How Long Is The Balan Wonderworld Demo And Will Progress Transfer To The Full Game?

The demo for colorful platformer Balan Wonderworld takes players to three worlds. The first is "The Man Who Rages Against the Storm," which focuses on a farmer battling to remain optimistic after a storm threatens to destroy him. The second world, or "The Boy Who Would be One with the Wind," follows a young man who wants to invent a flying machine out of bicycles. The third and final world, "The Girl and the Kitten," tells the story of a young girl who meets a kitten in a busy intersection. Each world has its own flavor, from the sprawling farmland of "The Man Who Rages Against the Storm" to the clockwork towers of "The Girl and the Kitten."

The Isle of Tims acts as a hub for each story the protagonists enter and will be influenced by the individuals featured in each chapter. As the Island of Tims changes, players might be clued in to other happenings in the worlds. The Island of Tims is home to the Tims, a group of round and adorable creatures that players can help raise. The Tims represent happiness in the real world, and they can help players do various things, so assisting them is essential in Balan Wonderworld.

With three chapters to explore, you might wonder how much time you'll invest in the Balan Wonderworld demo and whether your progress will transfer when the full game launches on March 26. Here's what to expect.

YouTuber Tealgamemaster played through the complete demo for his followers, taking about an hour and a half to finish the three chapters provided. While play time might vary slightly from player to player, another YouTuber named BlazeHedgehog posted a demo runthrough with similar results.

Balan Wonderworld's demo doesn't give players all the freedoms of the full game. Some players might find that several Balan statues (in-game collectibles), are inaccessible. These unreachable objects require players to find advanced abilities or costumes, and can only be unlocked in the full release. These collectibles provide some incentive for players to purchase the full game, and hint at the possibility of a bigger world beyond the demo.

At the end of his playthrough, Tealgamemaster said, "This was brilliant," praising the title for its fun and carefree nature. This could be why Balan Wonderworld is on several most anticipated 2021 games lists.

Anyone who makes it through the Balan Wonderworld demo will not be able to transfer their progress if they purchase the full game. That said, those who play the demo will receive a free bonus costume with a unique aesthetic that corresponds to their gaming platform. Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam each have a unique variant of the same Launcher up for grabs. The PlayStation's Blue Launcher features bullets themed around its signature buttons and the Xbox's X Launcher shoots X's at foes. The Steam Launcher shoots valves, while the Switch's Star Launcher shoots stars.

Players will earn the costumes if they play the full version of Balan Wonderworld on the same platform they played the demo. From there, the full version of the game will detect the Balan Wonderworld demo data and award the free costume in the starred section of the player's closet. Square Enix noted that, despite the visual differences, all four costumes come with identical specs.

The bonus costume might make the lack of progress transfer worth it for some players. Hopefully Balan Wonderworld will scratch the Nights into Dreams itch many players have felt in recent years.