Hello everyone,
I'm Mo-Ring, the developer of this game.
I'd like to make an official statement regarding the pricing of Escape Line.
Since the game launched on Steam about a month ago, I've received a fair number of reviews. Plenty of positive ones — but also an increasing number of negative ones, especially from players in the Chinese region. The level of scrutiny toward free works has far exceeded my expectations. Some accused me of using AI to polish the text, and even after I provided hand-written drafts and process evidence, they refused to accept that this game was crafted by hand. Some private-messaged me to criticize the direction of the story. Some left negative reviews as leverage, demanding that I add achievement systems before they'd consider changing their rating. And some played despite clearly not enjoying the genre, and still passed judgment on the work.
I understand — and I support — everyone's right to express their opinion. Without negative reviews, the positive ones wouldn't shine as brightly.
But.
This is not the cycle I want.
Every creator who builds something out of love deserves to be treated with respect and kindness — not drowned in hostility and accusations.
I believe in: Prosperity, Democracy, Civility, Harmony, Freedom, Equality, Justice, Rule of Law, Patriotism, Dedication, Integrity, and Friendship. What I've always advocated for is a respectful, friendly space for exchange. I don't believe I should be treated as a punching bag for baseless hostility. So I'm setting a boundary.
On July 14, 2026, I posted a poll on Xiaohongshu asking whether I should switch to paid pricing. The results are almost in, and I'm finally able to make this difficult decision:
The Steam version will switch to paid — priced at $2 USD (approximately ¥14–15 RMB).
The process has been confirmed with Steam Support. The change will take effect in approximately 2–3 weeks (early August). Until then, the game can still be added to your library for free.
If you've already claimed it for free, as long as you don't manually remove it, it will remain in your account permanently — and you'll continue to receive future updates and DLC at no cost.
Itch.io will remain free, with PC and Mac builds updated in sync.
If you'd rather not pay, you're welcome to download it from itch, or watch playthroughs and streams from other content creators.
Additionally, after the pricing change goes live, long-time supporters who have shown their support on platforms like Tumblr, Xiaohongshu, or Bilibili — through reviews, comments, fanart, or any form of community contribution — are welcome to reach out via email, and I'll provide a free Steam key.
Lastly: I'm not doing this for profit. I've had enough of being put on trial for simply making something. I'm drawing a boundary — a creative boundary — to protect myself from repeated harm. This boundary is meant to keep out the hollow voices from outside the circle, and to preserve the purity of the space within.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this announcement in full.
I love you all. ❤️