Garry’s Incident

Garry's Incident (full title Day One: Garry's Incident) is a first-person action-adventure game developed by the independent studio Wild Games Studio, released on Windows in 2013. The game follows Garry Gray, a pilot who crash-lands in a remote jungle and must survive, explore and fight his way through hostile environments, blending combat, platforming, crafting and survival elements as he uncovers the mystery behind the area. Built in the Unreal Engine, it aimed to offer an ambitious adventure from a small team. The game became notorious less for its content than for the controversy surrounding its reception: after the popular YouTube critic TotalBiscuit posted a negative video, the developer issued a copyright takedown against the coverage, sparking a wider debate about developers attempting to suppress critical commentary through copyright claims. The incident became a frequently cited example in discussions of game-press relations, fair use and the power of content creators. Critically, the game itself was poorly received, with reviewers citing clumsy combat, technical problems and uninspired design. Garry's Incident is consequently remembered as much for the takedown episode it triggered as for its qualities as a game, a cautionary tale about developers responding to criticism. The takedown ultimately backfired, drawing far more negative attention to the game than the original review ever would have.