Steam is one of the most generous game distribution platforms when it comes to refunds, and in my experience, it's always an easy sail when you need to return a game digitally, as long as you request a refund within 14 days on Steam and don't play the game for more than 2 hours, for whatever reason, Even if you simply got bored, you can still get your money back

However, these rules did not always apply to Early Access and Advanced Access programs This meant that people could play the game for days before the release date and ask for a refund if they were satisfied The no time limit became a huge loophole that people abused

As of April 24, that loophole is now firmly closed; Valve has changed its refund policy for Early Access and Advanced Access so that you can no longer play beyond the two-hour limit If you plan to play the game before its release date, remember that you only have two hours to decide if it's worth the money

Here are the details of Steam's refund policy:

"If you purchase a title on Steam before its release date, the two-hour play time limit for refunds will apply (except for beta testing), but the 14-day period for refunds will not begin until the release date For example, if you purchased a game that is in Early Access or Advanced Access, your play time will count toward the 2-hour refund limit If you pre-purchased a title that is not playable prior to its release date, you may request a refund at any time prior to the release of that title and the standard 14-day/2-hour refund period will apply from the game's release date

Disappointing as it may be, the refund policy has not changed with respect to the reasons for requesting a refund As I mentioned before, Steam will continue to be generous when it comes to refunding money for games, whether the reason is because you didn't like the content or you accidentally put a random game in your basket (don't worry, it happens all the time)

I remember buying "Devour" and immediately regretting it 10 minutes later This multiplayer horror game certainly did not meet my expectations Because of the short playing time, I immediately requested a refund, which was accepted on the same day! While I can no longer play Early Access games for hours and hours on end, I still have enough two hours to determine how much I liked the game

Valve basically wants you to pay attention to the play time when it comes to Early Access and Advanced Access games Since these releases may still be in development, it would not be fair to form a solid opinion until the final version is released to everyone This way, everyone in the gaming community, including players and developers, can fairly evaluate the game