Indie Developers of Charming Co-Op Horror Game Claim “Direct Copy” with “AI-Generated Assets” Set to Release on PlayStation Store Before Their Own Game is Complete

Developer Lazy Flock, a two-person team, has dedicated several years to crafting their charming horror game, Haunted Paws. In this co-op adventure, players take on the roles of two puppies on a mission to rescue their human friend from a spooky mansion. However, with no official release date in sight for Haunted Paws, the developers were taken aback to discover a game strikingly similar in concept—featuring kittens instead of puppies—set to launch on the PlayStation Store later this month.

“THIS IS NOT A HAUNTED PAWS GAME. IT IS A DIRECT COPY,” Lazy Flock stated on Twitter, sharing a screenshot of the PlayStation Store listing for Ghostly Whiskers. “This is an unauthorized copy that steals our concept, visuals, and story, using AI-generated assets, releasing on the PlayStation Store.”

The store page for Ghostly Whiskers describes it as a cute horror game where players, as a pair of kitties, explore a haunted mansion in search of their human friend. While there are no screenshots or gameplay videos available, the similarities to Haunted Paws are hard to overlook. The artwork featured on the store page appears to be AI-generated, showcasing overly sharp animal characters and oddly shaped paw prints.

Nostra Games is credited as the developer of Ghostly Whiskers, and a glance at their YouTube channel reveals a collection of titles that bear striking resemblances to popular games and viral hits. Examples include Shelter 78 (echoing Fallout Shelter and Fallout 76), Two Hands Hospital Assistant Simulator (similar to Two Point Hospital), Weed And Greed (reminiscent of Schedule 1), Risky Roads (inspired by Crossy Road), and Only Up Rush (drawing from Only Up).

While not all of these games are direct copies of their inspirations, some are particularly blatant. For instance, Hole Digging Master could easily be confused with A Game About Digging A Hole, a micro-sized excavation game that briefly captivated our features editor last year. Ultra Bonk Survivors closely resembles Megabonk, a hit in the Vampire Survivors genre from 2025.

Most of Nostra Games’ titles are available on the PlayStation Store, with a few also on Steam. This includes an upcoming port of Trading Card Shop Simulator, which bears a striking resemblance to the viral 2024 early access hit, TCG Card Shop Simulator. Notably, Steam requires disclosures that “in-game art can contain AI-generated textures,” a requirement not present on the PlayStation Store.

Over the years, the PlayStation Store has seen its fair share of cheap knock-offs of well-known games, including clones of Peak, rip-offs of Schedule 1, and even specific parodies of certain GTA Vice City missions.