Spanking Exorcist dev releases free apology game after Steam delays the launch

Japanese indie developer Actor missed the July 24 release date for Spanking Exorcist after Steam content moderation held up the game, so they shipped a free apology — a tiny downloadable game where you spank the developer as punishment.

Actor posted on X explaining the situation and linking to a Google Drive download for Apology.exe. The game is exactly what it sounds like: a cartoonish overhead view of a backside, Japanese text, a quit button, and a button that makes the butt jiggle with a slap sound effect. Actor wrote, "As a token of our remorse, we've created a game where you can spank the butt of the developer, Actor … We would be delighted if you enjoy it." Spanking Exorcist itself — a first-person horror game mixing exploration with unsettling doll-like characters and Sadako-style waifs — eventually cleared Steam moderation and launched six days late. It's currently $5.39 on a launch sale, down from the regular $6.

Steam's content moderation has been inconsistently applied for years, and the issue got renewed attention after the platform's handling of horror game Horses drew criticism. The platform still sells titles like Furry Hitler and Alex Jones' game without apparent issue, making the holdup for something as comparatively tame as Spanking Exorcist look especially arbitrary.

The apology game is a genuinely good bit — self-deprecating, on-theme, and exactly the kind of low-effort charm that makes small indie developers worth following. Spanking Exorcist is now live on Steam for anyone curious.