Are they ripping off Stardew?

[Adam Taylor]

The Isle of Elanor on Steam

You wash ashore on The Isle of Elanor, the last bastion of humanity remaining in the world. The situation on the island is grim. You're given a small plot of land. Can you help humanity survive?

store.steampowered.com

There's a game that's just popped up on Steam that is clearly copying Stardew. But I was wondering if there was any legal issues with what they're doing.
Some elements look like they've been yanked right out of Stardew itself.

 

[Lew Zealand]

There are a lot of games which ape (!) the general theme and feel of Stardew Valley, and SDV itself owes a lot to early Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons so it's not uncommon to see pixel art pastoral games seem to copy SDV. And seeing as SDV is the top rated game on Steam with over 100,000 reviews (wow, eh?), it's not surprising that it would inspire someone else to try their take on the genre.

Well, ahmmm... yeah but this one. The art is real similar, like a super lot real close and similar. But the character creation screen pretty much convinces me that is is too close of a copy because-- it's practically identical! The game in general seems like it's a mix of Ultima V or VI with the modern interface of SDV. I dunno anything about legalities but it's likely that some of the SDV assets were copied and slightly reskinned and then the game wrapped around them is a little more fantasy-RPG oriented.

Predictions:

Boss name in Final Battle: Dolores
Town leader: Louis
Local Bachelors: Axel, Gertie, Roger, Dave, Flounder, The Man With No Name
Local Bachelorettes: Martha, Charlotte, Bill, Rachel, Mary, Ruby
DLC expansion site: Thurston Howell, III Island
Most hated enemy in The Boney Caves: Frying Sherpas (throwing burning hot Kur from across the screen!)
Most OP weapon: The Nebula Kneecapper
The ultimate acquisition for the game: The Stick What Saves Your Butt By Transporting You Directly To Your Front Door Bed

I'd use that last one at least once a day and likely before 9am.

 

[MogBeoulve]

There are a lot of games which ape (!) the general theme and feel of Stardew Valley, and SDV itself owes a lot to early Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons so it's not uncommon to see pixel art pastoral games seem to copy SDV. And seeing as SDV is the top rated game on Steam with over 100,000 reviews (wow, eh?), it's not surprising that it would inspire someone else to try their take on the genre.

Well, ahmmm... yeah but this one. The art is real similar, like a super lot real close and similar. But the character creation screen pretty much convinces me that is is too close of a copy because-- it's practically identical! The game in general seems like it's a mix of Ultima V or VI with the modern interface of SDV. I dunno anything about legalities but it's likely that some of the SDV assets were copied and slightly reskinned and then the game wrapped around them is a little more fantasy-RPG oriented.

Predictions:

Boss name in Final Battle: Dolores
Town leader: Louis
Local Bachelors: Axel, Gertie, Roger, Dave, Flounder, The Man With No Name
Local Bachelorettes: Martha, Charlotte, Bill, Rachel, Mary, Ruby
DLC expansion site: Thurston Howell, III Island
Most hated enemy in The Boney Caves: Frying Sherpas (throwing burning hot Kur from across the screen!)
Most OP weapon: The Nebula Kneecapper
The ultimate acquisition for the game: The Stick What Saves Your Butt By Transporting You Directly To Your Front Door Bed

I'd use that last one at least once a day and likely before 9am.

Please tell me that when you played Ultima VI, Sherry was your favorite party member, you gave her a sling and buffed the heck out of her.

 

[Lew Zealand]

Please tell me that when you played Ultima VI, Sherry was your favorite party member, you gave her a sling and buffed the heck out of her.

Edit: Oops, I was thinking Ultima IV. <facepalm> All those I and III and IV and VII are practically seizure-inducing.

Katrina (I had to look that up, it's been a while) ended up at Level 7 and I ground the **** out of the game to get her there by the time everyone else was Level 8 and maxed out. Soften the baddies up with the other party members and she finished them off with her sling. Hee hee did I ever get mad when Shamino would one-shot the baddies. I imagined him saying a sheepish "oops..." to the rest of the party. 7x Level 8 + 1 Level 7 did make the Stygian Abyss run thru pretty easy though...

 

[MogBeoulve]

Edit: Oops, I was thinking Ultima IV. <facepalm> All those I and III and IV and VIII are practically seizure-inducing.

Katrina (I had to look that up, it's been a while) ended up at Level 7 and I ground the **** out of the game to get her there by the time everyone else was Level 8 and maxed out. Soften the baddies up with the other party members and she finished them off with her sling. Hee hee did I ever get mad when Shamino would one-shot the baddies. I imagined him saying a sheepish "oops..." to the rest of the party. 7x Level 8 + 1 Level 7 did make the Stygian Abyss run thru pretty easy though...

I think my sister liked having Katrina in her party! Hard to remember.

I'm not sure which games Sherry appeared in, so you might have missed her. She is the mouse, which is why she could not carry more than either the sling or the boomerang. We made sure she always had cheese.

 

[Adam Taylor]

There are a lot of games which ape (!) the general theme and feel of Stardew Valley, and SDV itself owes a lot to early Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons so it's not uncommon to see pixel art pastoral games seem to copy SDV. And seeing as SDV is the top rated game on Steam with over 100,000 reviews (wow, eh?), it's not surprising that it would inspire someone else to try their take on the genre.

Yeah, I get that Stardew is an homage to Harvest Moon. It's why I got Stardew in the first place (and honestly think it's a much better overall game).
I used to play the hell out of HM. Still remember busting my butt to get a greenhouse in the first year in the N64 version. :p

But this game, as you pointed out... it's WAY to similar. A lot of the art seems like it's pulled right out of SDV. The character creation is basically the same thing.
There's inspiration and homage, and then there's just theft.

And I'd rather not see the great work and effort put into SDV get ripped off like that. Figured I'd bring it up here in case they'd like to make the argument on Steam and have it pulled for infringement.

 

[Lenora Rose]

Just in the few pictures I can see items that are "I took a sprite and just shifted it a teeny bit". Which. well. I've done that when making a Stardew mod but I don't pretend my mods are unique.

There are, as noted, a billion or so Stardew clones, but they're usually honest enough to put their own art and own spin on the base theme. This gives me suspicious vibes.

Chances are good though that everyone else who knows their way around games also knows it, too, though. If it is infringement it won't stay up long at all.