Steam’s “Pornographic” Rating for Wholesome Game Sparks Outrage and Confusion

The gaming world is buzzing with a bizarre controversy surrounding Molleindustria’s upcoming title, Future? No Thanks!, a game that seems utterly at odds with the adult-only rating it has received from Steam. The developer is now publicly lamenting what they describe as a “humiliating” experience, caught between Valve’s content guidelines and the seemingly innocent nature of their own creation.

The Great Steam Rating Debacle

Molleindustria’s Future? No Thanks!, rated Teen by the ESRB and 12 by PEGI, is described as a “narrative-driven, open-world adventure” about an aging protagonist completing their bucket list. Despite its wholesome appearance, Valve has deemed it “pornographic,” slapping it with an 18+ rating on Steam. This decision has left both the developer and players scratching their heads.

The controversy began in July, when the game’s release was delayed due to “mild nudity.” However, as reported by GamesRadar, the situation took an even more absurd turn during Gamescom in Germany. Molleindustria expressed their frustration on Bluesky, stating, “We are currently at Gamescom in Cologne, everybody is asking us why they can’t see the PAGE of a Teen rated game. This has been the most humiliating and surreal experience in 20+ years of game making. I’m desperately looking for anybody who knows anybody at Valve that can at least tell me what’s going on.”

The “Sex Quest” Controversy

So, what triggered this extreme rating? Initially, Future? No Thanks! featured “untextured polygons” of “ass and boobs,” tied to an achievement called “Have Sex One Last Time.” Molleindustria explained that after Steam flagged this last month, the dev team removed the entire “sex quest” and resubmitted the game. However, Valve has stubbornly refused to change the adult-only rating.

Adding insult to injury, many players in regions like the UK are now completely blocked from even viewing the Steam page for Future? No Thanks!. Due to the “UK Online Safety Act,” Valve is forcing users to verify they are 18 or older with a valid UK credit card before accessing what they deem “mature sexual content.” This requirement, seemingly excessive for a game that was originally rated Teen, has further fueled the outrage.

The situation echoes previous controversies, such as the banning of Santa Ragione’s indie horror game Horses from both Steam and the Epic Games Store. Despite removing the offending X-rated scene, Valve maintained its initial decision, a pattern seemingly repeated with Future? No Thanks!, despite the removal of the content that triggered the adult rating.

The entire saga highlights the challenges faced by indie developers navigating complex content guidelines and raises questions about the appropriateness of age restrictions in certain cases. Whether this is a case of overzealous enforcement or a genuine misunderstanding remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the controversy surrounding Future? No Thanks! has captivated the gaming community.