Launched on May 28, Scale the Depths by developer Glass Gecko Games arrived on Steam following its debut as a game jam project on Itch.io. This casual fishing game, with its captivating premise, quickly gained widespread popularity, though it also became a target for copycats, which, ironically, helped boost its visibility, as the creators noted.
Scale the Depths offers a straightforward gameplay loop where players assume the role of a fisherman striving to make a living. By earning profits, gamers can enhance their rod, lure, and bucket to pursue deeper-sea catches. Additionally, players prepare their haul and serve it to non-human patrons, adding to a simple yet engaging cycle that has delighted many.
Despite overwhelmingly positive feedback, Glass Gecko Games’ lead artist and developer, Serpexnessie, recently turned to Reddit to shed light on how AI-generated bootlegs contributed to the game’s success. Serpexnessie explained that Glass Gecko Games was born from a group of university friends, with Scale the Depths being their second project. It was showcased at the GMTK Game Jam 2024, where the itch.io version not only secured a spot among the top 100 entries but also became the platform’s most popular fishing game at the time. The game’s viral nature soon attracted YouTubers, whose videos collectively amassed millions of views, further fueling its rising fame. By February 2025, Scale the Depths had garnered over 15,000 Wishlists on Steam.
However, the game’s popularity surge also led to an influx of imitation titles on digital marketplaces. As early as March 2025, a direct mobile clone of Scale the Depths surfaced, published by an unrelated Chinese company. These unauthorized versions not only copied code and assets directly but also shamelessly introduced microtransactions and ads absent in the original. Glass Gecko Games filed takedown requests, but the bootleg developers cleverly used AI filters to alter assets and tweak minor details, evading detection. This left Serpexnessie and their team frustrated, as the game was only removed from the Google Play store, not the App Store.
Similar clones began popping up everywhere, making it impossible for the developers to address all infringements. Serpexnessie noted that the game was relatively easy to replicate and modify, which was the core issue. Even before the Steam launch, the team observed fans creating unofficial versions for other platforms and even Chinese fan translations. The upside was that since the copycats prioritized quick profits through excessive ads, none of these versions received favorable ratings.
Poor quality bootlegs turned out to be a net positive
Eventually, Glass Gecko Games shifted focus to more achievable objectives, refining Scale the Depths instead of pursuing plagiarism claims. The studio partnered with their publisher, Pretty Soon, who aided in the previously strained marketing and localization efforts. Around this time, the game’s demo received visual upgrades and new gameplay obstacles, enhancing the scaling mechanic. These improvements paid off, especially as Steam coincidentally hosted a fishing genre sale, leading to another Wishlist surge. Serpexnessie also mentioned that content creators revisited the game after initially covering the game jam version.
While Serpexnessie credits the game’s continued growth to the publisher’s marketing and influencer word-of-mouth, their post highlighted how many players discovered the original through exposure to knockoffs. Users who tried the low-quality bootlegs, disliked them, and then sought out the real deal. This was largely because many copycats used Scale the Depths’ promotional materials as ads, inadvertently driving traffic to the original game despite their inferior quality.
Serpexnessie concluded that when selling a game, quality ultimately speaks volumes. They expressed gratitude for the efforts of publishers and content creators but emphasized that a superior product can always outshine hastily made imitations. This seems to hold true, as Scale the Depths now boasts a “Very Positive” rating on Steam, with 84% of the 433 user reviews recommending it.
Scale the Depths is currently available for PC via Steam.