The recently released indie game Roots of Pacha has been delisted from Steam after a contractual dispute between developer Soda Den and publisher Crytivo. The Stardew Valley-inspired life and farming simulator just launched on April 25, 2023, and had maintained a generally positive rating on both Metacritic and Steam before it was unexpectedly removed from Valve’s digital storefront on May 13.
Taking inspiration from Stardew Valley and the Story of Seasons series, Soda Den’s simulator game found life through a successful Kickstarter campaign and later landed a publisher in California-based Crytivo. Though originally planned to come out on PC and consoles, Roots of Pacha was ultimately released only on Steam after a two-year delay.
On May 13, Roots of Pacha's developer shared a statement announcing that the publisher had removed the game from Steam after a dispute between the two companies was unable to be amicably resolved. The game’s delisting, developer Soda Den maintained, had happened “without our knowledge or consent.” Soda Den shared that the dispute was about the rights to Roots of Pacha but didn’t provide any further details.
Just a few hours later, publisher Crytivo released a response to Soda Den’s statement, clarifying that the dispute involved the developer unexpectedly deciding to “unilaterally rescind the contract” only two days after the game’s release. The two companies had worked together for three years, and Soda Den’s decision to void their contract “disregarded all of [Crytivo’s] work and the agreed-upon revenue-sharing.” As a result, the publisher explained, Roots of Pacha was removed from Steam as per Valve’s policy regarding party disputes.
It's unclear why Soda Den wants to cancel its contract with Crytivo, and it’s possible that the details of the argument will never be made public. However, in its statement, the developer declared that it felt “cautiously optimistic” that the removal of Roots of Pacha from Steam was only temporary, and the company said it is still actively working on the game and promised to reveal a content roadmap in June.
Roots of Pacha takes place during the Stone Age and allows up to four people to farm, fish, and mine together, while also working to discover the tools — such as metalworking, pottery, and spirituality — that will help their clan evolve. The game also allows players to slowly grow their small village, invite other clans to join, develop friendships, and get married. Hopefully, the dispute between Soda Den and Crytivo will be resolved amicably and quickly so that those just learning about the game will be able to check it out.
Roots of Pacha was released on April 25, 2023, for PC.