this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2025
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I'm not a game developer but if I were to make a game, the only ideas that come to mind seem to be "I'm gonna remake my favorite game but change these things I didn't like about it!" but I heard that's a bad idea usually.

I'm wondering how much change, and to which aspects (gameplay, mechanics, theme, etc), do you think is needed to make a game inspired by something instead of a rip-off?

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[–] zo0@programming.dev 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not really, that's usually how games evolve actually. I would personally consider a game a rip-off if it poorly mimics another game, without bringing anything new to the table.

[–] MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What if the thing they brought to the table was being able to get a similar experience for cheaper?

This usually is still called a rip off regardless but more gauging if you would instead think of that as potentially having a positive connotation instead.

Like say if you didn't think X game was worth its price point but you were instead able to find something else that gives the same experience but at a price you instead feels more justified.

Not played either games but an example could be say current Pokemon games vs something like Nexomon. Nexomon at face value just looks like a Gen 3-esque Pokémon game. I can see others preferring that "rip off" over the real deal due to the real deals' price point and any potential disappointments one may have had with their recent directions.

Not exactly specifically on topic but thought it would still be an interesting tangential discussion.

[–] zo0@programming.dev 2 points 1 week ago

Yeah totally, I'm sure there are multiple aspects to it. I don't think Nexomon counts as a rip-off game, a rip-off idea maybe? poorly mimicking the original game is ,for me at least, the one thing that separates a rip-off from a clone or a spiritual successor etc.

The intention being, most of the time, riding on the popularity of the original to success.

I also wouldn't generally consider fan games to be rip-offs.