Indie dev hits out at "AI-copied" ripoff of their Zelda meets Ghibli game that appeared just before release

Mika and The Witch's Mountain is just a day away - but what should be an exciting time has been soured by shameless "AI-generated" copies of Chibig's whimsical indie gem.

There are few 2024 releases I'm looking forward to as much as I am Mika and The Witch's Mountain, a gorgeous Wind Waker-esque video game homage to Kiki's Delivery Service. It's releasing tomorrow, August 21 - and while I'm ecstatic, I'm also disappointed to see that its developer is having to deal with blatant ripoffs. In a new post accompanied by a screenshot of one such copy, Chibig reveals as much.

"Yeah thank you we feel very flattered," the studio claps back at the dupe 'game' - if you can call it that. "If you really want an actual non-AI-generated copied game Mika and the Witch's Mountain will come on August 21st." Personally, I'm obsessed with Chibig's response here - a perfect amount of much-needed sass alongside a very gentle reminder of the genuine Mika game's imminent release date.

If you're just as excited to support the studio and experience Mika's adventures as I am, you can wishlist Chibig's game right now on Steam ahead of tomorrow's big launch. This isn't the developer's first go at a wholesome game, either - the team previously released Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara, a Ghibli-inspired platformer with Wind Waker vibes, as well as life sim Summer in Mara.

Check out these other upcoming indie games for even more to look forward to.