"Depression Quest" was first released online as a web browser game on February 14, 2013. Quinn also submitted the game through Steam's Greenlight program and consequently received disparaging comments and hate mail, causing them to withdraw the game from the service. After receiving positive feedback from players who had played the game and receiving an invitation to Indiecade, Quinn tried Greenlight again. They received further harassment, but felt that they could deal with the stress. "I thought, honestly, I could take the hate if it meant the game could reach somebody who would get something out of it, feel less alone," Quinn stated. The game was accepted by Greenlight in January 2014, and was released on Steam in August that year. The day it was due to go live, news broke that actor Robin Williams had died from a suspected suicide. Quinn considered delaying the Steam release, as they did not want to be seen as taking advantage of Williams' death. They eventually decided to keep to the original release schedule, as Quinn thought that making the game available to those struggling with their own problems was more important than any negative publicity they might receive, writing, "I can’t in good conscience hold back offering someone something that could help them start making real changes in their life for the sake of reducing the risk of offending people or hurting my own reputation." The game uses a pay-what-you-want pricing model: it is free to play, but players can pay any amount they think is appropriate. Part of the proceeds from the game are sent to a charity – initially iFred, but this was later changed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline after the game was released on Steam. "Depression Quest" received mostly positive reviews from critics, who generally viewed it as not being intended for entertainment but education. Jessica Vasquez, writing for "Game Revolution", praised the game's portrayal of how sufferers are affected by depression, and expressed optimism in its potential to educate people about depression. Writing for "Gizmag", Adam Williams called the experience of "Depression Quest" "dark and compelling". He added that he did not find the game fun to play, and that "it's certainly no "Super Mario Brothers", but that's probably the point". Tim Biggs, writing for the "Sydney Morning Herald", also stressed a lack of fun in the game, and went on to say that the game was "a testing and, at times, a boring experience to go through". However, he praised the game's execution, and acknowledged its importance as a tool for raising awareness of depression and for helping its sufferers.