Searching for This New Switch 2 Indie Game? Beware of an ‘Unauthorized’ Knockoff Featuring AI-Generated Assets.

Nintendo recently concluded its latest Indie World showcase, and as is typical, several games featured had demos available immediately afterward. One of these titles is Haunted Paws, a cooperative adventure where players control two dogs exploring a haunted house in search of their owner. As a dog lover, I was eager to download the demo and see if I could play as a Yorkie, reminiscent of my late pup who passed away a few years ago (sadly, that option isn’t available). However, when I searched for the game on the eShop, I found something that looked similar but was different.

The game that appeared in my search results was Ghostly Whiskers. For a moment, I wondered if I had mistakenly recalled the title. But upon clicking through, I realized that Ghostly Whiskers wasn’t a dog co-op game; it featured two cats on a similar quest to find their owner in a haunted house. While Haunted Paws won’t be released until May of next year, Ghostly Whiskers had already launched back in September. Since I began writing this, Haunted Paws and its demo have appeared on the eShop, but Ghostly Whiskers is still listed as well. Interestingly, the term “haunted paws” doesn’t show up in Ghostly Whiskers’ description, yet it still appears in search results.

I also discovered that the emergence of Ghostly Whiskers sparked some controversy earlier this year. Developer Lazy Flock publicly criticized Ghostly Whiskers, labeling it “an unauthorized copy that steals our concept, visuals, and story, using AI-generated assets.” Ghostly Whiskers is published by Nostra Games, which has a history of releasing several games that resemble titles like Fallout Shelter, Two Point Hospital, and Crossy Road, among others.

At this point, it’s clear that when searching for Haunted Paws on the eShop, a clone that’s already available for purchase pops up. If you decide to look for Haunted Paws and encounter a suspiciously similar game that’s currently out, just remember: the game showcased isn’t available yet.