Key facts
- Ghostly Whiskers appears in Nintendo eShop search results for Haunted Paws even though the phrase haunted paws is not in its description.
- Ghostly Whiskers launched in September and was already available for purchase at full price while Haunted Paws remained unreleased.
- Several games shown at the Indie World showcase had demos launching right after the presentation, including Haunted Paws.
- The Kotaku author warned that anyone searching for Haunted Paws might see a suspiciously similar game that is already out, even though the showcase game is not yet available.
Ghostly Whiskers appeared in Nintendo eShop search results for Haunted Paws on Oct. 28, 2026, even though the phrase haunted paws is not in its description, according to Kotaku and Skoar Championship.
Kotaku’s author searched for Haunted Paws after its Indie World showcase reveal and encountered a similar-looking game before Haunted Paws itself appeared on the store. The author had wanted to download the demo to see whether a Yorkshire Terrier was playable, but that breed is not available. The writer initially wondered whether they had misremembered the title.
Haunted Paws is a co-op game about two dogs entering a haunted house to search for their owner, and is not due out until May of next year. Ghostly Whiskers stars two cats on a similar mission to find their owner in a haunted house.
Ghostly Whiskers launched in September and was already available at full price while Haunted Paws remained unreleased. Games shown at the Indie World showcase had demos launching right after the presentation, including Haunted Paws. The Kotaku report says that since its author began writing, Haunted Paws and its demo appeared on the Nintendo eShop even though Ghostly Whiskers also remained on the store page.
Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase on Oct. 28, 2026, included Haunted Paws among indie games coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. The roughly 15-minute broadcast also featured Witchbrook, Spirit Crossing, Slime Rancher 2, RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition, and Winds of Viridia. The showcase page also listed Tenjutsu, Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino, City of None, My Arms Are Longer Now, Sword of the Sea, Threads of Time, Petal Runner, Dumpster Gang, R.E.P.O, and Super Battle Golf.
In January, Lazy Flock said Ghostly Whiskers was “an unauthorized copy that steals our concept, visuals, and story, using AI-generated assets.” Kotaku’s author warned that anyone searching for Haunted Paws might see a suspiciously similar game that is already out, even though the showcase game is not yet available. Nostra Games publishes Ghostly Whiskers and has released copycat games lifting from Fallout Shelter, Two Point Hospital, and Crossy Road.
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