once installed.
- Microsoft Store: the Deep Dish Dungeon Demo on the Microsoft Store, listed since June 15, 2026. It is a Windows PC download. Behold Studios' community manager said in July 2026 that it is the same demo as the one on Steam.
Mac: as of October 5, 2026, the public Steam demo has a Windows version only. Asked on October 1 whether there is a Mac version of the demo, the developer answered "Not yet, but we're building a new one for macOS as of today," and on October 2 they posted a test build with both Windows and macOS versions to the game's community test branch on Steam. Until that build reaches the regular download, the demo has no Mac version you can install from the store page.
Xbox consoles: as of October 5, 2026 the demo is not on Xbox consoles; the Microsoft Store version is for Windows PC. When a player asked in August 2026 whether a console demo was coming, the developer said "I think there's plans for that, but I'm not sure when it's coming out."
The full game's platforms are a different list; see the Deep Dish Dungeon release date page.
Deep Dish Dungeon demo guide: where to go when you're stuck
The demo's main route is a chain of doors and keys that ends at the prison. If you are stuck, find the last step you finished and take the next one:
- The first door opens only once your stomach is full. Cook and eat before you try it; see getting past the first door.
- The Small Key door beside the crates of the main camp leads toward the prison; see the Small Key and the door toward the prison.
- The Hammer is in the sewers, and it is the only tool that breaks the barred metal fences; see where to get the Hammer.
- The Iron Key is cast at the big smelter from Coal and Scrap Metal; see casting the Iron Key.
- The Prison Key is in a chest past the door the Iron Key opens; see where to find the Prison Key.
- The Prison Door opens with the Prison Key, and walking into the prison ends the demo.
Some obstacles are dead ends in the demo. Roots, goo piles and rock piles need tools or explosives you never get, so stop hitting them and take the route above; our guide to roots, goo and rocks explains each one. If you are short of crafting material, the sewer chest with your first Leather is on the same trip as the Hammer.
The developers have said some keys and treasures are placed at random, so a chest may not hold the same thing in your game. Check the nearby chests before you backtrack.
Where the Deep Dish Dungeon demo ends
The demo ends inside the prison. Open the Prison Door with the Prison Key, walk in, and the screen reads "END OF DEMO" with the line "Thank you for playing. Wishlist it now and play the full game once it's out!" The developers confirmed in the official Discord in February and August 2026 that the prison is the end.
If you have not seen that screen, you have not finished yet. A closed Jaguar Door or a wall of roots is not the end, only a part of the dungeon the demo keeps locked. Our Prison Key guide covers the Prison Door and the last stretch.
What the demo updates changed
The demo has been updated three times since launch. What the launch build and each update changed for players:
| Update | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Launch (v0242) | February 19, 2026 | Shield blocking, rotating objects you carry, and torch holders that no longer reset a torch's burn time, per the developer's patch notes |
| v0254 | March 4, 2026 | Graphics quality settings, the first round of fixes, and the removed areas listed above |
| v0271 | March 30, 2026 | Chinese, Polish, Japanese, Spanish, Mexican Spanish, French and Russian |
| v1013 | June 15, 2026 | Saves, controller support, food that spoils and burns, scorpions and bats you can harvest, rejoining a lobby |
The developer's June patch notes also moved a few things along the route: the rotisserie is now in the first camp, the cooking pot materials are upstairs, and a small campsite with a cooking table was added in the barracks.
On October 2, 2026 the developer posted a newer demo build, with both Windows and macOS versions and full controller support, to the community test branch on Steam. No patch notes for it are public yet, and the regular download is still the June 2026 update.
After launch: will the demo stay?
As of October 5, 2026 the demo is still free to download on both stores. In February 2026 the developer wrote that "the demo is going to be there, forever! not planning to take it out", and the June 23 announcement said it would "stay for the next weeks". We found no newer statement about what happens after the full game launches on October 13, 2026, and we will recheck the store pages on launch day.
The demo is not the first hour of the full game. The developer said in February 2026 that it is "a different experience. Very similar level design tho, but different progression and items." The full game is far bigger: the developer has called it about 15 times the size of the demo and "a 15-20 hours game, at least", with the bosses, big puzzles and hidden areas the demo leaves out.
Version notes and limits
Four items are still open: whether the macOS demo build reaches the regular Steam download, whether a console demo appears, what the October 2 test build changes, and whether the demo stays available after launch.
On launch day, October 13, 2026, we will recheck the Steam and Microsoft Store demo pages and the public build, and update every answer that changes.
Deep Dish Dungeon demo FAQ
How long is the demo?
About an hour of content by the developers' count, with no time limit. Players report anywhere from an hour to a couple of hours.
Can you save in the demo?
Yes, since the June 2026 update. Use "Save & Exit to Main Menu" and load the game again later.
Does demo progress carry over to the full game?
No. The official announcement says the save file in the demo does not carry through to the full game.
Can you play the demo on Mac?
Not as of October 5, 2026. The public Steam demo is Windows-only; the developer said on October 1 that a macOS demo build is being made.
Is the demo on Xbox?
Not on Xbox consoles as of October 5, 2026. The Microsoft Store version is for Windows PC; the developer said in August that a console demo is planned, with no date.
Can you play the demo in co-op?
Yes. You can play solo or invite friends to online co-op through Steam or from inside the game.
Where does the demo end?
Inside the prison, behind the Prison Door. The screen reads "END OF DEMO".
Can you open the Jaguar Door in the demo?
No. The March 2026 demo update removed what lies behind it, so it stays shut in the demo.
Is there Clay in the demo?
No. The developer said in February 2026 that there is no Clay in the demo.
Will the demo still be available after launch?
As of October 5, 2026 it is still free on both stores. The developer said in February that there were no plans to take it down; there is no newer word for after launch.
Is the demo the start of the full game?
No. The developer said it is a different experience with similar level design but different progression and items.
Sources and version history for this guide: Deep Dish Dungeon sources and versions.
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