An indie dev worried about being seen as a ripoff after discovering a game similar to the one they were making, but then the original dev responded: 'Don't be discouraged'
One of the most amazing things about modern games is that if you can think of a game you want to play, it probably exists somewhere. Yet while this is great for players like me, I can understand why it might be disheartening if you're a developer trying to stand out.
One indie developer recently found themselves in such a moment of crisis, to the point where they considered abandoning their project over its perceived similarity to another game. Fortunately, they were pulled out of the spiral, by none other than the creator of the game they'd worried about in the first place.
This all transpired over on the subreddit r/IndieDev, on which neophyte indie designer Sbibble relayed his concerns in a post titled "The game I've been working on for months is exactly the same as a game I just discovered today. What do I do?"
Explaining the situation, Sbibble wrote that he started a new project in October built in the Godot engine which is "sort of like Enter the Gungeon, but with a spell system like in Noita." While aware that the concept "isn't exactly original" Sbibble felt the blend of the two ideas lent the game sufficient novelty.
Then, while looking through Godot's newsfeed, Sbibble discovered a game called Gunforged, which he lamented is "remarkably similar to the project I have been working on, to the point where Steam even compares it to Noita and Gungeon specifically on the store page."
Sbibble's concern is that his game would be "seen as just a ripoff", even though he wasn't aware of Gunforged's existence. Yet these concerns were quickly laid to rest by Gunforged's creator, Firebelley.
Responding to the thread, Firebelley urged Sbibble not to give up on his project. "I would say don't be discouraged. There's plenty of room to do Gunforged better than I did, especially if you can do something unique. But even just improving my game's deficiencies can set you apart enough to sell some copies."
As well as being kind and reassuring, Firebelley's comment speaks to the reality of how most games are. Our hobby is a highly iterative medium, typically building upon ideas and mechanics laid down by someone else before us. Genuinely new concepts are rare. Ripping off a game, meanwhile, tends to involve the copying of artwork and characters as well as systems. When that happens, you end up with situations like Sony suing the developer of Light of Motriam, which bore a striking similarity to the Horizon games visually and mechanically.
Sbibble thanked Firebelley for his comment at the time, and has since created a YouTube video where he shows off some early footage of his game—which is being made under the working title 'Gremnor's Quest'—while going into further detail about the whole event. He says Firebelley's response was a "really chill, cool thing to do" while also explaining how surprised he's been by the attention the post received.
At the same time, Sbibble also stresses that his game is very early in development and may never be finished, with updates likely to come via his YouTube channel. "I want to offer clarity and transparency. If there's an update on the game, it'll most likely be here in the form of a video or a community post," he says. "And if the game is cancelled or taking a long time, that'll also be here."
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