Sentinels of the Store

Consumer Advocacy group focusing on the independent development scene on @Steam

Account managed by @MellowOnline1

[Sentinels of the Store @SteamSentinels]

Welcome to the official Sentinels of the Store Twitter account!

Check out our Steam group for all of our posts and join our community on Discord!

It's time for real change!

#SentinelsoftheStore

Steam group: https://t.co/4ijFaGFKhA

Discord server: https://t.co/UfpxJ96AQR

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

The EUIPO have responded to the third-party observation a member of @SteamSentinels filed in response to the "Hidden Cats" trademark.

The examiner stated that the observation that was filed has raised "serious doubts" about whether the trademark can be registered.

Following a re-examination of the application, the EUIPO's examiner concluded that "Hidden Cats" should be refused registration on the basis that:

• It lacks distinctive character.
• It is descriptive of the goods and services being applied for.

In plain English, the examiner's position is currently that consumers would understand "Hidden Cats" simply as describing games where players search for hidden cats, rather than as a brand identifying a single company.

The EUIPO specifically notes that a player encountering the term would immediately understand what type of game it is, and would view it as information about the game's nature or purpose rather than an indicator of commercial origin.

This is not a final decision. @nukearts now has two months to respond to the examiner's findings. After that, the EUIPO will decide whether the trademark should proceed or be refused.

Regardless of the eventual outcome, this is the first time an official authority reviewing the trademark has formally stated that there are serious concerns regarding its registrability.

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

New @SteamSentinels article!

@SirViolentDeath dives headfirst into Steam's store tags, discussing how they work, the benefits and issues with the system, and how Steam could go about fixing them.

https://t.co/av0VIiux4M

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

A Quick Personal Update

https://t.co/QlSbI5rujX

[Matt Roszak🍉🌻Find Matt's Cats on Steam @KupoGames]

Update to the "Hidden Cats" trademark case:
https://t.co/6zLCu0XrdE

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

NEW @SteamSentinels ARTICLE!

Hard Shark Games were exposed last year for stolen content and review manipulation.

Some games were removed.

The developer wasn’t.

And now they’re continuing to abuse Steam's Early Access system.

https://t.co/DBMMtuJoO7

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

NEW @SteamSentinels ARTICLE

@nukearts have responded to the EU trademark challenge over “Hidden Cats.”

It’s now a live dispute: Is “Hidden Cats” a brand - or just a description of the genre?

We break down the latest developments.

https://t.co/WVXFomO7EW

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

NEW ARTICLE ON @SteamSentinels!

The “Hidden Cats” trademark by @nukearts has now been formally challenged in the EU.

A third-party observation has been received and logged by the EUIPO, marking the first official pushback.

https://t.co/ZD8WOzeUDV

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

NEW @SteamSentinels ARTICLE

As our visibility grows, so does scrutiny - and sometimes misrepresentation.

We’re clarifying what Sentinels of the Store is, what it isn’t, and how we approach accountability on @Steam.

https://t.co/9Hj3AWPJFj

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

NEW @SteamSentinels ARTICLE

@valvesoftware has spent years refining @Steam's review system to tackle review bombing - but have they struck the right balance?

@SirViolentDeath explores the changes Steam has made over the years, including the review chart, off-topic filters, and language-based review scores.

https://t.co/I0rMwlHtCf

#Steam #Gaming #Valve #ReviewBombing #GameDev

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

We’ve launched a new @Patreon-exclusive series: Sentinel Log.

A monthly behind-the-scenes look at @SteamSentinels, including ongoing investigations, article insights, and work we don’t always share publicly.

First issue (March) is live now! If you aren't a patron yet, now's a great time to become one and enjoy more bonuses than ever before!

https://t.co/Wun6TH471p

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

The @FTC has issued warning letters to @PayPal, @Visa, @Mastercard & @stripe over concerns of “debanking” consumers.

This follows last year’s situation, where payment processor pressure led to removals on @Steam.

Is this the start of regulatory pushback?

Read more: https://t.co/57l8sStXW5

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

New @SteamSentinels article!

“Asset flip” has become shorthand for “bad game.”

That’s not what it actually means.

I break down why the term should be factual - not a value judgement.

https://t.co/dsyT6cWKAe

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

Small win I wanted to share with everyone.

Yesterday, our curator hit a new 24-hour lifetime peak for App Views Influenced!

Thanks as always for the support you all throw behind @SteamSentinels!

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

New @SteamSentinels article from Caff

DLC spam is quietly flooding @Steam's new releases - with some games listing dozens of expensive DLC packs with little explanation of what they even contain.

Our latest piece looks at the growing issue and why Valve needs to address it.

Read here: https://t.co/bS2t9dH6Hn

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

New article on @SteamSentinels!

We go over developments that have happened in the Hidden Cats Trademark dispute - review bombings that have happened on @nukearts games, and what's going on with the trademark status in Europe.

https://t.co/UHL5HOIPWq

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

New @SteamSentinels article!

@Steam is enforcing a trademark over the “Hidden Cats” micro-genre. Developers are scrambling to rename their titles. The dispute is still ongoing.

@valvesoftware has poorly handled the claim, which is in itself anti-competitive, anti-developer and anti-consumer.

Full article here: https://t.co/P5djwFjtVU

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

We're looking into this matter at @SteamSentinels, and we've also reached out to a copyright & trademark lawyer for advice.

Anyone with further information on this, please do feel free to drop me an email at [email protected] or drop me a message here on X.

[Sentinels of the Store @SteamSentinels]

Hey @Sark - just to clarify, Obey the Fist isn’t staff or moderation within Sentinels of the Store, just a regular member.

The stream gave the impression of formal association, which isn’t the case. A brief clarification would be greatly appreciated to avoid confusion. Thank you

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

Hey @Sark,

Just wanted to respectfully clarify something from the recent stream.

Obey the Fist is not staff, a moderator, or formally affiliated with @SteamSentinels beyond being a regular member. We don’t control or endorse the conduct of individual reviewers on @Steam.

Because of the size of your audience, the association may unintentionally give the impression that he represents our group in an official capacity, which isn’t the case.

I’d really appreciate a brief clarification at some point to avoid that confusion. Thank you.

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

New @SteamSentinels article!

@Steam has landed on the front page of @guardian.

Developers are speaking out about bigoted reviews, curator campaigns, and what they describe as inconsistent moderation on the platform.

It raises serious questions about scale, transparency, and where criticism ends and harassment begins.

https://t.co/niOYzy3Xfe

[Mellow_Online1 @MellowOnline1]

New @SteamSentinels article!

Atomic Fabrik was removed from @Steam in 2024 following documented review manipulation and storefront abuse.

They still have titles available on @EpicGames.

I’ve written up a full breakdown of what happened and why this is being discussed again.

https://t.co/uAGRXYuRwH