[quote][b][url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_flip]Warning: Asset Flip![/url][/b]
Archaeology - Post-Apocalypse 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]
Archaeology - Post-Apocalypse is another asset flip from the Russian asset flip scammer and copyright infringer, Hede, using a fake/shell account to hide his identity. This is another in his series of "Archaeology" themed asset flips where he stole someone else's Unity asset pack (this time an industrial post apocalypse pack) and slapped it on a basic hidden object game template, which he's done several times. You may be wondering why this asset flip scam costs TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS, and why it has what looks a lot like a positive review score, and we'll get into that in a moment.
But first, to make it clear who we're dealing with...
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/2703240]Scream or Die - Virtual Circus[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/creatures/cursed-toys-100431]Cursed Toys Pack[/url] developed by Serhat Yucekaya
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1547500]Snowboard[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/snowboard-game-starter-pack-template-186097]Snowboard Game Starter Pack[/url] developed by Denis Lapiner
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2703270]GTH 3033 - Grand Theft Hunter 3033[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/polygon-apocalypse-low-poly-3d-art-by-synty-154193]POLYGON Apocalypse - Low Poly 3D Art[/url] developed by Synty Games
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2703230]3D PUZZLE - Hangar[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/industrial/fps-hangar-20040]FPS Hangar[/url] developed by Yunus Emre Yaman
[*] "[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/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/2630820]3D PUZZLE - Harbor[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/industrial/toon-harbor-pack-188250]Toon Harbor Pack[/url] developed by SICS Games
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2973580]Hidden FPS Shooting Top-Down 3D[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/fps-shooting-mobile-game-optimized-environment-213745]FPS Shooting Mobile Game Optimized Environment[/url] developed by Mubasher Amer
[*] "[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
[*] "[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/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/3009820]3D Puzzle - Hospital 4[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/hospital-medical-office-kit-165327]Hospital Medical Office Kit[/url] developed by Brick Project Studio
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2244840]Fears of Glasses o-o World War[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/historic/polygon-war-map-wwi-low-poly-3d-art-by-synty-169085]Polygon War Map[/url] developed by Synty Studios
[/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.
There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks. There's no way to ensure this is running at the native resolution of your display. There's no guarantee this game will look right on any PC as a result of this hamfisted design decision.
The controls can't be customised, which will be an annoyance for many, but it can also render the game unplayable for differently-abled gamers, left handed gamers or gamers using AZERTY or other international keyboard layouts.
But none of that matters that much... it's obvious this is just another fake game from Russia, a scam. It gets worse.
[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 - Post-Apocalypse has the utterly unrealistic price of $200 USD, for which you could easily get any number of older AAA games. 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. It's possible this price is either for the purpose of money laundering, or simply to prevent genuine reviews from reducing the fake "positive" review score from the fake reviews the developer paid for. Either way, this is unacceptable manipulation of the Steam store for profit. It's harmful to gamers and to genuine indie devs, because it gives indie devs a bad name.
[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]
