Cozy Game Outbound Asks Players to Delete Reviews After Refunds Following Lackluster Launch

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Outbound, a relaxing open-world game from Square Glade Games, lets you travel the countryside in a camper van and collect items to customize it. However, the game recently faced some criticism and discussion following reviews on Steam.

A developer recently replied to a negative Steam review for Outbound, offering to help the user get a refund through Steam support. They also politely asked the user to consider updating or removing their review if they received a refund.

Outbound Receives Backlash After Suggesting Negative Review Removal

With so many games to choose from, it can be tough to decide which ones are worth buying.

As a gamer, I’m really thankful we have so much stuff to check out before buying a game. Gameplay videos, official reviews, and what other players are saying online all help me figure out if a game is actually worth my money. It’s awesome being able to get the lowdown before I commit!

Steam user Snowy enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and cute art style of Outbound, and they appreciated the Firewatch reference. However, they found the gameplay to be simple and lacking in variety, making exploration feel uninspired. Snowy doesn’t think the game is worth the full price, even with the initial launch discount.

This negative review isn’t very harsh. The user disliked the game overall, but also acknowledged some good qualities and explained what they didn’t enjoy.

Although the user didn’t enjoy the game overall, they did appreciate some of its features and explained what they didn’t like about it.

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The developer’s original reply was changed, and the part where they offered a full refund and asked for the negative review to be taken down or updated was removed.

Players are upset with the developers of Outbound after it came to light they were offering refunds in exchange for negative Steam reviews being removed. One user, Agent_Wolf, explained that negative reviews are important for potential buyers to make informed decisions, and attempting to suppress criticism erodes trust. The developers are now facing criticism for this practice instead of addressing the problems players are reporting.

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2026-05-12 20:12