The Crust 1.0 Save Compatibility: EA Migration Guide
1.0 is not save-compatible with Early Access builds. Your saves are not deleted but they will not load in 1.0; this page documents the official Previous branch path to keep playing the last EA build.
What the developer has said
The 1.0 announcement opens its “One thing to know before tomorrow” section with a single direct statement: “1.0 is not save-compatible with Early Access builds.” That statement is followed by the reason and the practical implications, which are worth quoting in full because the announcement is the only primary source for this topic.
“1.0 is not save-compatible with Early Access builds. The logistics system was restructured from the ground up - that’s where the up-to-50% performance gain on large bases comes from. On top of that, a road system has been added and the excavation system has been overhauled. An Early Access base simply doesn’t map onto the new structure, so there’s no way to convert old saves. It’s the price of the changes that made bigger bases possible.” (1.0 announcement, Steam news feed)
The announcement then gives three concrete bullet points:
- Your save files aren’t deleted: they just won’t load in 1.0.
- Want to finish your current base? The last Early Access build stays available as a Steam beta branch. Right-click The Crust in your library → Properties → Betas → select “Previous”. Your old saves keep working there.
- The full explanation, and everything that’s new in 1.0, is in tomorrow’s release post.
Summarising the developer’s statements side by side:
| Question | After installing 1.0 | After switching to the Previous branch |
|---|---|---|
| Will my EA save load? | No | Yes |
| Are my save files deleted? | No | No |
| Is there a conversion path to 1.0? | No | No, and none is promised |
| Can I finish my current EA base? | No | Yes, this is the published route |
Why the migration is impossible
The developer names three structural reasons. None of them is a marketing line; they are the actual systems that changed.
- Logistics system rewritten from the ground up. The 1.0 release announcement attributes the “up to 50% performance gain on large bases” specifically to this rewrite. Whatever an EA base used to do with belts, distributors, and drones does not have a 1:1 mapping in 1.0.
- Road system added. Roads are a new layer of base planning. A pre-1.0 base has no road graph at all, so there is nothing to migrate.
- Excavation system overhauled. The 1.0 announcement mentions this alongside roads; an EA base’s dig map cannot be ported across the change.
Together these three changes mean a 1.0 base and an EA base are not the same shape of object. The developer’s phrase “doesn’t map onto the new structure” is the technical reason there is no converter.
How to keep playing an EA base after 1.0 launches
The developer-published procedure is to use the Steam beta branch system. The exact steps in the announcement are:
- In your Steam library, right-click The Crust.
- Choose Properties.
- Open the Betas tab.
- In the branch dropdown, select Previous.
When you select the Previous branch, Steam will roll the game back to the last Early Access build. Your EA saves keep working in that branch. When you want to play 1.0 again, switch the branch back to None (or whatever the live branch is named in your client) and Steam will roll forward to 1.0; your EA saves will then be ignored by 1.0 but will still be available if you return to the Previous branch.
This is the only published procedure for continuing an EA run. There is no in-game migration tool, no save-import option, and no companion app that converts between the two formats. The developer explicitly says there is no conversion path.
Operational Checklist Before Switching Steam Branches
- Archive your Early Access save folder locally: Before toggling between the live build and the Previous beta branch in Steam Properties, copy your local save directory so Steam Cloud synchronization never overwrites an older colony snapshot.
- Label saves by branch era: Name fresh colonies clearly so you never attempt to load an Early Access colony inside the rewritten logistics, road graph, and excavation architecture.
- Review your blueprint habits before starting fresh: Because conveyors, distributors, and subterranean mining veins use the updated routing engine, plan your new lunar crater around dedicated road corridors and Planning Mode ghosts rather than recreating legacy belt tangles.
See also
- The Crust 1.0 Beginner Guide & Survival: what to expect in a fresh 1.0 run after the migration
- The Crust 1.0 Planning Mode Guide: the new construction layer that 1.0 ships with
- The Crust Achievements 100% Guide: fresh saves mean achievements reset
Blueprint FAQs
Will my Early Access save work in 1.0? +
No. The 1.0 announcement says EA saves will not load in 1.0 because the logistics system, the road system, and the excavation system were all restructured. An EA base does not map onto the new structure.
Are my save files deleted when I install 1.0? +
No. The 1.0 announcement says save files are not deleted. They simply will not load under 1.0.
How do I keep playing my current EA base? +
The developer is keeping the last Early Access build available as a Steam beta branch called Previous. Right-click The Crust in your library, open Properties, open the Betas tab, and select Previous.
Is there a converter for EA to 1.0 saves? +
No. The 1.0 announcement is explicit that there is no conversion path, because the structural changes (logistics rewrite, roads, excavation overhaul) mean an EA base does not map onto 1.0.