Pre-release page. Launches on Steam November 9, 2026 at 3pm CET (14:00 UTC). Data here comes from the Steam page, the demo and official developer posts, and each page says which version it reflects. We'll update it for the full release.
Version: normal save rules below come from the demo 7.0.1 menu text. Console behavior comes from community documentation and has not been independently tested here. Full-release save compatibility is unconfirmed; earlier major updates broke saves (the developer said 6.1 saves weren’t compatible with demo 7.0), so plan to start fresh at launch.
Before you quit: four checks
- Are you at a layer transition prompt? If not, the demo menu warns that quitting erases progress. Pause instead if you only need a moment. Why
- Did you pick Save and exit, not Continue? Continue keeps descending without saving a break. Steps
- Are you relying on a console command or mod?
saveandquitrestarts the current layer, and mods have their own rules. Details - Back in the menu, is Continue there? If not, check the causes below before starting a new run. Missing Continue
How to save and resume normally
- Finish the current layer and reach its transition prompt.
- Choose Save and exit when you want to stop. The demo menu describes this as a break that resumes at the beginning of the next layer.
- When you return, choose Continue from the main menu to resume the expedition.
The transition's Continue option keeps the run going immediately. It is different from choosing Save and exit, and the menu warning still applies once you are partway through the next layer.
What happens if you quit mid-layer?
| Action | Demo menu's rule |
|---|---|
| Save and exit at a transition | Resume at the next layer's start. |
| Continue through the transition | Keep descending; plan the next break at another transition. |
| Quit during a layer | The warning says your progress will be erased. |
| Die during a layer | The same warning applies; a saved expedition is not a repeatable death checkpoint. |
Demo 7.0 introduced a pause menu. Pausing is useful for an interruption while the game stays open, but it is not the layer-transition save described above. Do not use closing the game as a substitute.
Console saves are different from normal saves
The community Commands page documents saveandquit as saving the player's status and returning to the menu. It also says the current layer's layout is not stored: returning restarts that layer. Treat it as a console workaround, not an exact mid-layer snapshot.
The community Saving page describes a separate save file and backup methods. Those are outside the standard menu flow. We have not verified recovery, crash behavior or cross-version migration in this build, so this guide does not ask you to overwrite an active save.
What about save mods?
A third-party mod can have its own saving rules. A mod's promise to save anywhere does not change the unmodified demo's menu behavior. Check the mod author's supported game version and instructions before relying on it; no mod compatibility with the upcoming full release is confirmed here.
Why is Continue missing?
- You quit partway through a layer: that is consistent with the demo's explicit loss-of-progress warning.
- You died after resuming: the menu describes a continuing expedition, not an indefinitely reloadable checkpoint.
- You used Save and exit, but cannot resume: this guide cannot confirm a cause. Record the build, platform and whether mods or commands were involved before reporting it to the developer.
For the next attempt, check the run settings before starting and keep the early crafting route handy.
Normal menu rules paraphrase the developer's demo text. The community documentation summaries above are adapted from the Scav Prototype Wiki's Saving and Commands pages; those adaptations are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.