The drama behind a Steam game stolen two months before launch

Rike Games says its unreleased Steam indie game Bills Must Be Paid drew attention from Chinese-speaking players after its demo went live.

Soon after, an unauthorized version appeared in China using the same demo assets, sound effects, and skill-tree elements, with ads added.

The studio says the copy is already creating concerns about brand damage and lost sales before the official July launch.

Rike Games is now weighing limited legal options as a small developer facing a cross-border copyright dispute.