Deal | Intentionally unfinished: Indie gem (95% positive) hits under $1 on Steam – offer ends tomorrow
Unfinished games are usually a major frustration for players, but in this indie adventure, that’s exactly the point. In Title_Pending (yes, that’s the actual name), you take on the role of a tester inside an incomplete video game. You're placed in so-called liminal spaces – transitional zones that don’t belong to any real level. Lead developer Matthew Stanton regularly comments on your actions and occasionally intervenes, blurring the line between the game you're testing and the one you're actually playing.
Title_Pending isn’t about fast-paced action – it’s all about exploration, curiosity and experimentation. Most of the gameplay revolves around finding hidden paths or objects. A review on ModDB gives a good example: you explore a seemingly empty, unfinished level, guided only by the sound of a flushing toilet. Once you reach it, something goes wrong and time resets. Suddenly, you're back at the beginning, stuck in a loop you need to break. The game puts a strong focus on story, with narrative clues, Easter eggs and branching paths scattered throughout. Multiple endings and achievements add even more reasons to replay.
Steam players mostly praise the game’s creative meta-narrative, supported by a strong narrator and solid voice acting. The tone, which balances comedy with light psychological horror, is also well received. Some criticism focuses on the short playtime (1.5 to 4 hours) and limited player choices. A few users also mentioned the lack of a skip function for dialogue, which can feel repetitive in later playthroughs. Since its release in September 2022, the game has collected around 400 reviews – 95% of them positive. The title has yet to receive a Metacritic score and still flies under the radar, making it a genuine indie hidden gem.
90% discount on Steam
Title_Pending usually costs around $10 on Steam, with discounts of 50 to 60% being fairly common. But according to SteamDB, developer DEVBEEF is offering a 90% discount for the first time, bringing the price down to just $0.99. If you're interested, note that the deal is only valid until September 30. One minor downside: Steam Deck (currently listed at around $430 on Amazon) compatibility is currently marked as “Unknown.”
Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
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