Zenless Zone Zero 'copied my puzzle game,' indie dev says, posts a pretty convincing video to prove it

You probably haven't heard of the indie puzzle game Ouros before now, but you may have seen it and possibly even played it in an altogether different game. That's because, according to Ouros developer Michael Kamm, MiHoYo "copied" the game and put it into Zenless Zone Zero, a claim he backed up with some solid video evidence.

The puzzle was added to Zenless Zone Zero in 2025, according to Kamm, but he's bringing the matter to light now because of recent comments accusing him of copying Zenless. Which, he says, is understandable: "Because MiHoYo is an established billion-dollar company, and Ouros isn't well known, I can see why people would assume that I copied them," Hamm says in the video. "But still, it's frustrating to have your work cloned and then credited to somebody else."

Last year, miHoYo copied my puzzle game Ouros in Zenless Zone Zero. Because they are a recognized, billion-dollar studio and my game isn't well known, some people are now assuming that their version is the original, and mine is the clone. I hope this video clears that up.

The video comparing Ouros and ZZZ highlights the very similar gameplay they share—both involve manipulating curves in a roughly identical manner—as well as "specific design choices" including "curve portals" that teleport the ball to different spots on the track, the hint system, a reverse direction control, and even the hazy flowing background that appears in both versions of the game. There's enough to it that ascribing the similarities to coincidence takes a little more effort than it does in other cases where games look alike but are distinct enough to be different.

Which happens: Over on X, some people responding to Kamm's message have suggested that Ouros is actually a copy of the 2023 online game Primo, which offers very similar gameplay. But Kamm countered by saying that Primo looks like a copy of Splines 'n Shapes, a Ludum Dare game jam project he made in 2020.

The exchange illustrates the difficulties faced by developers (especially small indie developers) when games that are similar to existing projects—sometimes very similar—come to light. Broad concepts are borrowed all the time by both indie and big developers: Just look at the surge in bullet heaven games following the success of Vampire Survivors, for instance, or the similar rise of Balatro-likes after that game became a runaway hit. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as they say, and it's tricky to win copyright claims over game design. Of course, only big publishers generally have the resources to even consider lawsuits.

In this particular case, there are two things weighing against MiHoYo. First and foremost are the granular similarities between the two games, which go beyond just "they look alike" and get into, as Kamm put it, specific elements of design.

And second, well, this is not the first time something like this has come to light. In April, Pipapo Games levelled a similar accusation against MiHoYo, saying it had copied the studio's upcoming Map Map (a game about maps, in case that wasn't clear) for Genshin Impact.

Map Map isn't out yet—it launches on May 28—but a demo for the game has been available on Steam for about a year, according to one developer. "It's a strange feeling to see one of the biggest games on the market straight up copying it," they wrote. "And all of that just shortly before we want to release."

Kamm hasn't indicated that he intends to pursue the matter further, only that he wants to set the record straight. I've reached out to Kamm and MiHoYo for comment and will update if I receive a reply.

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