Steam devs accuse Genshin Impact of ‘straight up copying’ their game idea
German indie developer Pipapo Games is accusing HoYoverse’s Genshin Impact of directly copying the core mechanic from their cozy exploration game Map Map. In a video shared on social media, Pipapo Games placed the two games side-by-side, highlighting striking similarities in how each implements surveying and map-reading gameplay.
Map Map centers on a charming premise: players explore a fantasy landscape in search of lost treasure by carefully studying maps and pinning locations of interest with precision. The game equips players with authentic cartography tools—measuring instruments actually used by real-world cartographers—enabling them to unlock new areas and progress through the game world.
In early April, Genshin Impact introduced a new quest series featuring nearly identical surveying mechanics. Players must locate correct coordinates using map-based tools and measurement systems that closely mirror Map Map’s core gameplay loop. While similar mechanics occasionally emerge across different games coincidentally, Pipapo Games’ detailed side-by-side comparison suggests more than happenstance.
The accusation highlights an ongoing tension in the gaming industry between indie developers and large studios. While Genshin Impact is a free-to-play global phenomenon available across multiple platforms, Map Map represents the creative output of a smaller independent team. The comparison raises questions about whether HoYoverse drew inspiration from Map Map without proper attribution or whether two teams independently arrived at similar solutions for map-based gameplay. Pipapo Games’ public call-out suggests they believe the former explanation is more likely.