I want to talk about originality. I need to start by saying I have an enormous amount of respect for the @OriTheGame Team. I recognize their games are chock full of original ideas. However, I also hugely respect @Ahr_Ech. It is possible this is a case of multiple discovery but...

It's so shockingly similar it seems unlikely. This doesn't mean the new Ori game should be boycotted or shamed whatever. It just really plays into a deep anxiety I have that is echoed by many #indiegame developers. Sharing your original concepts online is horrifying...

90% of the time you get a handful of shares and likes, nothing but a little bump of support from some friendly strangers. But if you're really unlucky, 1 guy from a larger dev team with a much larger budget might see your work and decided they want to toss it into their project.

Mechanics obviously shouldnt be reserved exclusively for 1 game each. Its healthy for people to put their own spins on well-developed ideas. But for most small indies, a clever idea is the only marketing tool we have. When a big game beats you to the punch YOU appear derivative.

So what's the point of this thread? Certainly not to riot against the talented people working on @OriTheGame. I'm genuinely just trying to figure out how to process this anxiety. Is this just apart of #gamedev and by extension art in general? Idfk, what do you think?