"This shouldn't be possible": this indie has been refunded 55,000 times because of Steam's restrictive policies

Mateo Covic, creator of Paddle Paddle Paddle, said the game had 55,000 refunds out of 270,000 copies sold despite strong reviews.

He later clarified that the refund rate was similar to other games in its category, but argued Steam’s policy does not account for a game’s actual play time.

The case highlights how Steam’s refund rules can disadvantage short indie games and may pressure developers to add filler content to avoid returns.