The Real Reason This Unpacking Clone Was Removed From App Stores
Video game clones are popping up everywhere for every type of game. While some are distinguishing themselves from the original games, like "Genshin Impact" did after being called a "Breath of the Wild" clone, others are just straight-up ripoffs that are trying to make quick money. A recent clone of the 2021 indie hit "Unpacking" was just removed from app stores after rising to the top of the charts on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
The official Twitter account for "Unpacking" brought attention to the clone on Jan. 24 with screenshots of the game alongside the ripoff, which was called "Unpacking Master." According to the "Unpacking" Twitter, this clone was seeing massive success because of its heavy advertising on TikTok and Instagram.
The team behind "Unpacking" explained in another tweet that it just simply didn't have the resources to try and fight the mobile game. It called for the App Store itself to "better curate" the games coming to its platform.
While the game was ultimately pulled from the Google Play Store and taken down from the App Store, the publisher behind "Unpacking Master," SayGames, was quick to address the incident.
'Lack of research' led to the game being published
In a statement to Kotaku on Jan. 25, the CEO of SayGames, Egor Vaihanski, apologized for the fact that the game even hit the mobile market. Vaihanski went on further to say that it was a "lack of research prior to launching the game from one of the developers [SayGames] work[s] with."
In the statement, Vaihanski also mentioned that SayGames reached out to Witch Games, the developers of "Unpacking," to see how the two groups could "resolve" the problem. The "Unpacking" Twitter account also updated fans, thanking them for their support and letting them know that the clone had been taken off of both app stores.
It's important to note that SayGames published the clone and didn't create it. Apparently, one of the developers the publishing studio works with made the game and modeled it after "Unpacking," which SayGames didn't realize before publishing.
"Unpacking," which was one of the best Nintendo Switch games released in 2021, is a puzzle game with a story that allows players learn about each item that's unpacked and given a new home. The game's currently available on PC, Switch, and Xbox One. Just keep in mind that there are some hilarious puzzles that younger fans might fail a few times.