Steam Delists “Flick Solitaire” in Russia After State Censorship Order Targeting LGBTQ+ Art

Steam has removed Flick Solitaire from its Russian storefront following a directive from the country’s federal media regulator, Roskomnadzor, after authorities declared the game in violation of the state’s expanded restrictions on LGBTQ+ “propaganda.” The decision affects only the Steam version of the game; Flick Solitaire remains fully accessible on iOS and Android in Russia.

Flick Games, the small indie UK studio behind the long-running mobile hit, confirmed the delisting after receiving notice that the PC version of the game had been blocked regionally. The order, issued in late October, cited several Pride-themed collectible card decks created by LGBTQ+ illustrators—material Russian regulators say constitutes the “promotion of non-traditional sexualities.”

Those decks, designed by artists Queer Chameleon, Ego Rodriguez, Karin Hammarsten, and others, have been part of Flick Solitaire’s rotating artist-driven deck system for years. The game functions as both a modernised take on classic solitaire modes and a constantly updated gallery of indie art. Flick commissions dozens of independent creators yearly, pays them, and allows them to retain their IP. It's something the studio has repeatedly characterised as a core principle of the project.

According to Flick Games, Valve notified the studio that the title did not comply with local distribution laws in Russia and restricted access to the game shortly after receiving the government request. However, the studio says Steam acted “instantly” and without further dialogue.

In a statement, Flick Games said it did not receive an opportunity to contest or clarify the situation beforehand—a point the team contrasted with Apple and Google, both of which received the same Roskomnadzor notice but have continued to allow the mobile versions of Flick Solitaire to remain live in Russia. No in-app purchases are available there due to separate financial sanctions, but the game itself remains playable.

“We’re heartbroken for our Russian community,” the studio wrote, adding that Russia has historically been one of Flick Solitaire’s largest markets. “We don’t pick and choose between human beings… Flick will keep being a platform for gorgeous, diverse art and people.”

Valve has not issued a public comment on the decision. The company rarely explains individual region-locking actions, a longstanding point of frustration among developers and researchers who track game removals in restrictive markets. Over the past two years, hundreds of titles on Steam have been delisted or geographically blocked in Russia, many without public acknowledgement.

A Familiar Pattern Under Expanding Russian Laws

The removal of Flick Solitaire is consistent with the wide net cast by Russia’s 2022 amendments targeting LGBTQ+ representation. The legislation bans any positive or neutral depictions of LGBTQ+ identities across all mediums—streaming platforms, films, advertising, and games—and applies to audiences of all ages. The law’s broad language has made it a tool for sweeping takedown requests and has chilled entertainment platforms that fear non-compliance.

For a cosy solitaire title, the trigger was the game’s Pride decks: colourful, stylised reinterpretations of classic playing card suits created by queer artists across Europe, North America, and Asia. Flick Games has been vocal about retaining these decks in all regions on principle. The studio has historically declined to self-censor even in territories where LGBTQ+ content is policed or discouraged.

“Players come to Flick to collect decks, discover artists, and find calm, and for many, that includes finally seeing themselves represented in games,” said Ian Masters, CEO and founder of Flick Games, in a statement. “If representation can be switched off region by region, the game industry gets smaller for everyone—that’s incredibly sad.”

A Small Indie Studio in a Global Platform Crossfire

The situation also puts a spotlight on the uneven, often opaque ways global storefronts navigate censorship demands. As a small independent studio, Flick Games relies heavily on cross-platform availability and steady communication with storefronts. The team said it hopes major platforms adopt clearer policies and offer more transparency when regional regulators demand changes that affect representation or threaten the livelihoods of small developers.

For Flick, the delisting comes at a significant moment. Flick Solitaire launched in Early Access on Steam in October 2025, extending the mobile title’s five-year run into the PC space. The Steam version includes more than 70 artist-designed decks at launch, ranging from collaborations with Cyanide & Happiness to contributions from established designers like Rex Crowle (Knights and Bikes, LittleBigPlanet) and Grey Alien Games.

The studio has positioned the game as a “playable art gallery,” merging familiar solitaire modes—Klondike, Spider, Pyramid, Elevens—with a tactile flick-based card movement system and a collector-driven progression structure. The Inscryption-themed deck, free at launch, marked one of the most prominent crossover collaborations featured in the PC release.

What Happens Next?

While the delisting is limited to Russia, the case adds to a growing debate about the responsibilities of global platforms when confronted with political or cultural censorship demands—especially those that target queer creators or community representation. Unlike mobile storefronts, which so far have resisted enforcement, Steam’s compliance underscores the challenges developers face when one platform removes access while others do not.

For now, Flick Solitaire remains fully accessible worldwide on Steam except in Russia, and no changes have been made to the Pride decks or any of the artist-created content in the global build. Flick Games says it has no plans to alter any material to regain access to the Russian Steam storefront.

The studio continues to encourage players to support the affected artists and, more broadly, to stay engaged in conversations about representation in games. The removal of one small art-focused solitaire title may not shift Steam’s broader approach to regional compliance, but for the developers—and for the Russian players who relied on the PC version—it has already become a sobering example of how quickly access can disappear when state policy collides with creative expression.

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