I’ve always been a fan of top-down strategy games, such as Civilization and Factorio – there is something zen about constructing and establishing workflows and observing them expand like a digital garden. However, recently, I've been seeing various DnD clips and hearing about the endless possibilities they offer players. The idea of using my imagination in a way that traditional games simply can't match got me thinking: What if I create my own simple DnD-like game using an LLM?
See the code now on GitHub
Can an LLM Bring Boundless Creativity to Gameplay?
Of course, some games experimented with AI, but I wanted to take it to the next level. My idea was to use the LLM as the "game engine", which would take natural language from the player and translate it into the actions in the game. Just think about explaining what you want to do in the game, and the AI will incorporate that into the story. No set of options or choices that are fixed in advance.
This could bring a level of creativity in gameplay that is not easily achievable with conventional programming. The LLM would be a dynamic interpreter, while the basic mechanics, such as rules, logic and math, would be coded in the actual game engine. The plus here is that while you cannot 'cheat' the system to get more turns or more damage, you are still able to engage in the game in creative ways that weren't possible before.
What Does the Game Loop Look Like?
The core loop is quite straightforward but very effective. First, the LLM creates a context of a particular story with characters and their environment. Then, the player enters the actions, and the game computes them. NPCs also move, and while I've set them to always attack, for now, there is much more to it. The LLM's purpose is to translate your ideas and your imagination into the game while translating your desires into the game rules.
For ехаmple, you can attempt to tell ChatGPT to run a DnD game but you might be able to fool it into doing things that ruin the game. As such, you have to conform to the rules. And the AI can’t be easily manipulated.
Can This Game Be Monetized?
Frankly speaking, this is not a business idea but a fun idea of an experiment. Monetizing it would be difficult since operating an LLM is not cheap as it involves recurrent expenses. It’s not like Factorio or Kerbal Space Program, where players can purchase once and have a thousand hours of fun. You would have to figure out how to make the game self-sustaining in some way—maybe by having the ability to update the game's content with real-time data from other websites, such as news sites, to bring in current events to the game. It is possible, but one has to think outside the box.
What About the Graphics?
Here's an example of what the game looks like now:
I shared this idea with a friend, and they asked first, "Where are the graphics?" This made me understand that what people refer to as "games" varies. My vision is far more text-basеd and imagination-focused – it's a much more specific experience, but it's perfect for those who enjoy interactive narratives. It is not for everyone. But there is definitely a niche market that could enjoy a game in which the story changes depending on the actions of the player, all thanks to the LLM.