I’ve been wanting to create a portal puzzle game for a while, but I’ve always dismissed it thinking it will be labelled a clone of Portal - my idea is a completely different style, the only similar things are the portal mechanics (pre-existing, not a gun) and clean/white textures.
I really liked Portal, so it’s safe to say the idea is inspired from it - but it’s definitely different enough to not be a cheap clone in my opinion. Am I worrying too much here, or should I try to find another game mechanic?
I’ve been expecting someone to make another portal game to be completely honest. I haven’t seen one yet (apart from 100% Portal clones like the 2D flash versions). There’s also a game coming out at some point called Conversion on Steam. It’s not a Portal clone but it’s meant to show you what has happened between Portal 1 and 2. I personally would like to see more games explore the portal game mechanic further.
As long as you don’t make Portal word for word and try to sell it, you will be fine. I’m curious as to how you will use the mechanic though. My new game also uses Portal mechanics and the clean wall texture in a new way and I too am worried whether people will dismiss it as a portal knock-off. On one hand, that would be unfortunate, on the other, it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things as long as its a good game, people like it and Valve doesn’t request you remove your game from wherever you try to sell it.
It will likely be labeled a Portal clone, at least by some people. That’s how it goes, the first few times an idea is used it gets labeled a clone, but eventually when enough similar games come out it becomes a genre. Like how FPSs were labeled ‘Doom-clones’
It’s like with Minecraft, everything similar is called Minecraft-clones, even though Minecraft was an Infiniminer clone but Minecraft has a bigger mindshare so very few people call anything an Infiniminer clone, or know about it. They think Minecraft was inventive.