Location: Germany
Hey everyone,
I am a software developer from Germany and have spent a considerable amount of time reimplementing an abandoned game completely from scratch. I am getting to a point where its far from done but also far more than just a small proof of concept. The core of the game is done and working.
To continue working on this, I need legal clearance that what I am doing is actually legal. I have tried contacting the original developer but am getting no response so far. How should I proceed? I intend to publish this when I am done, maybe even make some money, but I am mostly aiming at bringing a beloved game back and expanding on the original with my own ideas.
About the game:
Its a TCG / boardgame hybrid and was originally developed by a well known game studio before being abandoned. Said game studio was bought several years ago by one of the biggest coorperations in the world.
I have reimplemented everything from scratch. All original cards, including their original names, all original mechanics. Everything. The artwork is AI generated. Nothing of the original game was used except for the ideas behind the game.
Is what I am doing legal? How should I proceed? Thank you for any input.