Marek Rosa – dev blog: AI People Alpha Officially Released!

Dear fellow gamers and innovators,

From the beginning of gaming itself, we’ve been stuck with the same scripted, predictable NPCs in our games, with their limitations, repetitive dialogs, and without any option to do something unexpected.

Until today. The wait is over!

You still have a chance to join the AI revolution in gaming and be part of the movement towards true AI NPCs!

Before diving into the details of the Alpha release, we encourage you first to check out our Alpha Release Trailer. The trailer beautifully tells the story of how NPCs persuaded a player to create this trailer, as more players means more time alive for them. Interestingly, this persuasion came after the player had initially killed one of the NPCs, prompting them to take action. The trailer also gives a glimpse into the immersive gameplay and dynamic interactions you can experience in this Alpha version. It’s the perfect way to get a feel for what’s to come!

What is AI People?

AI People aims to be more than just a game – it envisions a new frontier in the simulation of artificial intelligence interactions. In this ambitious project, we’re working towards creating an immersive experience where players will engage with highly complex NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) designed to adapt and evolve based on their environment and player input. Our goal is to develop each NPC, or “agent,” powered by advanced language models with long-term memory capabilities, potentially enabling lifelike behaviors, personalities, and goals that could dynamically change over time.

We’re striving to create agents that aren’t static – ideally, they would learn, grow, and respond to the world around them, making every interaction unique. Our vision includes giving players the power to influence these AI-driven characters, whether by guiding them through personal development or building entire ecosystems. While we’re still in the early stages, we believe this concept has the potential to offer an unparalleled gameplay experience in the future.

Alpha Launch Details

This alpha launch represents a significant milestone in our journey to revolutionize gaming with intelligent AI NPCs. This is what you can look forward to:

Managing Expectations

As an alpha release, AI People is essentially a proof of concept for our AI NPC and AI Director technology. While the scenario progressions play out nicely and the agents perform their tasks well, game challenges are currently minimal. We’re focusing on demonstrating the core technology, with more complex gameplay elements planned for future updates.

In this alpha version, AI NPCs can engage in conversations, make decisions based on their goals and surroundings, and interact with objects in the environment. While their behaviors can be surprising, they are still bound by the scenario’s overall structure. Players should expect to encounter limitations and occasional unpredictable behaviors as we continue to refine and expand the game’s capabilities.

We want to be fully transparent: if you’re not comfortable with the idea of playing an early alpha version with potential issues and limitations, we encourage you to wait for future updates. Your enjoyment is important to us, and we understand that some players may prefer a more polished experience.

Key points to note:

Distribution of the Access

In order to play, you will have to download a Dedicated Platform: AI People is currently available exclusively through our platform, not on Steam or other stores at launch. Our platform enables us to rapidly update and optimize the game based on your feedback, refining AI People to meet our community’s needs.

Important! Due to technical limitations, we will distribute access to the game platform and the game itself in batches. The reason behind this is, that in the very beginning, we don’t want to overload our server, which could potentially lead to a worse experience for those who would be trying to unleash their creativity in the interaction with our revolutionary NPCs. 

We’ve created several batches for distributing access, and we’ll be granting access in waves. Those selected in the first batch have already received confirmation emails with instructions on how to activate the game. If you haven’t received an email yet, please don’t try to register, as your access will still be blocked. But don’t worry—your time is coming soon!

Access will be granted only to those on the waiting list.

Haven’t signed up for the waiting list yet? Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to play AI People – join the waiting list now!

Basic controls

The game uses a mouse and keyboard only and cannot be controlled by the controller.

The mouse is used for most of the game interactions:

If you click on an NPC to activate the talk window, you can type in anything you want using the keyboard. The NPC will react to it.

There are also some advanced controls like pausing the game using F1 or showing interactable objects using Tab. For those, please go to Option – Controls.

Quick Play

We recommend playing Quick Play at first. It contains a pre-made scenario that will explain the systems of the game. It is not a typical tutorial as all responses from NPCs are generated and the player can discuss the game with them

Creative

Creative contains official scenarios made by the developers in New Scenario, but you can also create your own scenario which will be added to Your Scenarios. From Workshop contains scenarios that you already played in the Workshop tab.

Clicking on the scenario and on Play will start the Play mode where you can play the scenario, but cannot edit it.

Clicking on the scenario and on Create will start the Edit mode where you can Edit scenario objectives and Edit the personalities of NPCs.

Edit scenario

When editing a scenario, the first thing you write is a background. NPCs in the game will take it as a situation they are in. The background can be anything, for example, historical or space scenarios.

Other lines are objectives that the NPCs will follow one by one.

Edit character personality

If you click on a character, you can edit his personality which will determine how the NPC will act during the scenario. You can put detailed descriptions or even refer to some existing person, for example, historical figures like Julius Caesar.

If you hit Esc to open the game menu, you can Save scenario as to save your scenarios and play them later.

If your scenario is saved, by clicking on Upload scenario, you will share it on Workshop where more players can play it.

Workshop

On Workshop you can find scenarios from other players. 

If you select Play, you will launch them in Play mode, where a scenario can be played and cannot be edited

If you select Edit, you will launch them in Edit mode, where scenarios can be changed to your liking.

To support the advanced cloud AI infrastructure powering AI People, we’re introducing a subscription-based model:

We understand this model differs from traditional game pricing. It reflects the substantial computing power required to create truly dynamic AI-driven experiences. We’ve optimized costs as much as possible to make the game accessible and sustainable.

Looking ahead, we’re actively developing a local LLM  that runs on your PC. This could potentially allow us to transition to a standard one-time purchase model in the future, making AI People even more accessible.

Your support during this phase is crucial as we push the boundaries of AI in gaming. We’re committed to continuously improving and optimizing the experience based on your feedback.

A Story Behind AI People

AI People isn’t just a game; it’s the realization of a vision that has driven us at GoodAI for years. What began as a platform for experimenting with AI agents on our path to AGI has evolved into something much bigger. Frustrated by the stagnant progress in NPC behavior over the past decades, we set out to create AI NPCs that not only behave more intelligently but also feel like real companions – friends, even children.

These characters form bonds that transcend the digital realm and one day, they could become our equals, contributing to the future of human civilization. With AI People, you’re stepping into a revolution where NPCs truly talk, observe, interact, and create stories on the fly.

This is the future of gaming: intelligent characters that remember your actions, form opinions, react dynamically to the environment, and generate unique emergent storylines. In this sandbox game, every interaction is unique, every scenario adapts to your choices, and every experience feels alive. Join us in shaping the future of gaming AI, where your creativity and feedback will help us unlock new frontiers.

Post-Alpha Roadmap

With the Alpha finally released to the public, we are looking forward to proceeding through our exciting roadmap including:

A Note from Marek Rosa

I am deeply thankful to my team who has been on this journey with GoodAI and AI People alongside me. It hasn’t been an easy path, but their dedication has been unwavering. Now, we finally have a working prototype – a game where you can create scenarios and then play them with intelligent NPCs. This milestone fills me with pride and excitement.

I’m already looking forward to the new features we will be adding. The potential of what we’re building keeps me driven and inspired every day.

Moreover, I’m eagerly exploring how we will revolutionize AI NPCs and emergent AI storytelling. I firmly believe that in a few years, nobody will want pre-scripted stories or NPCs that can’t talk, think, and learn. With our innovations, we’re set to change gaming forever!

You can still join the Revolution of NPCs in Gaming

The first time you’ve heard about AI People? You can still sign up to be in one of the first waves of players, who will have the privilege of trying the game among the first in the World.

Thank you for reading this blog!