Game immediately review bombed on Steam after crypto company buys it
Players of free-to-play autobattler Storybook Brawl are suddenly calling for it to be booted off Steam, but not because of a controversial balance change or a scandalous personal allegation. Storybook Brawl is the subject of a very 2022 happening: a cryptocurrency company bought it.
Cryptocurrency exchange FTX US announced last week that it had acquired Storybook Brawl developer Good Luck Games, and the new owner isn't shy about its intentions. The acquisition is an «opportunity to be the vanguard for the ethical integration of gaming and crypto transactions,» according to FTX.
In a video posted after the announcement, Good Luck Games founder Matt Place said that the acquisition means increased funding for the studio, but that he doesn't know yet exactly how blockchain technology will be integrated into Storybook Brawl, except that it will be «ethical» and «create fun for players.» A lot of those players are not buying either company's reassurances.
A week after FTX's press release pointed out that Storybook Brawl has «amassed thousands of Very Positive» reviews on Steam, the game's recent review average has flipped to «Overwhelmingly Negative.» Just 17% of the 710 user reviews posted over the past 30 days recommend the game.
Because Storybook Brawl is free-to-play, users do not have to spend any money to leave a review, making it particularly susceptible to review bombing like this. However, most of the negative reviews come from Steam users whose Storybook Brawl playtime is in the double or triple digits.
«Was one of the best autobattlers out there, but crypto is a scam to punk the dumb out of their money and it's a shame this game was bought out to further that agenda,» wrote one reviewer, who has logged 67.2 hours
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