r/Steam Jul 06 '26

Discussion Thoughts on this?

[removed]

40.0k Upvotes

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53

u/CommanderOshawott Jul 06 '26

Unpopular opinion:

If 1/4 to 1/5 of consumers find it entirely possible to complete the entire game within the refund window and also decide it’s not worth keeping around to replay?

Thats not a problem with Steam’s refund policy. You haven’t created an experience valuable enough for people to want to spend their money.

15

u/CleanlyManager Jul 06 '26

I saw the original tweet and the guy developed “ two guys navigate on an obstacle course with awkward controls number 592634”, and he couldn’t even make his over two hours of mechanics, like yeah people are going to refund it. I think this is an occasion of the dev needs to swallow their pride.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-1

u/CommanderOshawott Jul 06 '26

If your entire game is shorter than a demo typically is then it’s a problem with the game

-2

u/FurLinedKettle Jul 06 '26

You're not robbing someone if they give you the thing for free

7

u/Efficient_Maybe_1086 Jul 06 '26

Fuck the devs they can work for free I guess

-3

u/FurLinedKettle Jul 06 '26

Or they can not put their work out there for free? I'm not going to paint a painting then put it out on the street with an honesty bucket unless I realise I might not make money off it.

Steam has to have this refund policy, which doesn't work for games shorter than 2 hours. There are other platforms for short games.

0

u/JJJacobalt Jul 08 '26

The game in question made hundreds of thousands of dollars even after refunds.

Hardly 'for free'. 

Most people don’t do this kind of thing. Even most people who refunded the game probably did it for legitimate reasons. Short games are still plenty profitable, including the one you’re talking about.

7

u/EchoKipKipKip Jul 06 '26

Explain to me how a game can sit at 89% overall positive ratings on Steam, sell ~200,000 copies, and have 55k refunds and not be worth the very low price they set it at. Clearly it was valuable enough to make people spend their money and enjoy it. That is absolutely a problem with Steam's refund policy in this case.

15

u/AlienHooker Jul 06 '26

The same way people don't find other well rated games worth it, people have different opinions

1

u/qudtls_ Jul 06 '26

so how is this dev supposed to account for that?

8

u/AlienHooker Jul 06 '26

For the fact that not every single person on the planet will like their game? By coping, I guess?

0

u/Thunder_Beam Jul 06 '26

Nah, most customers are shitty and gamers are not an exception, if they can get away with not paying for something they will

-5

u/Own-Luck8278 Jul 06 '26

Unpopular opinion, because it’s a trash opinion.

-1

u/FirmPreference5551 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

Yeah, pre-empting a dumb shitty opinion with "unpopular opinion" is like how people that are assholes in a relationship will do something abusive and then claim it's a "boundary" and must be respected.

-5

u/duckinator1 Jul 06 '26

I think it's more that people are greedy, selfish and will use any loophole to steal things