Dev Makes Game Free So More People Will Actually Play It

Fancy a solid pixel-art fantasy platformer? So far, not many people have said “yes” to Greenhouse: Schism. That’s why the developer has decided to give the game away for free—because at this point, he’d rather see people play it than make a few extra dollars.

Do games live and die by their visuals? I’d say: not always. Sure, a new exploration-heavy open-world game loses a lot of its appeal if it looks like the user-generated world of Second Life did in 2003. Or, honestly, in 2018.

When a “modern” boomer shooter presents its bloodbath in chunky id Tech 1-style pixels, though, that’s totally fine. Modern takes on classic platformers can also find an audience even when they’re clearly channeling decades-old 16-bit visuals.

The catch is that the platformers of the ’80s and ’90s may have relied on technically outdated presentation methods, but plenty of them still looked absolutely gorgeous. Longtime fans of the genre have been spoiled by that stuff.

I think Greenhouse: Schism (2025) ran into that problem, among others. Its visuals are solid, but they don’t have much of an identity of their own—which inevitably raises the question: why not play one of the many prettier alternatives instead?

Poor sales despite a $5 price tag

Still, the graphics probably weren’t the only reason Greenhouse: Schism failed to catch on. Visibility is a huge problem for indie developers like Volpanic, too. The flood of half-baked weekend projects and demos can bury even genuinely good games. Even when, like Greenhouse, they only cost a fairly modest five dollars.

Or rather: the unlucky platformer used to cost five dollars. Now it costs nothing at all. Volpanic announced the change today in a devlog post. The developer said the move to free-to-play was driven by poor sales, but also made it clear that sales aren’t everything to him. He’d much rather have people actually play his game.

Volpanic wrote:

Ya know what, We're going free!
So like I'm making the game free so ya know YOU SHOULD PLAY IT (when it becomes free which will be shortly). If you already own it I can't really give ya anything in return other than my thanks~ I can't give you like a premium currency or something that's not what kind of game this is...

Why?
Game didn't sell well and I would take more joy in someone playing it than in someone buying it, So if ya do play it let me know what ya think~ No but Like my deepest thanks to anyone who purchased the game.

It’s been real, See yas again at some point.
~ Volpanic! / Clam Shandy

Greenhouse: Schism is already free on itch.io and Steam

Even though Steam’s annual Summer Sale is currently underway, Volpanic has already managed to remove the price tag from Greenhouse: Schism (Steam page). Given how tightly Steam structures its big sales—technically, editorially, and algorithmically—that wasn’t necessarily a sure thing. The game went free on itch.io first, where you can still throw the developer a little extra if you end up liking it.

What Greenhouse: Schism is about

Want to inspect this particular gift horse before accepting it? You’ll find a short trailer for the game below. But I won’t leave you completely in the dark: Greenhouse: Schism is set in Acri Forest, a woodland with an unusually high concentration of mana. The world is built around five covens (basically levels) and Acri was once the place that connected them all, almost like sacred ground.

Inside those levels, you get 2D action-platforming with magic-based combat, different spells to learn and cast, exploration, and secrets to uncover. Since update 1.1, the main character also has a dash for platforming and dodging enemies or projectiles.

There are six explorable areas in total, each with its own boss fight. A tough New Game+ mode is meant to keep things interesting after the credits, too. I’ve played a bit of it myself, and I definitely had a good time. It also runs smoothly and offers pretty much every setting you’d expect from a game like this.