Aw man I'm really gonna have to talk about this aren't I?
This month's newsletter:
- Grumble grumble something about clone games
- Community question from a reader!
- Cool marketing-related links and job posts
Imposter Games?
Okay, let's start with this: there have already been many good points made about AI-clone games. I will not repeat their points. For more insight here are links, with my one liner summary (but do read the entire thing):
- GameDiscoverCo: The chances a smash hit clone will lock you out of success is low, if it does happen (and it highly depends on your game/genre.)
- HTMAG: You're likely fine, please do not stop marketing your game because of fear.
- GMTK's video: My game was cloned with AI... what do I do?
- Steam: Working on making the platform smarter and more dynamic, but you can always report games.
The volume of cloning is unprecedented, but the existence of it is not. Premium PC games have long been cloned onto mobile stores, the most recent example being Probably Stolen and Drawquarium.
In fact, this is already a deeply discussed topic in the world of branding and marketing. In How Brands Grow, the aim is not about being different anymore. The market is so saturated, it's impossible not to have a competitor copy something innovative even outside of the games industry. Instead, what people have turned to now is distinctiveness. It's no longer just about being different - you also need to be easily recalled or recognized. When I tell you to imagine a language learning app, do you think of Preply or DuoLingo? Why?
Which ones has the people talking about it? When you're looking for a new app, are you reading the reviews? Do you implicitly trust something that has more reviews, or a result you've seen on Reddit? In times of mass advertisements, people look for as organic a review as possible nowadays. This isn't ground breaking news, but it's something to always keep in mind. This is where community comes in.
As Tom Giardino mentioned in the Steam interview above: "Building a developer website, engaging with players, and establishing identity and trust serves as the first line of defense against clone games, whether AI was involved or not. However, he added that because it takes time and does not happen automatically, community alone is not enough."
And he's not wrong - while community isn't the only thing that matters, the thing that AI cannot clone is the community behind your games. You can clone a game concept, mechanic, and even a marketing beat. But you can't copy a customer base because it lies in the organic growth, attraction, and sustainability of players. The more you've engaged and cultivated a community, the more you can depend on this rising above clones and use it as a buffer if you do decide to market later than normal.
In the example of DuoLingo above, it's majority a lesson on branding, sure. But it's also a lesson on community building - maybe it's not the best way to learn a language, but your friends are on it. They're talking about the mascot. They're using it as examples in their newsletters. If that app is overused in marketing examples, then we can turn to something like Wholesome Games. Wholesome Games is not the only cozy curator out there anymore (and to be clear, I'm not saying anyone who is a cozy curator is a clone), but the community that's been cultivated continues the success in both its showcase and publishing efforts.
Is any of this comforting? Well, probably not.
It feels like a stab in the heart everytime a clone game pops up, AI-generated or not. But if you're struggling to get started in community, here are a couple initial articles:
- Community building from scratch: If you're starting from the beginning, I have an article about that here.
- Connecting with your community: Here's how you can stand out from other studios by paying close attention to your players, their wants/needs, and ways you can delight them.
At the end of the day, what makes so much of game development fun is seeing people's reactions to playing a game that your poured your heart and soul into and I hope that joy never dies. Art is stronger than slop, so I'll be holding onto that as we see what comes next.
Community Activity 📝
Every month I ask a skill testing exercise! Have an activity idea or want to ask a question? Submit one anonymously.
This one was submitted by a reader!
The question:
Do you have tips on nurturing a community of a game still in the very early stages of development?
Feel free to email me back with your answer! I always respond. I may share answers in the next newsletter for knowledge sharing!
Community Chatter 💬
Here are the interesting and helpful things I've seen this past month.
Game News/Resources
- Steam dropped a video about personal calendar. Highlight: Factors on getting on your calendar: The games you play, how much you play them, how your playtime compares to others. Basically, player behaviour!
- Steam also updated their build release review time to 12 days
- Reddit is testing ads in search pages
Community & Marketing Game Jobs
These are not endorsements.
- Alibi Games - Head of Marketing (London, UK)
- ArenaNet - Customer Support Manager (Remote)
- Blizzard Entertainment - Senior Director, Social Content & Marketing Overwatch (Irvine, US)
- Creature - Social Media Manager & Marketing Coordinator (Remote)
- Kabam - Senior Community Manager (Vancouver, Canada)
- SEGA - Creator Engagement Manager (London, UK)
- Team17 - Brand Marketing Manager (Remote)
- Twitch - Senior Manager, Global Creator Programs (San Francisco, USA)
- Ubisoft - Sr Community Developer For Honor (Montreal, Canada)
I'll be taking a break next month for the holidays, but in the meantime, I hope y'all have an amazing rest of your 2026!!!
❤️
Victoria
