Deep Dish Dungeon Demo: Everything the Free Demo Includes

The Deep Dish Dungeon demo is a free download on Steam that launched on February 19, 2026. It runs on Windows only, carries no time limit, and stores progress in a separate save file that does not transfer to the full game. The current demo build is v1013, released through a June 2026 update.

• Free on Steam since February 19, 2026, for Windows only
• No time limit, so you can explore at your own pace
• Demo saves are separate and do not carry over to the October 13, 2026 full release
• Current build is v1013 from the June 2026 update

How to Download and Install the Demo

Getting the demo takes only a few minutes. Open the Steam client or the Steam website, search for Deep Dish Dungeon, and look for the free demo button on the store page. Click install, pick a library folder with enough free space, and let Steam finish the download before pressing play.

You need a Steam account and a Windows PC. The demo does not support macOS, even though the full release lists both Windows and macOS on its Steam page. If you mainly play on Mac, you will need to wait for the full version on October 13, 2026. The exact download size is listed on the store page and can shift between patches, so check there before installing on a small drive.

Official source: Deep Dish Dungeon on Steam

The store page is the only place to grab the demo. Avoid third party download sites that claim to host the files, since those builds can be outdated or tampered with. Steam handles patching automatically, which matters because the demo has received several updates since February, most recently v1013.

New players often ask whether they need to own or preorder the full game first. They do not. The demo is fully free and standalone. If you later buy the full game, you will start fresh, so treat the demo as practice rather than a head start on progress. Our beginner guide walks through the opening loop step by step once you have it installed.

What the Demo Includes

The demo covers the opening slice of the game: camp life, cooking, basic crafting, and a first descent into the handcrafted dungeon. Developer Behold Studios describes the full project as a first person survival dungeon crawler where cooking opens the way forward, and the studio also calls the concept a survival metroidvania. The demo gives you a compact taste of that loop.

Your camp acts as the hub. You cook dishes over the fire, prepare for each run, and head back down when you are ready. Cooking is not a side activity here. Certain paths and encounters only open up once you eat the right dish, so the campfire is as important as any weapon. Early recipes use ingredients found near the starting area, which keeps the first hour focused on learning rather than grinding.

The dungeon portion is deliberately unguided. There is no map and no compass, so progress comes from memory, landmarks, and careful observation. Torches, bone piles, statue chambers, and sealed doors all serve as natural waypoints. That design carries into the full game, and the demo is the best place to decide whether you enjoy it.

Official source: Deep Dish Dungeon at Raw Fury

The publisher page confirms the core pitch: a first person survival dungeon adventure built around cooking, exploration, and crafting. If that combination sounds strange, the demo exists to sell it. One run through the campfire loop communicates the idea faster than any trailer.

Demo Limits You Should Know

The demo is generous but bounded. Understanding the boundaries before you invest hours will save disappointment later, especially around saves and platforms.

The save situation deserves emphasis. Demo progress lives in its own save file, and that file does not migrate to the full release on October 13, 2026. Anything you unlock, cook, or craft in the demo stays in the demo. Speed through it to learn systems, not to bank progress.

Official source: Steam Community announcement for Deep Dish Dungeon

One platform wrinkle: the Xbox demo store page describes its own build as having no save and load at all, with every launch starting from scratch, and advertises around one hour of content. That wording differs from the Steam demo save system described above, so treat saves as platform-specific until Behold Studios clarifies. The Steam demo also runs as its own app (App ID 3618740) on Unity for Windows, with 11 supported languages listed on its store page.

Official source: Deep Dish Dungeon Demo on Xbox

Version numbering follows the same pattern as the full patch history on Steam. The v1013 tag comes from the June 2026 update pass, and Steam applies it automatically on next launch. If your build number looks older, verify the game files or restart the client to force the update check.

Community Findings: 243 Items and 153 Recipes

Community members have dug through the demo build and published tallies of its contents, most notably a circulating report of 243 items and 153 recipes. Treat these numbers as community-reported rather than official. They come from player inspection of game files, not from Behold Studios or Raw Fury, and they describe one specific demo build rather than the full game.

Why do the numbers still matter? They suggest the demo holds far more than the critical path shows. Most players finish their first run having seen a fraction of the reported recipes, which means curious cooks have reason to keep experimenting. Try feeding the fire unusual ingredient pairs, revisit old rooms after each new dish, and compare notes with other players rather than assuming the first ending is the whole demo.

A second community caveat applies to hidden mechanics. Players have proposed trigger theories for secret rooms and alternate demo outcomes, but none of them carry developer confirmation. Test them if you enjoy experimenting, and expect some theories to break with each patch. Anything the community cannot reproduce across builds should be treated as a rumor.

Tips for Your First Demo Run

Start with food, not fighting. Cook every new ingredient combination you can afford before pushing deeper, because dishes gate more progress than raw stats do. A full stomach opens doors that a sharp weapon cannot.

Learn two or three landmarks near the entrance before going far. Without a map or compass, new players get turned around fast. Pick memorable features, a bone pile, a statue, a sealed circular door, and narrate your route relative to them until the layout sticks.

Craft early and carry spares. Basic tools break or run out at bad moments, and the walk back to camp is longer than it looks. Scavenged parts are plentiful near camp, so there is little reason to enter the dark with empty hands.

Save the hidden paths for your second or third run. The demo rewards curiosity, but the opening area teaches the core loop first. Once cooking and crafting feel automatic, start poking at suspicious walls and dead ends with fresh eyes.

Finally, read the frequently asked questions if anything about platforms, saves, or the full release confuses you. The demo answers gameplay questions well, but release details live outside the game client.

FAQ

Is the Deep Dish Dungeon demo really free?

Yes. The demo costs nothing on Steam and requires no purchase or preorder of the full game. Download it from the store page and play.

Does the demo have a time limit?

No. There is no session timer or expiry date. You can replay the demo content as often as you like.

Do demo saves transfer to the full game?

No. Demo progress uses a separate save file that does not carry over to the October 13, 2026 release. Expect a fresh start.

Which platforms support the demo?

Windows only, through Steam. The full release lists Windows and macOS on Steam, plus Xbox consoles, but the demo never received a Mac build.

What version is the demo on?

Build v1013, from the June 2026 update. Steam patches the demo automatically, so restart the client if your build looks older.

Related Guides

• Deep Dish Dungeon Beginner Guide: First Run — five steps from your first camp to your first cooked dish and crafted tool.
• Deep Dish Dungeon Release Date: Oct 13, 2026 — full launch platforms, day one Game Pass, and how the demo relates to it.
• Deep Dish Dungeon FAQ: Release, Demo, Co-op — quick answers on price, saves, co-op size, and Mac support.