PICO PARK: Classic Edition has become permanently free on Steam after its developer hit a cap on how many times a game can switch between paid and free status.
Tecopark announced that the cooperative puzzle-platformer must remain free going forward. The studio says they triggered this after making Classic Edition free once again following a recent update. Steam then informed them the game had exceeded the platform’s internal limit on price model changes.
The free version is specifically PICO PARK: Classic Edition, the original 2016 PC release. The modern version simply called PICO PARK remains a paid product and is unaffected by this change.
Steam apparently enforces a threshold on how many times developers can toggle a single product between free and paid. Once that limit is crossed, the game cannot return to a paid model. Tecopark says they inadvertently passed this point after running multiple free promotions over the years.
Classic Edition just received a major update in September 2024 that added online co-op support. Previously, the game focused on local multiplayer. This update brought it much closer to the paid modern version, which launched with online play built in.
Both versions are separate store listings with different app IDs. Classic Edition keeps the original level design and presentation, while the modern PICO PARK includes updated UI and quality-of-life improvements based on the Nintendo Switch release.
The series gained widespread attention through streaming communities, where groups of players would tackle its teamwork-heavy puzzles. The gameplay revolves around stacking characters, sharing keys, and coordinating actions to progress through levels.
The situation creates an unusual outcome for players. Classic Edition now offers online co-op for free, while the paid version costs money for largely similar functionality. Tecopark’s statement about the Steam limit isn’t prominently documented in public-facing developer guidelines, making this policy somewhat obscure until developers hit it.
