Free tool: runs in your browser
Game clone record checklistbefore you ship a game, and if a clone appears
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. Review the dated builds, source and listing captures you can still show, before you ship and if a similar title appears.
Nothing you tick is sent anywhere. This page cannot show ownership of a game, and it cannot show that another title copied yours.
Check the records you can still show
Tick what is true of the build you will ship, the source you already hold, and any listing captures. You get a shareable result and clear next steps. Nothing you tick is sent to TimeBinder.
Your choices stay on this page. Nothing you tick is sent anywhere or tied to your name.
Tick everything that is true before you ship a game, or if a clone appears
This looks at the dated builds, source and listing captures you can still show. It cannot show ownership of a game, and it cannot show that another title copied yours.
What to do now
What should I keep if an AI tool clones my game? The short answer
Keep a dated copy of the exact build you will ship or list, dated copies of the source and art you already hold from before the listing went public, and a dated capture of your store page as it first appeared. If a clone appears, capture that listing on the day you first see it.
This checklist is not a finding of ownership or of copying. A TimeBind of a build you already hold can show that exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It does not show who made the game.
Why this came up in early November 2026
On 5 November 2026, Mark Brown of Game Maker's Toolkit published a 20-minute video, "My game was cloned with AI... what do I do?" Brown describes a clone of his game Word Play, built with Claude Code. The Verge (Jay Peters, 5 November 2026, 5:44 PM UTC) summarised the video: Brown spent about seven months on Word Play, while the clone reached a playable core in about twelve minutes. The Verge also noted that Anthropic had made changes intended to steer Claude away from re-creating a specific existing game. That is one vendor's reported prompt change, not a guarantee that clones will stop.
The YouTube video is the main measured demand for this topic. Checked with yt-dlp on 12 November 2026, about 6:57 PM Australia/Brisbane, it had 888,896 views and 25,608 likes (uploaded 5 November 2026, Game Maker's Toolkit). Counts will keep moving. Individual X posts about the same story were modest when searched on 12 November 2026, so the YouTube figures and the press note are the primary record cited here.
On 2 November 2026, The Verge separately reported that Anthropic had updated Claude Code's system prompt to steer the tool away from re-creating specific titles, while still allowing original games. Guardrails of that kind can be circumvented, and they do not replace a dated copy of the build you actually shipped.
The checks are written so they also help an indie developer, a small studio or a student the next time a build is about to go public. Always follow the current terms of the store or platform you use.
Sources: the Game Maker's Toolkit video, The Verge's 5 November note, and The Verge's 2 November report on Anthropic's prompt change.
What this checklist does and does not do
The honest job of this page is to slow down a release until the build and the captures are in hand, not to judge another title for you. See also the glossary entries for existed no later than, git commit dates and prior art.
| Part | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| A dated copy of the exact build | Gives you a reason to pause until the binary, build folder or store package you will ship is kept, separate from later rebuilds. | Show ownership of the game, or that a later rebuild is the same as the shipped file. |
| Source, design documents and art | Reminds you to keep dated copies of the work you already hold from before the listing went public. | Prove authorship, or stand as prior art on their own. |
| Listing and clone captures | Reminds you to keep a dated capture of your own page as it first appeared, and of a clone listing on the day you first see it. | Show that the other title copied yours, or decide a store report. |
| A TimeBind of a file you already hold | Records that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches, using a SHA-256 fingerprint made in your browser. | Show who made the file, who owns it, or that another title was copied. |
If a build is one you may need to stand behind later
Before you ship or list a game:
- Keep a dated copy of the exact build you will ship, and of the source or art you already hold from before the listing went public.
- Make a TimeBind of each exact file or archive you already hold. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file stays on your device. You can later download a Proof of Time Certificate.
- Store the build, the source, the listing captures and the certificate together. If a clone appears, capture that listing on the day you first see it.
A TimeBind shows the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. It is not a finding of ownership, and it is not a finding that another title was copied.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not. It shows that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, that its contents are true, or whether AI was used to make or edit it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Game clone record checklist: FAQ
Can this tool show that I own a game, or that another title copied mine?
No. It cannot show ownership, authorship or copying. It only helps you review the dated builds, source and listing captures you still hold, before you ship and if a clone appears.
What should I keep before I ship or list a game?
A dated copy of the exact build you will ship or list, dated copies of the source tree, design documents or art you already hold from before the listing went public, and a dated capture of the store page, itch page or trailer as it first appeared. A TimeBind of an exact file you already hold can show that file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches.
Does a git history or a store listing date do the same job?
Not on their own. Git commit dates can be rewritten, and a store listing can be edited or taken down. A dated record of the exact files, with a checkable fingerprint, is a different kind of record. See the glossary entries for git commit dates and SHA-256.
If a clone appears, what should I capture?
A dated capture of the clone listing, trailer or store page, including the date you first saw it, kept beside the exact build you shipped. Do not rely on a later rebuild or on memory. This still does not show that the other title copied yours.
Is anything I tick sent to TimeBinder?
No. The checklist runs in your browser. Your ticks stay on the page.
Is this legal advice?
No. If you need advice about a specific listing or a report, speak to a lawyer. This page cannot replace that answer.
Related guides and tools
- Timestamping for game developersThe TimeBinder page for game builds and source
- Developer timestampingThe hub for developers who need dated file records
- Source code timestampingHow a dated record of source sits beside git history
- Prove source code existed before a dateWhat to keep when a tree may be questioned later
- Prove you invented something firstDated copies of work you already hold
- Vibe-coding review checklistA checklist before you merge code an assistant helped write
- GlossaryPlain definitions of fingerprint, SHA-256, git dates and prior art
- All free toolsPrivate, in-browser tools
Date the build you already hold
Add a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes: a dated, checkable record of the exact build, kept beside the source and listing captures you may later need to show.
- Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
- Add your files. They stay on your computer.
- Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. See pricing.