IRON NEST Demo Guide

Demo vs full install

Steam treats demo and full game as separate depot entries. Installing the demo does not unlock campaign regions, requisition credits, or the full Steam unlock pool (30 unlockable ammo types & abilities (Steam)). Buying the release adds App 2950790; your demo install can stay or be replaced depending on disk space.

GOG and Epic list the full game; the free demo path documented here is the Steam App 4300500 build that most search traffic references.

Performance expectations

Minimum specs target ~30 FPS at 720p on integrated graphics. A dedicated GPU smooths map UI and turret traversal. Steam Deck Verified applies to the full release; demo runs on Deck but fine elevation wheels are easier with mouse input.

Once installed, the mission selector in your quarters is where demo content branches — covered next.

Calibration: your first shots

High Command assigns a calibration target before combat operations. Plot IRON NEST and the target grid on the map, measure ~8–9 km range, set two powder charges on the calculator, load HE, traverse to bearing, elevate, and fire until accuracy is confirmed.

This mirrors the beginner guide loop step-for-step — if you cleared calibration, you already understand the full machine.

Fire and Light story beats

Later demo teleprinter traffic stacks two moods: a field hospital strike (morally framed "unsporting" language in-universe) and a celebratory starburst over the royal palace. Read both orders — shell restrictions differ mission-to-mission within the same session.

Star missions reject HE even when the grid aim is perfect. Load STAR, fire in the vicinity of palace coordinates, and adjust from aerial feedback until High Command confirms the burst.

How many missions total?

Third-party databases list about six playable demo operations including sandbox and challenge entries; Steam marketing highlights handcrafted story plus two challenge modes in the demo slice. Treat "six" as mode entries, not six full campaign regions — the full game ships 15 campaign regions.

When you want structured drills without story text, switch to Chill — detailed below after the loop section.

Map tools are the steepest climb

Most new demo players stall on pencils: yellow measures without copying; red lines from turret or spotter feed the clipboard. The calibration mission marks both IRON NEST and target cells — draw one red line and read range plus bearing.

Mission two onward introduces spotter tokens and intersection marking. When stuck, pause and cross-check triangulation — demo mission 2 star-shell searches are a common community question.

Loading is deliberately slow

Select shell type, ram, dispense equal charges, ram again. The demo uses this pacing so you notice when calculator charge count disagrees with the powder you dispensed. Speed comes from memorization, not skipped steps.

After loading, elevation hydraulics sync to the last calculated angle. Traverse to bearing before fine-tuning — same order as the full campaign.

When to leave Chill

Once you can hit a grid target in three shots or fewer without rereading controls, graduate to Fire and Light story missions, then Challenge: FDC. Sandbox will not teach teleprinter shell restrictions — return to story for STAR-only orders.

Challenge leaderboards

Demo challenge scores can be submitted to community leaderboards (Discord and Steam discussions). Steam store copy lists challenge modes (count has appeared as 2× or 8× across pages — check the live store features list). The demo ships a smaller subset; Challenge: FDC is the common timed drill focused on fire direction centers under counter-battery pressure.

What to verify on your account

After buying the full game, check Steam Cloud status on both App 4300500 and App 2950790. If no cloud merge appears, start the campaign fresh — you will clear calibration faster the second time.

Medals, requisition economies, and 15-region progression exist only in the paid build. Demo is a tutorial slice, not a chapter unlock.

Demo vs full game — quick comparison

Full release adds 15 campaign regions, 30 unlockable ammo types & abilities (Steam), requisition credits, emergency reposition, newspaper consequences, and the complete medal track. Demo proves the fantasy; the paid game adds resource stress and long-form story.

Ready for the campaign

Buy from Steam when demo loops feel repeatable. First paid stops after demo skills: triangulation and ballistics, then shell types once requisition opens.