AI in video games is a caustic enough subject that Valve requires developer disclosure if a title utilizes the generative technology. This way, people who have qualms about AI or its impact can opt out of purchasing anything that uses the genAI. One developer, however, is saving everyone from the moral quandary in the first place by just deleting their game altogether.
Hardest is a free-to-play roguelike on Steam that was released in the summer of 2025 with the tagline, “stop time, summon tsunamis, shoot with bubble guns, feed cards to mimic, collect rare negative cards!” Except for a user who says the game helped him bond with his son, Hardest mostly got a negative reception. “I assume the whole thing is AI slop,” one reviewer wrote.
You’d think flopping like this would be the end of the story, but half a year later, Rakuel, the developer, has undergone a revelation. On Jan. 10, the indie creator posted an update to Hardest announcing that he would pull the game from the platform by the end of the month.
Could’ve just re-coded the AI-bits
He says it’s all coded by him, it’s just the assets that are AI.
Controversial opinion’
This is kind of a valid take or use I suppose.
And it’s something I struggle with as well.
I know how to program and I can make games with really shitty assets that no one would want to play because it looks like crap. I’ve tried many times and I don’t seem to have the artistic skill set to make it happen. I’ve tried dozens of times to find and pay people on sites like fiverr, with extremely disappointing results.
And as a hobby I can’t just afford to pay thousands of dollars to have someone make passable art either.
And someone like this as a student obviously doesn’t have the money to pay someone to build all their assets.
So what do??? It seems reasonable to have a desire to finish your passion project in some manner
He probably doesn’t know how.
Seems like it’s all AI-bits