PC saves
Save and Quit not working? Separate the two exits and reload symptoms
The demo has conflicting save-and-quit reports; there is no verified universal fix. Several players could not use either button. DuncDonuts reports that quitting to the title screen made a save when quitting to desktop did not, but reloading then broke visible algae cleaning. Later replies report the same combination. On October 12, Apfelschorle reports that both normal exit routes saved in their run, while cleaning any algae failed after loading.
Treat the title-screen route as a limited player report, with a reload-state caveat. It does not establish that forcing the process to close will preserve your progress.
Your next check
Separate saving from a healthy reload
- 01Which exit: title or desktop?
- 02Reports differ: neither, title only, or both work
- 03Check restored progress after loading
- 04Algae cleaning may remain broken
On this page
Identify which failure you have
| Symptom | Checked report | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Both exit buttons fail or menu locks | Multiple October 9 players, plus later unresolved replies | Check current released notes; no successful recovery of that locked menu is established |
| Desktop exit fails, title exit works | DuncDonuts October 10; later corroborating reports | Verify actual saved progress and the loaded world state |
| Both normal exit routes save, but algae cannot be cleaned after loading | Apfelschorle October 12 | Check restored progress and cleaning independently; this is not a universal fix |
| Algae prompt remains but cleaning changes nothing after loading | DuncDonuts, User9428, milktoast and Apfelschorle | Separate a restored save from functioning room-cleaning behavior |
If the title-screen option is still usable
- Check the released notes and your installed demo before relying on an older workaround.
- If you choose to try the normal title-screen exit, remember that it worked for some players and failed for others. The thread does not guarantee a save.
- After returning, check whether the expected progress is actually available. A button press alone is not a save confirmation.
- If you load that progress, compare the location and ordinary actions, including any algae-cleaning behavior you rely on for comfort.
- Keep any new mismatch separate from the original desktop-exit failure when reporting it.
This sequence verifies the reported outcome. It cannot rescue progress already lost or prove every state was restored.
A loaded save may still have a cleaning problem
DuncDonuts reports that the cleaning prompt remained after reloading, but algae no longer visibly changed. User9428 edited their reply to say title saving now worked for them while cleaning still failed. milktoast responded that they had the same issue. Apfelschorle’s October 12 reply adds that saving to either the menu or desktop worked for them, but no algae could be cleaned after saving.
This newer account broadens the successful-save branch; it does not establish that a patch fixed either exit for everyone. The installed build was not identified in that reply.
Do not infer that a room is clean merely from the interaction prompt. The comfort bonus has its own developer-described cue, and these save reports do not prove how the broken cleaning interaction changes that bonus.
What to include in a useful bug report
Use the demo's feedback form, which the launch announcement says is accessible from inside the demo. Record your installed version if shown, the exact title/desktop option, whether the menu stopped responding, whether progress returned and what changed after loading.
The checked thread had no released developer fix or save-recovery procedure. Avoid calling an unrelated reinstall, forced close, file edit or console command a confirmed repair. Preserve the distinction between an unresolved report and the few successful title-screen saves.
Sources & version
Current public-demo community observations and developer notes. Player reports are attributed to their original author and scenario; this site does not claim its own gameplay test. A reading date does not establish a new patch or a universal result.
- Save and Quit Bug — original report and 14 replies read October 12; DuncDonuts #8, User9428 #9, milktoast #12 and Apfelschorle #13 distinguish saving and algae state
- Official October 8 demo announcement — in-demo feedback form and current public-demo scope
Official Steam news: latest visible demo announcement October 8 when checked October 12. Exact installed build number not confirmed. The parent game's future release is outside these guides.