Open your first demo

Choose a recording

Use Open demo in the top-right corner, Choose a demo on the welcome screen, or drag a single supported recording into the app. Demo Trace reads the file locally. Compressed .dem.gz and .dem.zst inputs are supported alongside .dem files.

1. 1

   Make sure Steam is available and that replay access is active under License.

2. 2

   Choose your recording and wait for analysis and CS2 startup to complete. Large recordings may take longer to prepare.

3. 3

   Once playback is ready, choose a round and a recorded player. Use Space to play or pause; select an event to review the lead-up to it.

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1. 1

   Open a recording

   Open demo chooses a local .dem, .dem.gz or .dem.zst file. Your recording stays on your computer.

2. 2

   Show the replay tools

   Tools opens the side panel. Choose a player or browse recorded rounds and events there.

3. 3

   Move through the match

   The timeline shows your position. Play / pause and speed controls are below it.

Application screenshot

Scroll to inspect the original image. Press Escape or Close to return.

Close ×

A real Dust2 replay captured in a test build. The older header says Account & license; the current app calls that button License.

What happens in the background

CS2 provides the original game rendering. Demo Trace starts a CS2 process for the replay and prepares its windowed video settings automatically. The original settings are backed up and restored when that replay closes; an interrupted restoration is retried before the next engine session.

Closing a replay closes the CS2 process that Demo Trace started. Your original demo file stays untouched. A recording can analyze successfully yet fail to play if the installed CS2 build cannot read it.

Find a useful moment

Open Tools to show the replay tools. Start with Moments or a round's recorded events, follow the player you want to review, and slow playback before an important decision. Use Saved moments and notes to return to a useful point later.

When you reopen the app, the Library links back to recordings you have opened. Keep those files in place so the links remain usable.

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1. 1

   Choose the tool

   The Replay tools selector switches between views such as Moments, Round insights and Saved moments.

2. 2

   Review recorded events

   Round insights lists the available round information and events. Use the recording's events to find a useful moment.

Application screenshot

Scroll to inspect the original image. Press Escape or Close to return.

Close ×

Round insights in a real Dust2 recording, captured in a test build. Event and player details depend on the recording you open.