Pirates have been added to the non-pirates indie game as a treat for pirates

The solo developer behind it Please fix the road, a colorful puzzle game in which you try to rearrange tiles to repair and reconnect decrepit roads, is about to be released on PC. Before the launch, developer Ariel Jurkowski announced that Please Fix the Road will be coming to Steam, GOG… and torrent sites.

This is not a mistake, Jurkowski is intentionally creating a “pirated” version of her own game that will go live on popular torrent sites alongside official stores.

While this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a version of this tactic, Jurkowski isn’t really trying to make an inferior version of the game for pirates, or even make them feel guilty about buying it. Instead as a developer explained on TwitterThis torrent version of Please Fix the Road includes all content available to Steam and GOG owners.

To spice things up a little, or maybe make this version stand out, Jurkowski added a “pirate song” at the beginning of the game and made some changes to the intro to fit the theme. Pirates will also notice a different options menu icon that replaces the default gear with a pirate face.

The only other major difference is that this version of the game will not receive any future updates. As for why Ariel Jurkowski is even bothering, the developer admitted that the game “would be pirated anyway,” though he doesn’t “blame anyone for it.”

“It is what it is. I hope at least some people appreciate the gesture, maybe I’ll get some PR points for it,” he said added.

While this might be a nice touch that doesn’t punish pirates, it might not be very successful. GOG sells a DRM-free version, so this is the one that may still end up gaining traction on torrent sites. In fact, savvy pirates often look for the GOG versions of games to download as it reduces the risk of obtaining a cracked copy that might contain malicious software.

Please Fix the Road features a diorama style structure with pleasing aesthetics. Jurkowski said you should expect it to be a “casual” puzzle game. It’s arriving sometime in June, and you can wishlist it on Steam today.