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Publisher Alliance Arts has canceled the public demo for Drunken Goddess Reflux, a highly anticipated Steam title. Originally scheduled for Monday, October 19, as part of Valve's Steam Next Fest, the demo was pulled due to fears that third parties could use AI tools to quickly replicate the game's aesthetics and mechanics before its official release.
To mitigate these risks, the developer is replacing the public trial with a closed playtest. Participants must agree to specific rules and a non-disclosure agreement to gain access. The company intends to manage communications through Discord to better control unauthorized video distribution and prevent potential clones.
This concern reflects a growing trend in the industry. The studio cited the example of the indie game Meccha Chameleon, which saw its concepts and gameplay elements copied by a title called Scribble Hunt, which remains available on Steam.
Other developers share these anxieties regarding intellectual property. Lucas Pope, creator of Papers, Please, noted in April that he avoids discussing his current projects publicly, fearing that AI could assimilate his ideas or that others might copy his work.
