Indie developer Mateo Covic has clarified his recent viral statements regarding Steam's refund policy, explaining that his frustration stems from players who complete games and then refund them after having a positive experience, not from the refund system itself.

Covic, the solo developer behind the "rage game" Paddle Paddle Paddle, initially shared a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter) of a one-line Steam review: "Great game, finished within 1:40 hrs (refunded)." He accompanied this with a post tagging Steam, stating, "This should not be possible. Would be cool if you could finally do something about your refund policy... Got dozens of reviews like that and 21% refund rate even though the reviews are 90% very positive... That's over 55,000 Refunds btw."

The post led to widespread discussion about Steam's refund policy and, consequently, a period of review bombing for Paddle Paddle Paddle. While the game maintains an overall "very positive" rating on Steam, its recent reviews shifted to "mixed," with many negative comments targeting Covic rather than the game itself.

Covic noted that the reported refund numbers, which suggested a discrepancy given the game's player count, were accurate, attributing them to steady sales since its July 2025 launch. He stated that the controversy and its associated virality have not impacted sales but have resulted in hateful messages and review bombing.

He admitted that the initial phrasing of his tweet was a mistake, particularly including the refund rate, which he described as normal for a "rage game" at around 20%. His actual point of contention was with players who "bragged about having a fun time with the game and refunding it after completion."

"My tweet phrasing was a complete mistake and I should have definitely not put the refund number in there," Covic said. "This led to a big misunderstanding: I have absolutely no problem with refunds at all and did not care about that before my tweet. The game always had a refund rate of 20% and that's normal. I just wanted to say that I think it's wrong to refund a game after having fun with it and completing it. That was my only point."

Covic also expressed a desire for more constructive feedback within refund comments. He cited examples of players refunding the game with the reason "game too difficult," which he finds unhelpful, especially since Paddle Paddle Paddle is designed to be challenging. He also disagreed with the common sentiment that games under two hours long should be free, referencing shorter but impactful experiences like Fears to Fathom and A Short Hike.

Despite the controversy, Covic has chosen to keep his original tweet online, stating he will "not gonna hide this mistake." He also recommended Simon Carless' Game Discovery Co. newsletter for those interested in detailed discussions on Steam refund figures.

Covic is currently developing a new roguelite title called Rogue Jungle, which is anticipated to release later this year.