The massive success ofStardew Valleyhas inspired numerous other titles and indie developers over the past few years with its unique take on the farming simulation genre. Recently, however, an upcoming game known asSuper Zoo Storyhas caused controversy due to the heavy resemblance it bears with Stardew Valley’s art style and aesthetics.
Although plenty of similar games toStardew Valleyhave beenreleased over the years,Super Zoo Storyhas come under fire because of the possibility that it used stolen assets. The environment design inSuper Zoo Storylooks eerily similar toStardew Valleyand even the smaller details of the game such as character models or dialogue also bear a strong resemblance. As a result,Super Zoo Storyhas been accused of plagiarism and its similarities toStardew Valleyhave generated controversy from fans.
RELATED:Some Stardew Valley Fans Are Accusing This Indie Game of Being a ‘Ripoff’
The Striking Similarities Between Stardew Valley and Super Zoo Story
The problem withSuper Zoo Storyisn’t that it takes influence fromStardew Valley,but it appears to use nearly identical assets and art style in the previews shown for the game. In fact, manyStardew Valleyfans assumed thatSuper Zoo Storywould be a mod or update of some kind based on the images that have been released so far. The most obvious similarity is the environment design inSuper Zoo Storywhere the trees and shrubbery look nearly identical to the ones inStardew Valleyand features a similar color palette.The water animations are also eerily similar toStardew Valley,and as a result, there have been accusations thatSuper Zoo Storyhas been stealing assets. Furthermore, some fans have pointed out that a few sprites fromSuper Zoo Storyalso look identical to the ones found inStardew Valleymods.
Ultimately though, it’s difficult to tell whetherSuper Zoo Storyhas actually stolen assets fromStardew Valleyor if its pixel-based art style takes heavy-to-the-point-of-plagiarism inspiration. Regardless, the controversy that this has caused will likely make it difficult forSuper Zoo Storyto carve out its own identity. The concept itself is interesting andcould’ve made for a greatStardew Valleymod, but as a standalone game, its similarities cause far too much confusion for fans.
The Controversy on Social Media
Unfortunately, the developer behindSuper Zoo Storyhas also responded to criticism rather poorly on Twitter and Instagram. Some of its responses are quite aggressive, and it has even taken to hash-tagging preview posts withStardew Valley.As a result, fans believe that the developer behindSuper Zoo Storyis doubling down and using the controversy as a way to generate more attention bydirectingStardew Valleyfansto its posts.
Super Zoo Storyappears to have no intention of changing any of its assets or art style, and its poor social media presence has only made the controversy worse. ConcernedApe, creator ofStardew Valley, has stated that although he understandsgames taking inspiration fromStardew Valley,taking assets would be going too far. For now, while it’s unclear whetherSuper Zoo Storyhas actually usedStardew Valleyassets, it seems to be crossing the line from inspiration to imitation.
Stardew Valleyis available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
