Steam reverses adult-content label that blocked game meant for 12 year olds

Steam have reversed their decision to label an upcoming point-and-click game intended for teens as “adult content”.

‘Future? No Thanks!’ is a narrative-driven, open world point-and-click game about a “grumpy elder” who aims to complete a bucket list before they die. It’s rated TEEN by ESRB and 12 by PEGI.

The developer, Molleindustria, has been warring with the Steam content guidelines since July after the game’s release was delayed because of “mild nudity.” Their frustrations were exacerbated when Valve branded the game as “pornographic” and gave it an 18+ rating on Steam.

The classification came because the game featured “untextured polygons” of genitalia tied to an achievement entitled “Have Sex One Last Time.” However, the developer said that they removed this quest after it was flagged and resubmitted it, only for Valve not to change it.

While in attendance at Gamescon in Germany, Molleindustria revealed they faced constant questions about why the TEEN-rated game was invisible on the Steam store.

“This has been the most humiliating and surreal experience in 20+ years of game making”, they wrote on BlueSky. “I’m desperately looking for anybody who knows anybody at Valve that can at least tell me what’s going on.”

Eventually, Molleindustria revealed that Steam had reversed its decision via a Blue Sky post.

It looks like Steam re-reviewed Future? No Thanks! and removed the "frequent nudity or adult content" reverting the Germany geo-ban and the age verification by credit card in the UK.It officially has only "some nudity or adult content" as every good game should.