A number of games for sale on the Windows Store aren't what they appear to be, including the recently released indie sensation Darkest Dungeon.
Several bogus games are currently listed for sale on the Windows App Store, all of them credited to one Balaji Chowdary. The games, which include Darkest Dungeon, Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall Director's Cut, Farming Simulator 2015 and many more, might look legitimate at first glance. The prices are definitely tempting as well. Darkest Dungeon currently retails for $19.99 on Steam. On the Windows App Store? It's only $3.99.
That should definitely set off some alarm bells. Upon closer inspection it's easy to see each game listed under Chowdary's name feature poorly worded descriptions and deceptively small download sizes. Darkest Dungeon on Steam is a 900 MB download. Compare that to the 3 MB download listed as the file size in the Windows App Store version, and it's clear this is some shady business. Seriously, read this description.
Please ensure you purchase the game from Steam or Humble. Scams have been reported and we are checking into them.
— Darkest Dungeon (@DarkestDungeon) February 22, 2015
On a related note, if you didn't buy Darkest Dungeon on Steam or Humble Store right now, you got scammed. — Red Hook Tyler (@tylersigman) February 22, 2015
Red Hook says it is currently working with Microsoft to have Darkest Dungeon removed from the store in a statement to Kotaku.
"We first learned about [the fake] yesterday (Feb 22). Someone emailed us after purchasing a copy of Darkest Dungeon from the Windows Store and being unable to open the file they downloaded. The individual gave no indication as to the nature of the file - virus/malware/etc.
Shortly thereafter, a Microsoft staff member contacted us, and assisted us in setting up a complaint. Since then, we've had several people from Microsoft reach out to help, from various departments. There is no formal resolution at this time.
We've called attention to the scam on Twitter, and want to remind anyone interested in purchasing the game to do so through Steam or Humble."
Some Redditors theorize the bogus download links for the fake games may be a means to distribute viruses or malware. Whatever it is, be sure to do your research when purchasing games on the Windows App Store (or any app store for that matter.) If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
