IKEA Threatened To Sue A Horror Game Set In An 'Infinite Furniture Store' & It's So Familiar
Nothing's scarier than getting lost in an IKEA.
Screenshots from "The Store Is Closed," An IKEA-inspired survival video game.
Every IKEA visit starts with the best of intentions, but by Hour 3 you'll probably find yourself asking questions like "Why does this store go on forever?" and "Will I ever get out of here alive?"
It's that feeling that inspired developer Jacob Shaw to create The Store Is Closed, a survival horror video game set in an infinite furniture store. And if you ask IKEA, the whole premise is a little too close to reality.
The Swedish furniture giant has threatened to sue Shaw if he does not change the unreleased game, claiming that the store looks way too familiar.
"Your game uses a blue and yellow sign with a Scandinavian name on the store, a blue box-like building, yellow vertical striped shirts identical to those worn by Ikea personnel, a gray path on the floor, furniture that looks like Ikea furniture, and product signage that looks like Ikea signage," IKEA lawyers told Shaw in a letter he shared with PC Gamer. "All the foregoing immediately suggest that the game takes place in an Ikea store."
And no, it's not a coincidence. Shaw announced on Reddit last year that he was making an "infinite IKEA game," and the early trailer for it certainly looks like the iconic Swedish store.
The teaser trailer for the game shows a giant IKEA-like building called "STYR," and the interior looks like IKEA's classic labyrinth of showrooms.
"Have you ever gotten lost in one of those big furniture stores?" says the voiceover in the game trailer. "Well, I've been stuck in this one for days."
The first-person game seems to be a Fortnite-like build-and-destroy game, although you also have to dodge monstrous store employees and mannequins that come to life after dark.
The Store is Closed Kickstarter trailer.Ziggy Game Dev | Youtube
Shaw's Kickstarter campaign has shattered its £10,000 fundraising goal, and it now sits at over £57,000 pledged.
Shaw told Kotaku that he's had to change up his Kickstarter plans at the last minute because of IKEA.
"I've got to desperately revamp the entire look of the game so I don't get sued," he said.
IKEA later told Kotaku that it's spoken to Shaw and he's agreed to make the changes necessary.
Shaw is now aiming to release The Store Is Closed as a co-op game on PC, X-Box and Playstation 5 sometime in 2024.
But if you can't wait to experience it, you can always head to your local IKEA for a "quick" visit that'll take you no less than seven hours.