Why are players spending hundreds to play The Day Before on Steam?

Third-party sellers, such as Green Man Gaming, have listed unused Steam keys for the game ranging from $233.97 to a whopping $300 or thereabouts. These keys allow users to download and install the game even after its removal from the digital games distribution platform.

This phenomenon has raised questions about the motivations behind purchasing a game so widely regarded as a failure, yet it reflects a unique aspect of digital game ownership and the value of rarity in the gaming market.

The Day Before initially captured the imagination of audiences with its ambitious promise of a gorgeous open-world zombie survival experience. However, upon release, it quickly became apparent that the product fell drastically short of expectations.

Players reported that the game lacked the features and quality Fntastic had promised, leading to a 90% drop in the player count and an entry into Steam's worst 10 games of all time list. The situation escalated when Fntastic announced its closure, offering refunds to those who had purchased the game.

Supposedly, this is the end for The Day Before, but this is where most of us are wrong. Instead, it has found a peculiar afterlife in the online market.

The Day Before's situation is compounded by the controversy surrounding its development. Accusations of ripping off other popular games such as The Division, Call of Duty, The Last of Us, Cyberpunk 2077, and Grand Theft Auto 5 plagued Fntastic throughout its development. Additionally, a trademark dispute added to the complexities leading up to its troubled launch. These issues, coupled with the indefinite delay announced in November 2023, seven months after promising no more delays, painted a bleak picture for the game's future.

Despite its challenges and the closure of Fntastic, The Day Before continues to have a small but regular player base. The game's concurrent player count has dwindled significantly from its peak of 38,104 players to a few hundred. This is the kind of resilience, albeit on a much smaller scale, that could very well give Fntastic a reason to circle back or for another company to step in and "save" the game.

Ironically, users report on various social media platforms like Reddit that Fntastic isn't shy about giving away access to The Day Before for free as long as you email them.