Ouros dev accuses miHoYo of copying his puzzle game for a Zenless Zone Zero mini-game, sparking debate online

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Story Highlights

  • Michael Kamm claims several specific design ideas from Ouros also appeared in Zenless Zone Zero’s mini-game.
  • amm also responded to claims that Ouros copied another puzzle title called Primo.

Michael Kamm, the developer of the peaceful puzzle game Ouros, claims that miHoYo (now known as HoYoverse) copied his game and included it as a smaller game within their popular action game, Zenless Zone Zero. This has led to a lot of debate online about originality and how games are designed.

The similarities between Ouros and Ether Tuning have sparked debate

According to Mr. Kamm, Ouros was released in 2024 on Android, iOS, and PC. Around the same time, HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero included a comparable feature called Ether Tuning. Because HoYoverse is a very successful and well-known game company, Mr. Kamm says many Zenless Zone Zero players believe their version of the feature came first, and Ouros simply copied it, which has caused a negative reaction online.

Last year, the studio miHoYo included a puzzle mechanic in their game Zenless Zone Zero that was very similar to my own game, Ouros. Because miHoYo is a large and well-known company, and my game isn’t as popular, some people mistakenly believe their version came first. I made this video to show that isn’t the case and clarify the origins of the puzzle.

— Michael Kamm – Ouros Out Now (iOS, Android, Steam) (@GRdotGIF) May 26, 2026

Mr. Kamm didn’t just mention the similarities everyone could see; he highlighted several specific details in the video he posted on X that struck him as being remarkably close to another game. These included curved portals, dotted lines showing influence, reversed controls, targets that weren’t in a clear order, flowing backgrounds, and even a system that subtly guided players to the right solution. While games often borrow ideas from each other, it’s easy to understand why fans of the game ZZZ were claiming that Ouros had copied it, given how many details matched up.

Ouros is a calming puzzle game where you create flowing lines to guide a ball to its target within a unique, mathematical world. It features over 120 carefully designed puzzles and has received very positive feedback on Steam and a good number of downloads on the Play Store, despite being a lesser-known paid game.

Fans questioned Ouros’ originality with Primo comparisons after the accusations

What’s really interesting is that some fans responded to the accusations against Kamm by pointing out that his game, Ouros, is similar to a game called Primo, which came out a year earlier. Kamm then explained that Primo actually looks a lot like an early version of his own game, Splines ‘n Shapes, that he made way back in October 2020.

As of today, miHoYo hasn’t officially commented on the situation. While I don’t think game mechanics should be patented, I believe miHoYo is acting unfairly given how closely their game resembles Ouros, particularly since many of Ouros’s unique features are also present in the mini-game. If you’re interested, you can download and support the developer of Ouros through the Google Play Store or App Store.

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2026-05-28 09:11