Updated
Updated · Mein-MMO · Jul 6
Mateo Covic Seeks Steam Rule Change After 55,000 Refunds Hit Paddle Paddle Paddle
Updated
Updated · Mein-MMO · Jul 6

Mateo Covic Seeks Steam Rule Change After 55,000 Refunds Hit Paddle Paddle Paddle

3 articles · Updated · Mein-MMO · Jul 6

Summary

  • A 21% refund rate has erased more than 55,000 sales of Mateo Covic’s “Paddle Paddle Paddle,” even as the co-op game holds about 89% positive reviews on Steam.
  • Steam’s policy lets players get a full refund if playtime stays under two hours, and Covic says many buyers finish the game in one to two hours despite it being designed for roughly four.
  • One recommended review Covic highlighted praised the game as great, then said it was completed in 1 hour 40 minutes and refunded anyway.
  • Covic wants Steam to revise the rule and is meanwhile adding expected playtime to the store page so buyers can judge the game’s length against its price before purchasing.
  • The case underscores a broader problem for short games from solo developers, whose titles can be fully experienced within Steam’s refund window.

Insights

As developers protest refund rules, must Valve's two-hour policy adapt or risk an indie exodus?
You can finish a game in 90 minutes and get a full refund. Is this a consumer right or ethical theft?