Nintendo has recently removed
A Dark Room, a text-based game by indie developer Doublespeak Games, from the Nintendo Switch eShop. The reason? The developer revealed that the game included a secret code editor.
According to Amir Rajan, the game's programmer, posted on Mastodon instructions on how to access this code editor that allowed the Switch to run Ruby in order to have players program their own custom apps without hacking the console; something that didn't bode well with Nintendo.
Eurogamer reached out to Rajan and he gave them his side of the story, while apologizing for sneaking this exploit into
A Dark Room.
"
I deeply regret how this has blown up. A simple toy sandboxed environment has been framed as this massive exploit. And of course it's the community that exploits these things that pushed it up to that level. I'm partly to blame with my sensationalised media posts. I acted alone and stupidly. It was a last second 'spark of inspiration' and I snuck it in assuming that plugging in a USB keyboard and pressing the "~" key wasn't part of the test plan.
Having Circle deal with some of this cannon fire is not something I'd ever want. These past three days have been the worst days of my life. And I don't know what to say except I'm sorry, and all I wanted to do was allow kids (and coding adults that have forgotten the joy) to discover what I discovered 25 years ago."
Circle Entertainment, the publisher for A Dark Room, also issued a statement in regards to Nintendo pulling the game from the Switch eShop while also revealing that they are currently figuring out what steps to take moving forward with Nintendo.
"A Dark Room was removed from the eShop on 26th April, and we learnt of the likely reason for its removal through the weekend.
We're liaising with Nintendo to clarify on the next steps and will deal with the matter accordingly; they are regretful circumstances and we apologise for the issue. We have always worked hard to carefully follow Nintendo's processes and terms throughout our history of publishing on DSiWare, 3DS eShop, Wii U eShop and Nintendo Switch eShop, and we're sorry that there has evidently been an issue with this title.
Until we clarify the next steps with Nintendo we can't offer any further comment."
Sneaking a code editor into a game, one that allows players to hack a console — even if it is with good intentions like the ones Rajan mentions — is not something to be taken lightly, much less blame it on the community that can use this exploit for other purposes other than rekindling their passion for coding. Nintendo did what needed to be done.