Indie Game Dev Takes Down Vibe-Coded Zombie Shooter After San Francisco Officials Condemn ‘Dehumanizing’ Game
Independent developer Pierre-Louis Biojout has removed his game “Tenderloin Night Shift” from distribution and issued a public apology after San Francisco city officials condemned the title for depicting the city’s residents as zombies.
The first-person shooter was created over a single weekend using OpenAI’s Codex and takes place in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, an area known for its high crime rates and significant unhoused population. In the game, players use firearms to eliminate zombie enemies, some depicted wearing construction uniforms, riding motorized scooters, or carrying food delivery backpacks—representations that drew swift criticism from local officials.
The controversy centers on the game’s portrayal of neighborhood residents as dehumanizing caricatures, reducing real people to hostile enemies defined by negative stereotypes. Officials argued that the zombie metaphor reinforced harmful associations with the Tenderloin and its communities. Following the backlash, Biojout removed the game and publicly apologized, acknowledging the concerns raised. The incident highlights ongoing tensions around how games—particularly those developed rapidly with AI assistance—can inadvertently perpetuate damaging stereotypes about real-world communities and their residents.