Indie developer Bela Massex, lead designer at GoodbyeWorld Games studio, has submitted his new game to Steam for approval. It’s called Refund This Game, and the title captures the essence. The challenge for players is to stare at a black screen, watch a two-hour timer, and then send the game back in time for a refund. If a player manages to get out of the game five seconds before the end of the timer, they get the achievement.
Massex and the developers decided to take such a step after their game Before Your Eyes was well received by players on Steam (98% positive reviews), but was also the subject of frequent returns. One player even left a message praising and recommending the game, but the review was marked with a “game was returned” plaque.
“The game is only an hour and a half long, but the story and concept are awesome,” reads the review on Steam. The author commented, “Yeah, we made a short game. I think there should be more short games. I think short games shouldn’t be refunded if they give an awesome gaming experience.”
Whether Refund This Game will be approved is unknown. But the studio hopes it will be able to draw attention to the situation where short games manage to be played in less than two hours, have fun, and get money back for them.
