"Peak" and the Menace of AI - Made Clones in the Gaming Industry

I. The Ascent of "Peak"

"Peak" stands out as one of this summer's premier co - op games. Despite its seemingly straightforward premise of mountain climbing, it has captured the spotlight through the comical slapstick of its bobblehead characters tumbling down cliffs, its easily - grasped gameplay mechanics, and an element of cannibalism that makes it ideal content for Twitch streams.

Developed in collaboration between Aggro Crab and Landfall during a game jam, "Peak" has achieved remarkable commercial success. Currently, it ranks among the top five bestsellers on Steam. According to Nick Kaman, co - founder of Aggro Crab, the game sold over a million copies in its first week and has now exceeded 8 million in sales. However, this success has also attracted unwanted attention; scammers are now peddling cheap, AI - made imitations of the game wherever possible.

II. The Persistent Problem of Game Clones

A. Industry - Wide Prevalence

Clones, games that closely resemble popular titles in terms of visuals or mechanics post - launch, have long plagued the gaming industry. Creators of indie favorites such as "Super Hexagon," "Ridiculous Fishing," "Threes," "Unpacking," and "Wordle" (later acquired by The New York Times) have all faced copycat issues. Some have resorted to copyright claims to combat these fakes. Even major developers are not immune. For instance, Sony Interactive Entertainment recently sued Tencent over an alleged clone of the "Horizon" series, and Nintendo is taking legal action against Pocketpair, the creator of "Palworld," due to its similarities to the "Pokémon" series.

B. Platform - Agnostic Issue

These inexpensive imitations are rampant across various platforms, be it consoles or PCs, regardless of the size of the distributor. In December 2024, Kotaku reported on clones and AI - generated games inundating digital storefronts like Nintendo's eShop. "Peak" is particularly at risk of being cloned on consoles since it is only available on PC. Two recent copycat games were identified on the PlayStation store and Roblox. On YouTube, CGD Games released a video of "Peaked Climbing" from the PlayStation store, which closely emulates "Peak" in terms of its premise of cute, big - headed creatures climbing a mountain and even the first - person view of the climber's disembodied limbs.

III. The Impact of AI in Cloning

A. Facilitation of Rapid Cloning

Nick Kaman from Aggro Crab notes that while hand - made copycat games are one thing, using AI to churn out clones as quickly and lazily as possible is a different matter. Aggro Crab and Landfall, the latter known for creating the viral "Content Warning" last year, were proud of the game they developed during the game jam. They are dismayed to see their work being ripped off in this manner.

As AI becomes more prevalent in game creation, developers now face an additional concern: AI - made clones that require no coding expertise. Websites like Rosebud AI, Ludo AI, and Seele AI enable users to create quick, inexpensive games by inputting text prompts or photos. YouTubers even share tutorial videos on game creation or how to rip off existing games.

B. Misconceptions about AI - Made Clones

Wren Brier, the creative director of "Unpacking," points out a common misconception about AI - made clones. She states that these are not truly AI - made games but rather AI - generated marketing images attached to a hastily assembled, bare - bones game structure. They are essentially scams, using misleading imagery to trick players into buying a subpar product.

IV. The Struggles of Developers Against Clones

A. Exhausting Removal Process

For developers, getting clones removed from digital storefronts can be an arduous task. Small studios, in particular, have limited time, energy, and resources to devote to this process and are at the mercy of the distribution platforms.

Since the release of "Unpacking" in 2021, developer Witch Beam has reported over 80 clones. Brier compares the experience to a game of "whack - a - mole," with many of these clones being blatant copyright infringements that use the game's assets or name. Most are low - effort scams designed to trick players into downloading a series of ads rather than an actual game.

B. Legal and Market Challenges

While clones do not always directly impact a developer's profits (Aggro Crab is secure in its financial position due to "Peak's" success), they can cause widespread damage. AI - clones, similar to AI - generated books hurting authors, flood storefronts with unappealing content, making it difficult for indie games to be organically discovered.

Intellectual property attorney Kirk Sigmon notes that legally combating clones is already challenging as copyright protection does not extend to genres, aesthetics, or gameplay mechanics. AI - generated games may even be more protected from copyright infringement lawsuits as savvy knockoff developers can use AI to create unique assets or code, making it harder to pursue legal action.

V. Strategies Against Clones

A. Platform - Dependent Resolution

Platforms hold the key to removing clones from storefronts, but smaller developers often bear the brunt of the work in reporting and navigating the process. The time taken to resolve these issues can vary, from a few days to weeks.

B. Social Pressure as a Defense

Social pressure may be the most effective defense for developers. Sigmon suggests that complaining to storefronts or mobilizing fans can be viable solutions. Aggro Crab and Landfall are taking this approach. Kaman, the co - founder of Aggro Crab, stated that they are not litigious by nature. Instead, they publicly express their distaste for copycats. In early August, the company posted on X, stating that they would prefer users to pirate their game rather than play a microtransaction - filled Roblox copycat. Landfall also tweeted about reporting AI - made slop games, such as "Peaked Climbing" on the PlayStation Store, which was later removed.

Kaman also emphasizes the value of human - made media, stating that the use of AI in game creation removes the human perspective and artistic value from the equation.

Update: 8/15/2025, 10:00 AM EDT: This piece has been updated to correct the spelling of Nick Kaman's name.