Back in April 2024 you may remember a flurry of excitement when Landfall's Content Warning released for PC. A first-person co-op horror game which involves capturing footage of scary events and uploading it to 'SpöökTube' for likes and clout, it was made free to download for 24 hours at launch and its blend of quirky comedy and genuine scares proved to be a hit.
Switch has seen its fair share of shocking clones recently, the latest of which appears to rip off Landfall's game. Out tomorrow (13th March), Content Warning: Scary Filming is... well, let's just compare the key art, shall we?
Coming from publisher BurleaGamesStudio, purveyor of software such as Street Survival: Homeless Simulator and (the apparently unironic) Thief Simulator: Heist Master, this is a single-player affair described on its eShop page as "a co-op horror game where you and your friends embark on a spine-chilling adventure to film terrifying content and go viral." There's not much else to say, is there? It's absolutely shameless.
It's not the only Content Warning clone, either. Landfall is well aware of the scam games on Switch and other platforms, and recently posted a video to YouTube flagging them as unofficial, unsanctioned clones.
In the warning (below), the studio confirms that they're trying to get the games removed but "the process is really slow." The devs highlight that they're planning official console releases and are hard at work "trying to make a really good version." A Switch announcement isn't a certainty, but we've got our fingers crossed it'll be included in an announcement "sometime later this year."
At the time of writing, the real Content Warning has 54,033 user reviews and a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam. "6.6 million people ended up claiming the game on Steam," according to Landfall's website - no wonder unsavoury sorts are looking to cash in on its popularity.
Somewhat ironically, Content Warning itself bore similarities to Zeekerss' Lethal Company, another procedurally generated co-op survival horror game (currently still in early access) and continues the studio's line of tongue-in-cheek games such as Totally Accurate Battle Simulator.
Recently, developer Steelkrill flagged that publisher 'COOL DEVS' brazenly ripped and repackaged The Backrooms 1998 and put it on the Switch eShop. That game has since been removed from the eShop.
So, another one to avoid. Stay vigilant, lovely people.
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I need to check out Backrooms 1998, to support the actual devs and as a fan of that horror motif, I feel like it's my duty 🫡
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Thanks for the content warning on Content Warning! Good thing you didn't buy the ripoff and show it to us, I imagine it would have been scary filming Scary Filming!
still waiting for the release of Tiny Honk Professional Skateboarder 1-4 Street Skating Simulator: Summertime Edition on the eShop.
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I’m so out of loop with viral games these days.
I assume this is the newest hit with streamers, youtubers and influencers?
@TomSupreme don't bother. People not knowing what they are talking about.
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A single player game described as a co-op horror game?
the publisher has literally no website out there. That should tell you something.
Great, I guess I’ll just scrap the game I’ve been working on, Incontinence Alarm: Spooky Filmmaker Simulation for Many Viral Applauses. I guess nobody is allowed to have someone else’s good idea anymore.
Never browse the eShop. Not even once.
...Why so many removed comments?
@iLikeUrAttitude The first comment was about how Nintendo cannot be arsed to remove these rip-off games but censors western releases of third-parties. Every other removed comment was a reply to that.
@Chlocean I was thinking the same thing when I heard about that.
I saw another blatant rip-off the other day. Extremely late to the party too. Can't remember the exact title but it was that Pool gane with the liminal spaces.
I guess these games are very EASY to copy? Like... the ideas in them make them hits, but the programming and assets may be pretty easy to match? Guess that is the downside of programs like Unreal or Unity...
I have an honest question about cash grabs vs. homages or "blank"-likes. This definitely seems like a terrible cash grab / shovelware product, but where is the line drawn between cash grab vs. homages based on popular trends?
I mean, even being a little kid in the 80s and going to the arcades you would see all of the Space Invaders clones, and later on the belt scrollers cashing in on the success of Double Dragon, and later on Final Fight.
Remember when Gears of War became huge and every other game for a while was a 3rd person cover shooter?
How many extremely similar games have there been to all of the Zelda's, Marios, etc.? Many indie games totally pull the "this is inspired by" classic Zelda, Mega Man, etc., and I am just trying to figure out where the line is between tribute and theft.
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