Open up the Horizon Store on your Meta Quest and you’ll see two things, guaranteed. The first will be a myriad of Horizon Worlds apps. The second, seeing Gorilla Tag at the top (or top-three) of the best-selling games each and every week. Much like Beat Saber before it, Gorilla Tag has become a VR phenomenon since its official launch in 2022. Naturally, that kind of success is going to attract imitators. A lot of imitators. The Horizon Store is inundated with Gorilla Tag clones, some that aren’t half bad, others that are truly atrocious. So our buddies over at 131XR decided to venture down this dastardly treasure trove to select the worst of these knockoffs.
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What is Gorilla Tag?
If, as a VR user, you haven’t heard of Gorilla Tag, then you need to step out from under that rock you’ve been living under. Originally released as a fun – and rather silly – social app via Meta Quest’s (now defunct) App Lab, in Gorilla Tag, players embody a legless gorilla. One of its core features is the locomotion system, which uses your arms to bound around the virtual environments.
Players can run, jump and climb to their heart’s content, engaging in a variety of game modes. These include tag, for up to three players, infection mode, which supports 4+ players, and a team vs. team paintball battle. Additionally, there are numerous customisation options available to personalise your gorilla.
Gorilla Tag is completely free-to-play, which has helped its community adoption, with the addition of in-app purchases to fuel development. But it’s the mixture of fun, easy-to-pickup gameplay, social features, and low-poly graphics which have created an endearing VR experience.
Of course, that means there are plenty of those out there trying to ride on this success…
How bad can these Gorilla Tag Clones be?
As it turns out, very, very bad. So much so, it’s shocking that they’re even allowed in the store. Simply search Gorilla Tag and you’ll find a smorgasbord of hastily cobbled-together apps and games. None of which you should pay for, of course.
And then there are those that, while free, shouldn’t even grace your Meta Quest’s hard drive. Handily, 131XR has listed five that should be avoided, simply for being a complete waste of your time. Take Project Rizz, for example; the store page alone should immediately indicate that a poor job has been done here. The game itself is devoid of life, with what seems you be a few standard Unity assets dropped in. And this isn’t even the worst! Its only redeeming feature is the notifications that the game isn’t affiliated with Gorilla Tag or its developer, Another Axiom.
You can find the full roster of awful Gorilla Tag clones in the video below.
A VR community of mods
If you’re wondering why so many of these poor clones exist, it’s in part due to Another Axiom themselves. From the very early days of Gorilla Tag, the team wanted to foster a passionate, loyal fan base. Because they knew that if they achieved that, the game would soar. And they were right.
Multiplayer games have generally always struggled to maintain consistent player numbers, in turn leading to their eventual demise. A core few have bucked that trend, including Ghost of Tabor, Contractors, Gym Class, Rec Room, Population: One and Gorilla Tag.
To help in this endeavour and to stand out from the crowd, Another Axiom encouraged fan content and mods. This methodology has been employed especially well within the PC-gaming community. The likes of Valve have been doing this for years with its hit series Half-Life, with some exceptional community creations now available.
While official Gorilla Tag mods and fan content have to stick to Another Axiom’s licensing policy, clones that simply plagiarise the game skirt around the issue.
Are you a fan of Gorilla Tag? Have you encountered any dodgy clones before? Let us know in the comments!
