Replaced devs clarify game is “100% Handcrafted” after AI confusion

Launching a game is stressful enough without having to spend the days after correcting a widespread misconception, but that’s exactly where Sad Cat Studios found themselves following Replaced’s release.

The 2.5D platformer dropped on 14th April via Thunderful to a warm reception, praised for its stunning cyberpunk visuals and its alternate 1980s America setting. Players take control of a human-AI hybrid, which turned out to be the source of some very avoidable confusion.

A Replaced review line sparked the whole thing

A review described Replaced as an “AI-based adventure that could do with a system update,” and that was enough to send social media into a spin. Plenty of readers took it at face value, assuming the game had been built using generative AI tools.

Sad Cat Studios quickly jumped online to clear things up, stating plainly that the title was “100% handcrafted” and that no generative AI was used at any point during development. The “AI-based” label, they explained, referred entirely to the game’s narrative, not its production pipeline.

IGN deleted the original social post that had drawn the most attention, then went back into the review itself to remove the offending line. The updated summary now focuses on the game’s strengths as a “gripping and gorgeous 2.5D action platformer,” with no AI framing in sight.

It’s a reminder of how loaded the term has become. With generative AI a genuine flashpoint for many in the gaming community, even a narrative description can spark a full-blown controversy if the wording isn’t careful.

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