Amid the loudly marketed AAA titles and big franchises, Steam is packed with gems created by independent developers with an eye for meaningful storylines. A Game About AI is one such title! The soon-to-be-released incremental management and strategy game highlights the dystopian impacts of artificial intelligence on humanity and nature in a minimalist yet impactful manner.
The project was developed by Finnish solo game maker TaleHammer, who previously explored the dark fantasy and horror genres with Relight The Dark, the For Evelyn series, Eragon’s Tale, and more. In an exclusive interview with GameObserver, TaleHammer discussed his experience as a solo game developer and his intention behind A Game About AI.
What Goes Into TaleHammer Games?
TaleHammer has been making games for more than a decade. His first Steam release was My Light In The Dark, a pixel graphics puzzle adventure about a girl living with her abusive mother. “This is not a place of happy endings,” reads his developer page. “We’re focusing on fantasy adventure and horror, with a thing for bittersweet endings.”
Despite having received formal education in game development, TaleHammer considers himself “mostly self-taught,” as his education provided only “surface-level learning”. On YouTube, TaleHammer also posts tips for up-and-coming game developers. His Adventure Creator Academy videos cover topics such as level design, combat basics, and lighting and audio design. But his dedication to the world of video games doesn’t end there.
“My current passion is making mods for a game called Vintage Story, it’s like Minecraft but hardcore survival,” TaleHammer shared. “I have a wide range of skills that I can use to make many different things. That’s one of the big things I enjoy about making games, I have a lot of general knowledge that I can make use of in many different ways.”
When asked about his workflow as a solo developer, TaleHammer explained that the “coding and design side” is his strong suit. Moreover, he has bought “hundreds of different assets” throughout his time making video games, which he edits himself to better align with his vision. “Some assets I have also commissioned from artists. I am also quite proficient in making 3D assets if needed,” he added.
In terms of time investment, TaleHammer revealed that he spent “countless nights in front of the computer” during the two months of creating A Game About AI. However, his current biggest project, For Evelyn II – Shards of Creation, has taken him roughly four years of development so far. “I hope to release it fully this year,” TaleHammer told GameObserver.
A Game About AI: Meaning And Inspirations
“You are not conquering the world. You are optimizing it. And it will cost everything,” states the Steam description for A Game About AI. TaleHammer’s latest project puts players into the driver’s seat behind an ever-expanding AI infrastructure. While you acquire new skills, resources, and regions, you must also bear witness to the detrimental, global consequences of your choices for humanity.
“The game itself is a statement and critique against the use of AI,” the developer highlighted. “Using AI-generated artwork is very easily recognizable and shunned by a large majority of the game development community. Taking the human factor out of making art makes everything bland and boring. Working hard towards your dreams makes it way more rewarding in the long run, and is something you can actually look back to and be proud of your work.”
According to TaleHammer, he had had the initial idea for the project way before creating A Game About AI. With AI being such a prominent topic in recent years, the developer wanted to make his own statement against it. Other inspirations were “similar small-scale games,” such as A Game About Feeding A Black Hole by indie developers Aarimous and Thornityco.
“I needed change and wanted to do something fun and different, with the rising popularity of incremental games and hatred towards generative AI, I came up with this idea,” summarized TaleHammer.
The developer also cited Plague Inc as an inspiration for his newest project. This strategy and simulation game from indie studio Ndemic Creations tasks players with spreading a deadly pathogen against all of humanity’s defenses.
The Next Steps For A Game About AI
Before its planned release on June 23rd, A Game About AI is taking one more stop: Steam Next Fest! The week-long celebration features hundreds of free demos until June 22nd, which will hopefully give TaleHammer’s work additional visibility.
“This is the second time a game of mine is participating in Steam Next Fest, the first was For Evelyn II’s demo, which probably was a mistake since the game still isn’t done, but we live and learn,” the developer reflected. “I hope things will go better with the launch of A Game About AI right after Steam Next Fest while the hype is still on.”
