Dev Steps Away From Making Games After Alleged Abuse Of Steam's Refund Policy

An indie developer is stepping away from making games after claiming that abuse of Steam's refund policy has prevented them from profiting on their latest title.

The developer in question, Emika Games, is the solo indie developer behind Find Yourself, Locked Up, and the recently-released Summer of '58. Each of their games has positive reviews on Steam, including Summer of '58. However, that hasn't stopped players from refunding the game, which costs just $9, immediately after playing it. In most cases, that wouldn't be possible, but because Summer of '58 takes just an hour and a half to beat, it's possible for players to request a refund through Steam.

In a statement on Twitter, the developer thanked people for their support but announced that "I'm leaving game development for an indefinite time to collect my thoughts." According to Emika Games, the large number of refunds for Summer of '58 has meant that they "do not earn anything to create a new game." Emika Games' upcoming title, From Day To Day, has likewise been delayed indefinitely as well, with the developer saying "this game will not see the light of day in the near future."

If its refund policy was abused, this episode would highlight a major issue with Steam's handling of refunds. The digital marketplace's policy lets players get their money back after buying a game as long as it's been played for under two hours. For larger titles, like Mount & Blade Bannerlord or Halo: The Master Chief Collection, this policy makes sense. However, it can be extremely punishing to indie developers, who, much like in Emika Games' case, make shorter games that can be beaten quickly. The Epic Games Store has a similar refund policy, which lets users self-refund games if they've played less than two hours over the course of 14 days.