In the latest case of a Western entity letting their own personal disdain for Japanese media overwrite their operating sensibilities, Steam has banned the adult dating sim Order Us! from their storefront due to their own personal reading that a flat-chested character featured in the anime-style game was not an adult, but actually a minor.
Developed by indie game studio Argent, Order Us! puts players into the role of an aspiring café owner who, with just two left until his grand opening, must do his best to take his only two employees, the unruly Peaches and the exceptionally shy Mocha, and turn them from PR disasters-waiting-to-happen into all-star waitresses.
Of course, on the path to service industry success, the player will also find themselves developing romances with either of the two women – both of whom the game explicitly notes are adults and either of which, with the proper care, can eventually blossom into something more physically intimate.
Order Up! was originally set to hit Steam on March 1st.
However, just days before the full game was set to go live, Argent revealed that despite its demo being approved and made available on the platform in December 2023, its release had been denied due to Steam’s support team felt that it depicted “sexual conduct involving a minor”.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must announce our 18+ game, Order Us! – has been banned from Steam 3 days prior to release,” revealed Argent via their official Twitter account. “I received this message [referring to the denial message above] from the review team yesterday morning. A demo build had been approved several months ago without complications.”
Though Steam did not specify which of the two characters they mistakenly believed to be ‘a minor’, Argent speculated that it was the youthful, ditzy, and flat-chested appearance of the aforementioned Mocha that specifically drew Steam’s ire.
“The likely character in question, Mocha, is 19 years old,” explained the dev. “It is never stated or implied she’s in highschool. She has a flat chest and is slightly shorter than the other main character. She’s written to be ditzy and very awkward – traits not uncommon among people her age.”
Ostensibly frustrated by the decision, Argent continued their announcement, “It is heartbreaking that a realistic body type has to be avoided when working with Steam and I am completely devastated that the project has been executed so close to the finish line. I apologize to anyone who had the game wishlisted and was looking forward to its release.”
“Despite a delayed release, Order Us! will still be sold on smaller distribution platforms, something that makes achieving commercial viability far more difficult,” the dev both assured and cautioned fans. “As a result, prospects for translations and future projects are looking uncertain.”
To this end, Argent has since made the full release of Order Us! available via Itch.io.
In announcing the game’s Itch.io release, Argent also updated fans on the game’s current overall distribution status, asserting “I am also working to get the game on several alternative storefronts, expect updates over the next few weeks. Thank you to everyone leaving positive comments and helping to spread the word, your support is extremely appreciated.”
“In spite of attempts to contact higher-ups at Steam, I have not received more than automated responses,” the dev added. “It’s safe to say we’ve been left in the dark, likely deemed not important enough for a human to step in. The months I spent directing traffic to Steam have been wasted.”
“At the end of the day, I’m most upset that Steam’s decision cannot be appealed,” said Argent. “There is no possibility of making changes, now or ever, to get Order Us! on Steam. Having lost access to the largest playerbase of pc gamers, we will struggle to break even.”
Putting a ribbon on the entire affair, Argent concluded their thread with the declaration, “Let this be another painful reminder: the time, money, and passion you put into a project over years can be killed in an instant depending on how a reviewer is feeling that day. If a Starbucks employee f–ked up Mary’s coffee that morning, your livelihood is now at stake.”
As noted above, for those hungry for a taste of Argent’s new offering, Order Up! is now available for purchase on Itch.io.
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