GOG updates refund policy to include games that are played up to 30 days after purchase

GOG is one of the most popular games distribution platforms, mainly due to its sale of games without any kind of DRM. A new update to the business’s refund policy may boost its popularity even more. GOG now offers a full refund on any game up to 30 days after purchase, even for titles that have been launched and played.

The new refund policy applies to all games, even those that were purchased as a pre-order or games in development. If a player decides that a title just isn’t working out, they can contact GOG’s customer support team to request a full refund, even if the game has been played. The only official restriction seems to be the 30-day time limit after the purchase is made.

The refund policy is quite a bit more generous than Steam’s refund policy, which limits refunds to 14 days after purchase and only applies to titles that have been played for two hours or fewer. 

That isn’t to say that gamers can purchase and refund games carelessly. GOG is well aware of the potential abuses that can happen under this new system, especially considering the company sells games without any kind of DRM. It would be trivial for someone to purchase a game, make a backup, and request a refund of the title. 

To that end, GOG has issued a few caveats (or perhaps warnings) in an FAQ about the new policy:

We're monitoring the effects of the current update to make sure no one is using this policy to hurt the developers that put their time and heart into making great games. We may refuse refunds in such individual cases. We'd also let you know about any future adjustments in the voluntary Refund Policy in advance.... We trust that you're making informed purchasing decisions and will use this updated voluntary Refund Policy only if something doesn't work as you expected. This is why there are no limits but instead, we reserve the right to refuse refunds in individual cases. Please respect all the time and hard work put into making the games you play and remember that refunds are not reviews. If you finished the game and didn't like it, please consider sharing your opinion instead. Also, please don't take advantage of our trust by asking for an unreasonable amount of games to be refunded. Don't be that person. No one likes that person.

What do you think of GOG’s new refund policy? Does it give GOG a competitive advantage, or is it too generous? Let us know in the comments.