AI Game Copycats: Ripping Off Best Sellers, Unkillable

Prepare to have your perception of gaming turned upside down. Imagine selling over 8 million copies of your game in just weeks, becoming the summer's most unexpected sensation. Now, imagine seeing that very success — that pure, creative triumph — immediately ripped off, not by another developer, but by lazy AI. Welcome to the challenging world of **Peak**, the hit **co-op game** that's taken the **PC gaming** world by storm, only to find itself at the epicenter of a new, digital gold rush by **AI game clones**. Peak: The Unlikely Co-op Sensation Taking Over Your Screen Forget epic sagas and grim battles. This summer, the **indie game** scene is dominated by *Peak*, a delightfully absurd **climbing game** that’s captured millions of hearts. Ostensibly about scaling a perilous mountain, *Peak* delivers a hearty dose of slapstick comedy, thanks to its bobblehead characters comically tumbling down cliffs. Its easy-to-learn gameplay means anyone can jump in, leading to belly-laugh-inducing moments and unexpected strategies – sometimes even involving a *little* bit of cannibalism (don’t ask, just play!). This unique blend of humor and challenge has made *Peak* perfect fodder for **Twitch streams** and YouTube playthroughs, catapulting it into Steam’s top five bestsellers. Created in partnership by **game developers** Aggro Crab and Landfall (the masterminds behind last year’s viral hit *Content Warning*) during an intense **game jam**, *Peak* sold over a million copies in its first week alone. Now, it boasts an incredible 8 million sales. A true Cinderella story in **game development**. But what happens when that dizzying success becomes a magnet for the worst kind of imitation? A Glacial Threat: When Success Breeds AI Imposters “We hate to see it,” laments Nick Kamen, cofounder of Aggro Crab. Despite *Peak*'s soaring success, a dark cloud looms: scammers are flooding **digital storefronts** with cheap, AI-made versions of their beloved creation. **Video game clones** are not new. For decades, they’ve been a persistent thorn in the side of the **game industry**. Indie darlings like *Super Hexagon*, *Ridiculous Fishing*, *Threes*, *Unpacking*, and even the colossal hit *Wordle* (later acquired by The New York Times) have all faced down copycats. Even giants aren't immune: Sony recently sued Tencent over alleged *Horizon* series clones, and Nintendo is locked in a legal battle with Pocketpair over *Palworld*'s similarities to *Pokémon*. These cheap imitations, however, are evolving. They appear across **PC gaming** and **console gaming** platforms, from the biggest distributors to the smallest corners of the web. *Peak* is particularly vulnerable on consoles because its official release is *only* on PC. We've seen "Peaked Climbing" pop up on the PlayStation Store and Roblox, featuring poorly animated, big-headed creatures attempting to ape *Peak*'s premise and first-person climbing view. The Whack-A-Mole Nightmare: Fighting the Tide of 'Slop Games'

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While a hand-crafted copycat is one thing, Kamen tells WIRED, "it's another thing to just use AI to get it out as fast as possible and as lazy as possible." Aggro Crab poured their hearts into *Peak* during that grueling **game jam**, a development sprint where creators dedicate all their waking hours to a single project. “We’re proud of our game,” Kamen states, his frustration clear. “We don’t like seeing it get ripped off this way.” As **AI game creation** tools become more accessible, **game developers** now face a terrifying new threat beyond job security: AI-made clones. These often require no coding experience, churned out by sites like Rosebud AI, Ludo AI, and Seele AI with just text prompts or photos. YouTubers even share tutorials on how to create (or rip off) games using these tools. For small studios, the process of getting these **AI games** taken down is an exhausting, resource-draining nightmare. Wren Brier, creative director of *Unpacking*, reveals her studio, Witch Beam, has reported over 80 clones since 2021. “It feels like whack-a-mole sometimes,” she sighs. These aren’t just similar games; they are "blatant copyright infringements" that lift assets or even the game's name. More Than Just Copies: The Hidden Scam Behind AI Clones Many "AI-made clones" aren't what you think. “They’re not AI-made games,” Brier clarifies. “They’re AI-generated marketing images attached to a completely unrelated, hastily slapped-together, bare-bones skeleton of a game.” The truth? “They are literally a scam,” she emphasizes. These imitators trick players into downloading a "crappy product" full of ads, leveraging misleading imagery and pretending to be a real game the player might recognize. Beyond Profits: Why AI Clones Threaten the Soul of Gaming While *Peak*'s developers are confident in their robust bank account, the damage of **AI clones** extends far beyond profits. Brier argues that these clones hurt developers just as AI books hurt authors. “Flooding a storefront with garbage that no one wants to play makes it impossible for players to organically discover **indie games**.” The stricter game certification processes of yesteryear are gone, leaving genuine creators struggling to be seen. “It’s not a problem just for the games that get cloned,” Brier warns. “It’s a problem for all of us.” It impacts your ability to discover the next hidden gem, to experience the genuine creativity that makes gaming special. Climbing an Uphill Battle: Copyright vs. AI Generation

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Fighting clones legally is already incredibly difficult. Intellectual property attorney Kirk Sigmon explains that **copyright protection** doesn't extend to a game's genre, aesthetic, or even core gameplay mechanics. AI, he admits, "definitely makes slop generation faster, but the issue has been around for well over two decades." All it's done is lower the barrier for new entrants. The easiest legal cases arise when cloners directly lift work, like *Unpacking*'s stolen assets. But here’s a shocking twist: AI-generated games might actually be *better protected* from **copyright infringement** lawsuits. Savvy knockoff developers can use AI models to develop *unique* assets and code, rather than stealing. “That’ll make it much harder to go after them in court, for better or worse,” Sigmon concludes. Taking a Stand: How Developers (and You) Can Push Back Ultimately, **digital distribution platforms** hold the power to purge storefronts of clones. Yet, small developers often bear the brunt of the work: filing reports, navigating complex systems, and waiting weeks for resolution. So, what’s a passionate developer to do? Social pressure, Sigmon suggests, might be the strongest defense. Complaining to storefronts or enlisting fans are workable solutions, because “I don’t know many gamers who are a fan of half-hearted slop games.” Aggro Crab and Landfall are taking this direct approach. "We're not really the type to be litigious," Kamen says. Instead, they’re being outspoken. In early August, Aggro Crab boldly declared on X (formerly Twitter) that they’d rather users “pirate our game than play this microtransaction-riddled [Roblox] slop ripoff.” Landfall echoed the sentiment, tweeting they’ve "been reporting a bunch of these AI slop things." Thanks to their efforts, "Peaked Climbing" has been removed from the PlayStation Store. The Human Touch: Why Authentic Games Still Reign Supreme "I consume media because it's made by humans," Kamen asserts passionately. "I want to experience a piece of art... another human has made and get their perspective and their outlook on the world." If AI is used to make a game, he argues, "then you're removing that from the equation. There's no value in it." The fight for **Peak** isn't just about one game; it's a battle for the soul of **gaming**. It's about protecting the human creativity, the painstaking effort, and the unique perspectives that make video games more than just code. It's about ensuring that when *you* load up a game, you're experiencing a genuine piece of art, not a hollow, AI-generated imitation. And as players, your voice in this fight is more powerful than ever.

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