A roblox dev cloned my indie game

Summary

The developer is making Zombies Aren’t Real, a strategy-defense game about containing a fast-spreading zombie outbreak in real-world cities. They discovered that a version of the game had been copied to Roblox before their game was released, but say they are not especially worried. They believe the game’s value lies less in its premise than in how it is designed and how it feels to play.

Main Ideas

• Ideas, plagiarism, and remixing

  • Copying an idea without adding anything of your own—especially to profit from another creator’s work—is plagiarism and harmful.
  • But games also develop through remixing: creators borrow, combine, and transform existing ideas, helping entire genres emerge.
  • The difference is whether a new work brings its own creative vision and experience, rather than merely reproducing someone else’s success.

• A game’s idea is not always its main value

  • Some games, such as Wordle, can be described very simply; the description captures much of the experience, making the concept relatively easy to reproduce.
  • Other games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, depend on many deliberate creative choices. A detailed description—or a technically similar clone—would not necessarily recreate what makes the original compelling.
  • The developer believes Zombies Aren’t Real will be valuable because of its implementation: its balance, strategic choices, and the experience of deciding where to place safe zones, which buildings to occupy, and what units to use.

• Games offer different kinds of experiences

  • The speaker contrasts “spreadsheet” games with “DDR” games:
    • Spreadsheet-style games, such as autobattlers, emphasize analyzing numbers, optimizing combinations, and finding an effective strategy.
    • DDR-style games emphasize timing, movement, and executing actions through a controller.
  • Games can offer different experiences, but their broader value comes from transporting players into those experiences.

• The developer’s own game is also a remix

  • The speaker says the idea of simulating a zombie apocalypse is not original to them and notes that others compare the game to Atom Zombie Smasher.
  • Their stated inspiration was Sir, We Have an Orc Problem, particularly its large number of units. They wanted to combine that quality with a more tactical and strategic approach.
  • They see their game as a combination of influences shaped into their own experience—an example of remixing rather than simply claiming an entirely new idea.

• A nuanced view of AI

  • After 16 years of self-taught programming, the developer experienced an existential crisis as AI tools became faster, cheaper, and sometimes better at technical work.
  • They now use AI for programming and tedious technical tasks, while paying human artists, sound designers, and composers for creative work such as art, sound effects, and music.
  • They view AI as a tool that can be used constructively or harmfully. They are concerned when it is used to copy work without adding a creator’s own style or vision.
  • The developer believes AI-generated copies may reproduce a simplified version of a game’s idea without delivering the same depth of experience.

Takeaways

• The developer plans to ignore clones and fakes and focus on making their game distinctive through its design and implementation.
• They hope the industry can find ways to support creativity and fairly reward creators, while recognizing that AI raises serious concerns about livelihoods and creative recognition.
• They also warn against falsely accusing human artists of using AI, arguing that harassment of real creators is counterproductive.
• Their broader appeal is to treat people with empathy, support those who are making creative work, and keep contributing to human creativity despite uncertainty.

Speakers and Sources Mentioned

• Speaker: The game developer and narrator; no other speaking voices are featured in the subtitles.
• Games and creators referenced: Vlambeer; Nuclear Throne; Ridiculous Fishing; Ninja Fishing; Wordle; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Dance Dance Revolution; autobattlers; Call of Duty; Halo; Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater; Atom Zombie Smasher; and Sir, We Have an Orc Problem.