[quote][b][url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_flip]Warning: Asset Flip![/url][/b]
Pharaoh's Leap 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]
Pharaoh's Leap is another asset flip from Atomic Fabrik, banned from Steam for review manipulation and back wearing a fake moustache, but the fake game asset flips and illegal paid reviews from the Russian review farm uncovered by Sentinels of the Store are all still there, to mislead and scam gamers.
Gamesforgames 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/2862030]Lunatic Taxi Driver[/url]" = [url=https://www.sellmyapp.com/downloads/offroad-taxi-driving-city-taxi-sim/]Offroad Taxi Driving Sim[/url] developed by Sim Studio
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2833830]Gas Gas Rocket![/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/packs/hovershift-107789]Hovershift[/url] developed by SgLib Games
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2124660]Fix My Cat Doc[/url]" = [url=https://www.sellmyapp.com/downloads/kitty-cat-doctor-pet-vet-doctor-game/]Kitty Cat Doctor Pet Vet Doctor Game[/url] developed by Fast Games
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2805660]Fight Till The End[/url]" = [url=https://www.sellmyapp.com/downloads/squid-7-challenge-top-trending-game/]Squid 7 Challenge[/url] developed by Flexy Gam
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/3461200]Matchmania Donate[/url]" = [url=https://gamemaker.io/en/blog/match-three-gamemaker-template]Match 3 GameMaker Template[/url] developed by YoyoGames
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1284510]In a search of a new home[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/characters/pixel-adventure-1-155360]Pixel Adventure 1[/url] developed by Pixel Frog
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2999780]Skeletos Sword[/url]" = [url=https://unityunreal.com/unreal-engine-assets-free-download/ue-props/1947-gothic-island.html]Gothic Island[/url] developed by UnityUnreal
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2805630]Botmobile[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/car-stunts-48972]Car Stunts [/url] developed by Ace
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2833820]Fox Golf[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/packs/golf-royale-104938]Golf Royale[/url] developed by Code Master Studio
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/3461190]Magatch[/url]" = [url=https://opengameart.org/content/gems-tileset]Gems Tileset[/url] developed by Craftpix
[/list]
This time Atomic Fabrik took a basic platformer game template from GameMaker Studio (responsible for so much of this crap on Steam) and populated it with platformer sprites he stole off someone else... nothing here is his own creation, it's plagiarism at best, but given the price tag as this guy tries to get YOUR money for someone else's game assets, and used fake reviews to scam gamers into buying garbage, it's fraud.
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.
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 all-time peak player number was [b]only 3 players[/b], and the worst part is these weren't genuine players, these were the Russian fake review accounts that the developer paid to make the fake reviews. Since the fake reviews are all done, now 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.
It's also important to note the "developer" here has connections to a number of shady Russian asset flippers and review manipulators who show an organised pattern to scam and defraud gamers with fake reviews and asset flipping the work of others for profit. While reviews are about the games, gamers should be informed when developers act unethically. Whether these connections are the same developer using multiple accounts, or just working closely with other unethical developers, gamers should be warned about the harm to gamers by this developer and their associates. Buying games from unethical developers puts your money at risk.
[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!
Pharaoh's Leap is relatively cheap at $1 USD, but it's not worth it. 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. Remember that if you buy a game from an unethical developer, you're putting your money at risk.
[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]
