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Indie dev failed the review process for a remake of his own game because Steam allegedly said it 'seems identical to the game you put out 11 years ago'

InFlux Redux, a remake of the 2013 puzzle game, was denied release on Steam due to perceived similarities to the original, despite significant visual and technical improvements, raising questions about Steam's review process for remakes.

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InFlux Redux is remaking the serene ball-rolling puzzle game from 2013, but Steam has allegedly deemed the remake not fit for release as a separate product because of its similarities to the original, weirdly.

Mixing platforming, puzzle-solving, and pure zen exploration, InFlux came out more than a decade ago as the game where you control a literal ball through both trippy, tipsy-turvy cubic structures, and incredibly realistic natural environments for its time. InFlux Redux was now set to add a new coat of paint to the game with updated bouncy ball physics and an even more beautiful deserted island setting.

Developer Joe Wintergreen recently tweeted that the remake of his "11-year-old game failed Steam's build review and one of the issues was that it 'seems identical to the game you put out 11 years ago... explain why this should be its own product.'" The post below shows side-by-side screenshots of InFlux and its very obviously improved Redux reimagining. "I was expecting a Steam review not a Steam review," Wintergreen quipped.

here's what "identical" looks like btw pic.twitter.com/PMQfoCIQR1August 28, 2024

Comparing InFlux's Steam page with InFlux Redux's Steam page shows some more dramatic differences between the two. All the ball-zipping shenanigans are still in place, but everything's been beautified to the extreme in Redux, and remasters/remakes/rereleases with less obvious changes have still been classed as their "own product" on the storefront before.

The Redux was apparently "built on a brand new engine (Unreal Engine 5) with completely overhauled graphics, physics and game code" - it's the "same game, except better in every way," according to Redux's Steam page. A release date for this one is probably waiting for Steam's greenlight, though.

In the meantime, why not check out some of the best puzzle games to play right now.