Here's one big benefit to Hytale not being on Steam: its refund policy is way better than Valve's

I'm pretty heavily Steam-pilled at this point. When I want to play a game and it comes out on a platform other than Steam, I always sigh dramatically and mutter a curse under my breath.

That's because now I have to download or at least update some other launcher, try to remember whatever the hell my password is because I haven't used it for so long, and jump through whatever two-factor authorization hoops I set up in the distant, forgotten past. Sometimes I even have to register for a whole new account somewhere. That can take up to an extra minute or two out of my day. What am I, made of time?

However, there are sometimes benefits to a game not being on Steam, and that's the case with sandbox adventure Hytale, which launched yesterday. Yes, you've gotta register for an account and download and sign into a new launcher, but there's a silver lining to that mild inconvenience: Hytale's return policy.

We know Steam's return policy by heart: within two weeks since the date of purchase and under two hours of play. Hypixel Studios has Valve beat, though. The two week window is the same, but you can get a refund even if you've played up to four hours of Hytale.

Valve's blanket two hour policy has often felt restrictive to me, because you almost always need longer than that to really get a feel for most games, especially big, sprawling open world adventures where the first couple hours simply don't show you enough to make a decision.

Four hours feels much more generous and reasonable (at least for this kind of game, obviously it's different for very short games), and gives you the time you need to get acquainted with Hytale's world and systems before you decide if you want to keep playing or request a refund.

You can see the entire Hytale refund policy on the official site, and make sure you read it carefully. It takes a ridiculous amount of different payment methods and crucially a few don't allow Hypixel Studios to offer refunds. So, make sure you check the list before you buy.

And if you need a bit more information before you fork over your money, we've got you covered: here are the differences between Hytale and Minecraft.