Steam’s Mislabeling of Indie Game as Adult Content Turns Out to Be a Blessing in Disguise

Nighthawks, a narrative-driven vampire RPG, has faced a tumultuous week leading up to its September 22nd launch. Earlier this week, the game’s creator, Dave Gilbert, revealed on Bluesky that Steam had slapped Nighthawks with an adults-only rating.

Steam has a notorious track record of assigning inappropriate ratings to games without providing clear explanations or communicating with developers. This has been a frustrating experience for many, including the creators of Future? No Thanks! In Nighthawks’ case, the adults-only rating severely limited its visibility, removing it from search results and blocking it entirely in certain regions just days before its release.

While there are other PC storefronts available, Steam remains the dominant platform for a game’s success. Being hidden from search results can be a devastating blow that’s difficult to recover from without Steam’s assistance. Even if developers make changes to satisfy Steam’s rating criteria, there’s no guarantee that the platform will cooperate.

In a discussion with an outlet, Nighthawks’ creator Richard Cobbett speculated on what might have led to the rating. “In terms of content, we’re talking a few butt shots and some other censored naughty bits, mostly as part of companion romances and similar content,” he explained. Ironically, while Steam takes issue with mild content, it also promotes a third-party event featuring adult-themed games on its store pages.

Fortunately, Nighthawks’ story took a positive turn. Gilbert announced that Steam has reversed its decision and lifted the adults-only rating. Although he described the experience as terrifying, he now sees it as a somewhat beneficial ordeal.

“Now that this whole ‘adult content’ debacle is over, I think I can call it a net positive,” Gilbert shared on Bluesky. “More people know about our game than ever. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. That said, I hope to never have to go through anything like this ever again.”