Indie game developers warn Steam's 'no-questions-asked' refund policy is easily abused.



A developer of a game that can be completed in a short time has raised concerns about Steam's system, which allows players to request a refund within 14 days of purchasing a game and after playing for less than two hours, stating that it is 'easily abused by players.' The developer of the cooperative game ' Paddle Paddle Paddle ' claims that some users have requested refunds while posting positive reviews, and that the number of refunds has exceeded 55,000.

Dev tells Valve to fix Steam's exploitable 2-hour refund policy as 'over 55,000' players refund his short game and even brag about it in reviews | GamesRadar+
https://www.gamesradar.com/games/dev-tells-valve-to-fix-steams-exploitable-2-hour-refund-policy-as-over-55-000-players-refund-his-short-game-and-even-brag-about-it-in-reviews/

Steam's 'no questions asked' refund policy makes it 'super easy for players to abuse this rule', says indie developer | Eurogamer.net
https://www.eurogamer.net/indie-dev-steam-refund-policy

'Paddle Paddle Paddle' is a game where two players control a raft using their own oars to navigate down a river. One player can control both oars, or both players can each control one side, making it a cooperative game designed to be enjoyable due to the challenging controls.

According to Mateo Kovic, who single-handedly developed 'Paddle Paddle Paddle,' he anticipated that the stages included in the free demo would take about 40 minutes to complete, and the stages in the full version would take an average of about 3 hours and 30 minutes, with a total playtime of approximately 4 hours planned. However, he explains that while some skilled players and speedrunners completed the game in 1-2 hours, there are also reviews from players who have played for 5 hours or more, and even over 20 hours.

On Steam, you can generally request a refund for any reason if you have played the game for less than two hours within 14 days of purchase. Kovitch revealed on X that despite 90% of the game's reviews being 'very positive,' the refund rate reached 21%, with over 55,000 refunds issued.



However, the gaming news site GamesRadar+ points out that no graphs or other evidence have been presented to support this number. Kovich was particularly concerned about users who posted positive reviews of games but then requested refunds because they were able to complete the game in less than two hours. In fact, there were reviews that described the game as 'great' but stated that they requested a refund because they completed it in less than two hours. Kovich called on Valve, the developer of Steam, to review the system, saying that 'this should not be possible.'

On the other hand, Kovic emphasized that he is not opposed to the refund system itself, but rather '100% in favor of the refund system.' He explained that refunds should be given if there is misleading information on the Steam store page or if the game cannot be played properly due to a bug, and that what he is concerned about is 'the act of getting a refund simply because you are eligible, after enjoying the game and writing a positive review.'



Furthermore, the current system allows users to request a refund simply by selecting a pre-defined reason, making it difficult for developers to understand the true reasons for the refund. Kovich points out that while it's possible to see how many people requested refunds for reasons such as 'it was too difficult,' without specific feedback, it's difficult to use that information to improve the game. He therefore calls for a system that allows for meaningful feedback.

However, not all 55,000 refunds were due to the game's short length or abuse of the system. One Steam user claimed they were refunding not because they completed the game in under two hours, but because they were dissatisfied with the controls and content, criticizing Kovitch for overgeneralizing refund reasons based on some provocative comments.

Indie Game Joe, a game marketing consultant, also pointed out that refund policies have an aspect of protecting developers, arguing that 'the reassurance that you can get a refund if it doesn't suit you after purchase makes it easier for players to try new games, and this policy may have been one of the reasons why 'Paddle Paddle Paddle' was able to sell approximately 270,000 copies.'

Following Kovich's post, the film received a barrage of negative reviews, and its recent rating dropped from 'Very Positive' to 'Mixed.' Kovich has also received aggressive direct messages and insulting comments, and while he sees this experience as a 'great learning opportunity,' he says he will think more carefully before posting similar opinions in the future.



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