[quote][b][url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_flip]Warning: Asset Flip![/url][/b]
How Much Items - Vegetation 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]
In this case, serial offending asset flipper and review manipulator from Russia, Hede, stole a generic asset pack with low poly flowers and dumped it on a hidden object game blueprint... it's just another valueless minimum viable product set up to scam gamers with review manipulation and fake pricing.
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/3571660]ROOM FOOTBALL - Petrol Station[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/toon-gas-station-155369]Toon Gas Station[/url] developed by SICS Games
[*] "[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/1915910]Hidden Build Top-Down 3D[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/industrial/polygon-construction-low-poly-3d-art-by-synty-168036]Polygon Construction Low Poly 3D Art[/url] developed by Synty Studios
[*] "[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/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/2703190]Hidden World 10 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/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/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/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/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/2703200]Hidden Western Top-Down 3D[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/historic/polygon-western-low-poly-3d-art-by-synty-112212]Polygon Western - Low Poly 3D Art Pack[/url] developed by Synty Studios
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/3244690]Save Scream and Run[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/sci-fi/zeppelin-z-25-urp-294085]Zeppelin 'Z-25' (URP)[/url] developed by IL.ranch
[*] "[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/2947730]3D PUZZLE - Hospital 1[/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/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
[/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.
The poor quality of this game is 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 130,000 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 130,000+ genuinely made games on Steam? Of course not!
How Much Items - Vegetation has the completely insane price of $60 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.
