AI Sparks Surge of Indie Game Imitations
Earlier this year, an indie developer shared a 50-second video showcasing a unique game concept they had been mulling over: what if Tetris had a rotating board as you placed blocks? The idea quickly gained traction on social media. However, just days after the video went live, Freya Holmér found that someone had already created a clone of her concept using AI coding tools. Soon after, more vibe-coded clones began appearing in app stores. This situation highlights a challenging new reality for indie developers, one that could significantly impact their earnings and discourage them from sharing their ideas.
Recent reports indicate that some developers are facing a wave of vibe-coded clones of their games, often surfacing even before the originals launch. This trend complicates the path to success for smaller developers amid the thousands of games released each year. With AI tools like Claude, individuals can rapidly assemble playable games that mimic existing titles and publish these AI-generated clones across console, PC, and mobile platforms.
Charlie Greenman, who spoke about his experience, mentioned that he came across Holmér’s idea on social media and, after a few AI prompts and about a day of work, created his own version called Rotris. He expressed no ethical concerns regarding his actions.
“I really couldn’t care less about the game,” he stated. “No one was interested. I felt like I had this brand new creation. When it gets to that point, is one song copying another? Is one game copying another? Whoever created Blox or Jenga, is that a copy of Tetris?”
While game cloning has been a longstanding issue in the industry, with companies like Zynga facing accusations of idea theft, the rise of AI allows solo developers to quickly replicate and release their own versions of games. Although these clones often lack the quality or charm of the originals, many players may not mind, especially if the clone is free or very low-cost.
Reports also suggest that some larger game studios are entering the AI cloning arena. A former employee of Midnight Works, a company criticized for flooding stores with cloned games featuring allegedly stolen assets, revealed that the company’s strategy involved recreating popular games in a matter of months, giving the clones similar names, and selling them for a few dollars.
“All of this was done in the hope of confusing buyers so that they would purchase our awful knockoff instead of the original,” the former employee explained. They confirmed that generative AI was utilized at “every step” to expedite the cloning process, including creating banners, screenshots, UI, and 3D models. This industrial-scale use of AI for game cloning poses an even greater challenge for smaller developers trying to succeed. It also raises concerns about the risks of sharing early game footage.
“It disincentivizes me from [posting about my work],” Holmér admitted. “You feel anxious every time you share something, worrying that someone will come in, finish it for you, and then monetize it, stealing the whole concept. It used to require significant effort to steal ideas, as it demanded skill and knowledge. But now, with AI, there’s a general devaluation of skill and expertise.”
