Indie developers limit game demos over fears AI will clone their work
Overview
Studio Alliance Arts delayed the public demo of its Steam Next Fest game Drunken Goddess Reflux, citing concern that AI tools could let others quickly copy its art style and gameplay before release.
The report, published by IThome on 2026-10-19, says other indie developers have also reduced sharing for the same reason.
Papers, Please creator Lucas Pope and Freya Holmér say AI-generated clones of their work have already appeared. Some developers now share less publicly or limit demos to closed sessions, according to the report.
Written by AI from the articles below · updated Oct 19, 10:28 PM ET
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The articles in this story. Times are ET.
- IThome · AINewsIndie developers hold back game demos as AI makes cloning easier
AIStudio Alliance Arts delayed the public demo of its Steam Next Fest game Drunken Goddess Reflux, citing concern that AI tools could let others quickly copy its art style and gameplay before release. Other developers, including Papers, Please creator Lucas Pope and Freya Holmér, say AI-generated clones of their work have already appeared, and some now share less or only in closed sessions.
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