Are reviews based on practices or data not related to the game allowed? Steam FAQ says yes.

[ch0mp]

Originally posted by Steam Review FAQ for partners:

Q. Some customers are basing their review on practices or data not related to the game. Is that allowed?

A. Yes. Steam reviews tend to be a reflection of how happy customers are with the game itself as well as the value proposition, the business practices, and the experience of being part of that game’s community. This is all valid feedback and a reflection of how customers feel about the experience provided by your game.

Steam Partner Review documentation
The FAQ is at the bottom

I wrote a review based on the business practices of the publisher/developers and on the experience of being part of the game's community

[[Unintelligible]]

Do you mind if I show you something? It's a bit big, I apologize for that.

So before you guys came, there was already an influx of negative reviews from people who did care for the game, because an update basically ruined friendly AI, making solo play a lot harder than it should humanely be.

These reviews were not tagged as spam and shifted the overal rating from "Mostly Positive" to "Mixed". This was way before the drama.

Now take a look at these below. It took me a minute to sample them. I sat there and scrolled for a minute, stopwatch on the side, copy pasting stupid Steam reviews in Noteblock.

Notice how in one minute I sampled a non-negligeable number of off-topic reviews that have nothing relevant to say about the game.

So when Steam says "we put a * on it because a lot of off-topic reviews happened at once", I can't refute it.

So here's a hint to any mob out there who wants to trash a game: come up with a plan.
Reviews from today, May 14th, are mostly coherent, so clearly some people figured that out, but boy were there many spam reviews since May 10th, that Steam has the right to flag as spam.

(EDIT: Fixed typos, sorry for that.)
Anyway quote dump:

Not Recommended
0.2 hrs
POSTED: 14 MAY
ouch

Not Recommended
7.4 hrs
POSTED: 14 MAY
Crimewoke

Not Recommended
2 hrs
POSTED: 14 MAY
We stand with Kirsche.

Not Recommended
3.6 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
Doing my part to chuck more kindling on the fire.

Not Recommended
54.3 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
Kirche made game pop up on my radar.

Not Recommended
5.0 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
whomp,whomp

Not Recommended
39.9 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
41% of positive reviews

Not Recommended
20.0 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
Apologize to Kirsche

Not Recommended
3.8 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
Yeah... yeah...

Not Recommended
2.0 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
You know what you did~

Not Recommended
21.4 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
Good job. You did it. You saved the world

Not Recommended
16.1 hrs on record
Posted: 13 May
losers can't do more than read a headline. there was clearly no attempt at finding the full context of the clip or even watching the clip itself

Not Recommended
0.8 hrs last two weeks
Posted: 12 May
#JusticeforKirsche

Not Recommended
219.4 hrs on record
Posted: 12 May
#JusticeforKirsche

[ch0mp]

While I'll grant many aren't the most articulate, taken in sum many are clearly referencing the same precipitating event and aren't "spam"

Not all, of course - some cross lines or lack a binding context.

[smoketrees]

Pathetic.

Hopefully those censored reviews will be rewritten by the players.