Steam's New Cozy Van Life Sim Gets Engulfed In Review Drama
Kotaku • • technology
Key Points:
- Outbound, a cozy co-op survival sim, gained significant attention during Steam’s February Next Fest with over 1.5 million wishlists, but its Early Access launch on May 11 received mixed reviews due to its short length, shallow survival mechanics, and $25 price tag.
- The developer, Square Glade Games, faced backlash after asking some players to remove negative Steam reviews in exchange for refunds, which led to a surge of additional negative feedback criticizing the attempt to silence criticism.
- The Steam community condemned the developer’s approach, emphasizing that negative reviews are important for consumer decision-making and that addressing issues directly is preferable to requesting review removals.
- In response, Square Glade Games apologized publicly for their communication missteps, explaining that the launch was overwhelming and they were trying to manage intense pressure while working to fix reported issues as quickly as possible.