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Reddit
reddit.com › r/localllama › ai npcs in video games - what can we really do today
r/LocalLLaMA on Reddit: AI NPCs in video games - what can we really do today
June 3, 2024 -

Heya - I'm a video game maker. I wanted to ask people thoughts on AI NPCs (generative ones, instead of old school logic ones). Why haven't we started seeing more of them?

I know we can easily already do conversation within a game with NPCs. With a solid system prompt and character definition, the NPC will be correct to the lore of the world.

I'm wondering what the next levels above that would be to implement.
The two directions I'm mulling over are:

  • Society gossip : there is some world state that describes relationships between NPCs and we have them interacting based on those relationships. And you can "dip" into the drama.

  • Action Taking : One of the biggest debates I have around this is any action taking is kinda like a tool/ function call almost, and in the future, maybe like "browser bot agent chatGPT" will be so good that hard coding actions wouldn't be worth it - instead the AI can just play almost as a user - through the normal UI.

Also, I was wondering what you guys thought was missing from AI Town, and why even though westworld is such a cool idea, we aren't yet seeing early success with that concept.

Top answer
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113
Hobby game dev here working on a game that does exactly this. The biggest problem is you have to choose between. A) API issues/ high recurring cost/subscription. Api calls for complex game mechanics easily can get to +1$/hour game play. On top of that often you get rate limited by the API provider. B) ridiculous hardware requirements. If I want to run local models I need a dedicated 3080 or better leaving no room for graphics. I'm working on 2 games right now, one is 3d and I run on duel 4080s which is just not feasible for anyone except hard-core enthusiasts. My other one (I switched too more because that) is 2D pixel art SNES style and it still would require a 3080 minimum (just for VRAM to hold model efficiently).
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Assuming you've read Generative Agents . I'll just list off the headings in the "emergent social behaviors" section: Information diffusion (similar to "social gossip") - the ability for NPCs to spread information and update each other. Relationship memory - relationships should form, change, and break over time based on actions in the world. Coordination - agents should be able to plan coordinated actions together. Not mentioned but implicit: planning, the ability to draft plans and modify them when things go wrong. Why hasn't this all been implemented yet? I don't know... I think there is not much overlap between traditional game devs and LLM prompt engineers. The former group will only sprinkle on LLMs as a conversational chatbot, while the latter group wants to base the entire game dynamics on an LLM. IMO there is a sweet spot where agents have a lot of traditional AI (behavior trees, state machines, etc) but deeply interwoven with natural language interfaces. TLDR: The bottleneck is new ideas and innovative programmers, not tech
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Player2
blog.player2.game › p › best-ai-npc-games-in-2025
Best AI NPC Games in 2025 - by Wenzhe - Player2 blog
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CyberGhost
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September 24, 2025 - Through this larger-than-life AI character, the game devs playfully capture the familiar themes of nature vs. nurture, ecological preservation, and the duality of technology as a destructive and restorative force. Think of GAIA as a literal, man-made Creator. She embodies the hope and knowledge necessary to breathe life back into a ruined world. She’s a fascinating figure within the Horizon series, providing a refreshing counterpoint to the common depictions of AI as cold, calculating robots with a knack for mischief.
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AIxploria
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community.openai.com › t › ai-people-a-game-bringing-autonomous-npcs-to-life › 1125314
AI People - A game bringing autonomous NPCs to Life - Community - OpenAI Developer Community
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AI Dungeon
aidungeon.com
AI Dungeon
Play and create AI-generated adventures with infinite possibilities.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Category:Artificial_intelligence_characters_in_video_games
Category:Artificial intelligence characters in video games - Wikipedia
This category should be reserved specifically for characters originating in video games, as opposed to licensed appearances in games. The following 21 pages are in this category, out of 21 total. This list may not reflect recent changes.
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NVIDIA
nvidia.com › en-us › geforce › news › nvidia-ace-autonomous-ai-companions-pubg-naraka-bladepoint
NVIDIA Redefines Game AI With ACE Autonomous Game Characters | GeForce News | NVIDIA
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, inZOI, MIR5 & NARAKA: BLADEPOINT MOBILE PC VERSION are the first games to incorporate autonomous companions, enemies, and game systems powered by NVIDIA ACE.
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Inworld AI
inworld.ai › blog › best-ai-games-2023
Best AI games 2024: Released and upcoming games with AI
They offer a showcase of the best AI in games. Alien Isolation: The game’s Xenomorph character is powered by AI and can learn from past mistakes, behaving differently each time the player encounters it.
Find elsewhere
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Convai
convai.com › blog › future-of-ai-characters-in-gaming
AI-Powered Characters are Transforming the Gameplay Experience | Convai
Thus, as the game progresses, AI characters encountered pose more challenges and are more strategic and responsive, ensuring fresh and invigorating gameplay. Further, AI-powered NPCs permit unprecedented levels of personalization and customization. Based on their choices, players can have personalized conversations with characters, who can even recall previous encounters.
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Game Rant
gamerant.com › home › video games › video news & features › best ai characters in video games, ranked
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March 24, 2023 - From GLaDOS' sarcastic wit to Legion's haunting revelations, AI characters have captured the imagination of countless players and added a whole new dimension to gaming. RELATED: Sci-Fi Games With Bizarre Futuristic Weapons
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Steam Community
steamcommunity.com › discussions › forum › 1 › 3758850346175347840
Games with best AI/NPCs? :: Help and Tips
I personally like the AI in sims 3 versus sims 4. You can even turn on free autonomy on controlled sims and see what they do on their own. #2. Skyrim has very good npc's reactions to stuff.
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TheGamer
thegamer.com › home › lists › 10 best video game ai characters
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/gamingsuggestions › story-focused games that prominently feature ai characters?
Story-focused games that prominently feature AI characters? : r/gamingsuggestions
July 3, 2022 - Per Aspera somewhat similarly has ... bunch of robots running human brain simulations and a mad AI trying to keep it all together no matter the cost; Silicon Dreams has you play essentially as the protagonist of Blade Runner, interrogating people and trying to understand if they ...
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CDO Magazine
cdomagazine.tech › home › ubisoft’s new ai-powered in-game characters interact with players
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Giant Bomb
giantbomb.com › artificial-intelligence › 3015-218 › characters
Artificial Intelligence Characters - Giant Bomb
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, commonly refers to the programmed behaviors of NPCs in a game, whether it's the fact that a soldier takes cover behind a wall in Gears of War, or that townspeople cheer upon your arrival to their village in Fable.
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screenrant.com › home › gaming › game features › video games where players are the “ais”
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gameinformer.com › b › features › archive › 2010 › 11 › 24 › top-ten-a-i-characters-of-the-decade.aspx
Top Ten A.I. Characters of the Decade - Game Informer
Honorable Mentions: Jehuty from Zone of the Enders Chibi Robo from Chibi Robo Legion from Mass Effect Jack from Gears of War Clank from Ratchet & Clank Glitch from Metal Arms: Glitch in the System Astro Boy from Astro Boy: Omega Factor FATE ...
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Quora
quora.com › Which-video-game-has-the-most-advanced-AI-friend-character
Which video game has the most advanced AI friend character? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Ah yes the video game sidekick there's lots of them out there but which game has the most advanced you ask? Unfortunately I don't believe there's statistics on this kind of thing so really it all comes down to opinion. I've had some time to think about this question. And in my op...
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Aibrain
aibrain.com › futurable-true-ai-game
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Futurable is a true AI game where every character is a fully autonomous AI. That is, every character – either NPC (Non-Player Character) or PC (Player Character) – in this game can be a playable AI. In a single player game, a human player via its player character plays with NPCs as playable AI.