GOG.com Kicks Off “Freedom to Buy” — A 48-Hour Pushback Against Gaming Censorship
When payment processors say “no,” GOG.com shouts “play.”
Here’s the TL;DR…
Launched Aug 1 2025: GOG.com’s Freedom to Buy campaign offers 13 games free for 48 hours through FreedomToBuy.games.
Highlighted titles include Leap of Love, Being a DIK – Season 1, and House Party—all games that routinely land in censors’ crosshairs.
The move arrives amid Visa/Mastercard guidelines that have already nixed hundreds of adult-themed games elsewhere.
Backed by participating devs and publishers, GOG argues that games preserved today should still be playable decades from now.
Freedom to Buy: What It Is and How It Works
On August 1st, GOG.com hit “publish” on an X post proclaiming:
“Censorship is quietly deciding which games you can buy. We are fighting back.”
The link points to FreedomToBuy.games—a pop-up store where 13 controversial or adult-themed titles are free to claim until Aug 3. After the window closes, the games return to paid status but remain on GOG’s catalogue, reinforcing the store’s “you bought it, you keep it” mantra.
Why Now? A Growing Squeeze from Payment Gatekeepers
Recent months have seen payment processors tighten rules around sexual content. The same guidelines forced Steam to delist nearly 500 visual novels and pushed Itch.io to hide award-winning indie Mouthwashing from search results.
GOG frames its campaign as a direct counter-strike:
Legal + Age-restricted ≠ Objectionable: If local regulations permit a game and proper age gates exist, “financial morality clauses” shouldn’t dictate availability.
Preservation over Profit: Reviving delisted titles grows harder each year—especially as storefronts shift from “own” to “license.”
A Look at the Free Line-Up
The 13-game carousel leans heavy on visual novels and adults-only comedy. Stand-outs:
Leap of Faith – A branching romantic dramedy (includes official walkthrough).
Being a DIK – Season 1 – A college-life VN famous for both raunch and narrative depth.
House Party – Party-sim chaos, long living on the edge of content filters.
Agony - A body-horror nightmare with a focus on the grotesque.
Every developer involved waived revenue for the 48-hour promo to underscore the preservation message.
Industry Ripples
Could other stores follow suit? Industry analysts note:
Platform Differentiation: While Steam opts for quiet delistings, GOG positions itself as the preservation-friendly marketplace—good PR and a unique selling point.
Developer Morale: Indies now have a visible ally willing to absorb friction with payment processors. That may shift where controversial titles launch first.
Consumer Awareness: By turning the promotion into a timed giveaway, GOG ensures headlines—and downloads—before anyone can yank the plug.
The Clock Is Ticking
The free-claim window closes Aug 3. Whether you’re curious or a die-hard preservationist, snagging the bundle doubles as a vote for retail freedom.
Sources
GOG.com – X post announcing #FreedomToBuy (Aug 1 2025)
GOG.com pressroom – “GOG and publishers launch FreedomToBuy.games” (2025)
Noisypixel – “GOG’s Freedom To Buy Campaign Gives Away Controversial Games” (Aug 1 2025)
The Gamer – “Mouthwashing removed from Itch.io after payment-processor rules” (Jul 28 2025)
Wikipedia – Entry for Devotion (video game) (updated 2025)
News compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs and Steven Bubbles on Aug 2 2025. Follow us on ClownfishTV.com for more gaming, pop-culture, and tech news, and consider subscribing for just $5/month to unlock exclusive podcasts and content.