[quote][b][url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_flip]Warning: Asset Flip![/url][/b]
Archaeology - Medieval is an asset flip, or what Valve calls a "Fake Game". The "developer" paid for/pirated someone else's example/template/tutorial game, changed the name/reskinned a couple of things, and submitted it to Valve as if it was their own game.[/quote]
It's from the notorious Russian asset flipper and review manipulator, Hede, and once mmore is just a fake/scam game polluting Steam... a bunch of medieval assets from an asset pack, dropped onto an incredibly lazy "hidden object" game blueprint. No real game development effort took place here, Hede just wants YOUR money for someone else's game assets.
ArchaeologyGames/Hede have shown a repeat pattern of unethically dumping other people's work onto Steam as a cheap, nasty cash grab, through this account or through closely linked/alt accounts. Here's some examples so you can see for yourself:
[list]
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2878310]Hidden Pirates Top-Down 3D[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/historic/polygon-pirates-low-poly-3d-art-by-synty-92579]Polygon Pirates Low Poly 3D asset pack[/url] developed by Synty Games
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1306160]Get Over Blood[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/historic/the-big-castle-kit-75818]The Big Castle Kit[/url] developed by Triplebrick
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2079380]Old Retro Shooter[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/hellish-battle-2-5d-retro-fps-217578]Hellish Battle 2.5D Retro FPS[/url] developed by Tiny Slime Studio
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1419440]Truck Truck[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/packs/truck-physics-template-129411]Truck Physics Template[/url] developed by HitCode
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1576790]FPS Tactics[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/terrain/r-a-m-2019-river-auto-material-2019-145937]River Auto Material landscape pack[/url] developed by NatureManufacture
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/3079460]3D PUZZLE - Deserted Village[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/historic/deserted-village-86290]Deserted Village[/url] developed by Triplebrick
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1502730]Street Football[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/packs/street-football-game-159255]Street Football Game[/url] developed by noureddine naceur
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2878360]Save and Survive[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/survival-engine-crafting-building-farming-178160]Survival Engine[/url] developed by Indie Marc
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/3269630]Archaeology - Frozen Village[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/landscapes/flatpoly-winter-village-51544]Flat Poly Winter Village[/url] developed by Zololgo
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/3120300]3D PUZZLE - Pizza Shop 1[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/pizza-shop-kit-131579]Pizza Shop Kit[/url] developed by Brick Project Studio
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2973540]3D PUZZLE - Hospital 2[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/hospital-medical-office-kit-165327]Hospital Medical Office Kit[/url] developed by Brick Project Studio
[/list]
Taking this shovelware seriously as if it was a genuine attempt to make a game, it doesn't meet basic minimum requirements that most PC gamers expect as standard.
These technical defects push this game below acceptable standards for any modern PC game.
Archaeology - Medieval didn't appeal much to the people who own a copy of the game, either. It has achievements, and they show us a very clear picture that the game didn't really capture any interest from gamers. The most commonly and easily attained achievement is "One more...", for actually trying to play the asset flip, trivial to get, but less than 40 percent of players bothered to get that far before uninstalling the game. Hardly a success story, even the people who own this game weren't interested in it.
The poor quality of this game is also reflected by how many people spent time with it. At the time of this review, SteamDB shows the game all-time peak player count was only ONE player. That's right, only one person ever played this at a time. When I played this for the purposes of reviewing it, I equalled the peak player count for the game. OUCH. The only player activity occurs once or twice a month, presumably someone loading it up to see what it is then quickly uninstalling it. Considering there's over 120 million gamers on Steam and well over 110,000 games for gamers to choose from, the overwhelming lack of interest in this low quality game is to be expected.
[quote][b][url=https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-465-trade-regulation-rule-use-consumer-reviews-testimonials-final-rule]Warning: Review Manipulation![/url][/b]
This game features a number of fake positive reviews from accounts known to be in the business of review manipulation/paid reviews. They're all written in either Russian, broken English or ChatGPT AI slop, appear at almost exactly the same time, very shortly after the game launched on Steam, all have a direct Steam purchase of the game, and the accounts are used consistently to write fake reviews for asset flips and other cash grabs/scams. The "Positive" review score on this game should be disregarded due to this blatant, unethical review manipulation. This is done to deceive and scam gamers into paying for a bad product.
Due to the 2024 FTC ruling (16 CFR Part 465), these fake reviews are a violation of US Federal Law.[/quote]
This kind of asset flipping isn't harmless. It makes it harder for gamers to find genuinely made games from ethical developers. It makes it harder for genuine indie developers, who put hard work into trying to make real games, to find an audience for their products. It gives indie developers a bad name.
So, should you buy this asset flip? Is this better than any of the 110,000+ genuinely made games on Steam? Of course not!
Archaeology - Medieval has the completely insane price of $200 USD, which is incredibly suspicious, higher than AAA pricing for an asset flip shovelware scam game. Why would the "developer" put such a high price tag on an asset flip with no true value as a game? There's no direct proof for this, but it's entirely possible this game is priced this way for money laundering or other criminal purposes. Higher prices allow more money to move with fewer transactions. Valve have previously banned developers for running money laundering scams. While there's no direct evidence in this case, it's highly suspicious and gamers should be wary. Given the defects and quality issues with the game, coupled with the unrealistic price, and the questionable ethical nature of the developer and/or their associates (as outlined above), this is impossible to recommend.
[quote][b][url=https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/profile]Profile Features Limited![/url][/b]
Valve have marked this game as "Profile Features Limited" at the time of this review. This is usually caused by poor sales figures and low community acceptance for the game (to date). Until this status changes, this game will not give you +1 to your Game Collector badge count, appear in profile achievements or any other Steam meta-accomplishments, nor can it be displayed in some profile showcases. If these factors are important to you, it may be worth holding off before buying this game.[/quote]
