If you’ve ever played a role-playing game (RPG), you know how much fun it is to create a character any way you like and embark on an epic adventure. Now imagine an AI-powered, text-based RPG where every interaction with non-player characters (NPCs) is completely unscripted.
Latitude, a startup known for its open-ended text adventure games that feature an “infinite storyline” generated by AI, recently announced a new platform that allows users to take on the role of a game designer.
This AI-driven RPG platform, called Voyage, allows players to design their own game worlds with the help of AI. Players can describe the setting, including details such as regions, cities, landmarks, main quests, villains, etc. You can also establish game mechanics such as abilities, leveling systems, and combat challenges.
For example, if you want to create a fishing village haunted by sea monsters, the AI will generate the code needed to make your idea a reality. You can further customize your world before sharing and playing with others.
Voyage’s platform offers players a wide range of experiences across a variety of genres, from cozy adventures to more hardcore quests. It’s text-based, so players read the story (with audio narration) and input how they want their characters to behave.
Unlike traditional RPGs, when a character faces a goblin attack, instead of the common options of fleeing, fighting, or hiding, players can choose unique scenarios such as becoming a goblin therapist and solving their problems instead of resorting to violence.
The player inputs the desired action and the AI explains the outcome, including the NPC’s reaction. Without a set script, the dialogue can take unexpected turns, often leading to surprising and sometimes bizarre conversations. For example, during a test, the troll who had tied down the character began to reveal his troubles in his marriage.
Character growth, on the other hand, relies on your character’s skill and a bit of luck, much like rolling dice in a tabletop game. Each character can also unlock special abilities by defeating bosses or completing quests, such as using “counterspells” to stop enemies from using magic. (Some of Voyage’s abilities are inspired by classic Dungeons & Dragons spells, which is fun!)
Additionally, if players get stuck, a chatbot is available that can suggest actions or skip to another part of the story.
At the core of Voyage is the World Engine, a system developed by Latitude over five years. The engine leverages multiple AI systems that can narrate the action, manage gameplay, track characters and objects, and remember backstories and relationships, ensuring continuity throughout the game. So instead of generic NPCs repeating their lines, players encounter characters who remember previous interactions. For example, if you betray a character’s trust, they may choose to avoid you or become your rival in future encounters.
“Characters don’t just react to you, they have their own personality backstories and they react to you in a way that feels authentic. And that’s really part of the magic of the engine,” Nick Walton, CEO and co-founder of Latitude, told TechCrunch.
Latitude first made waves in AI-native gaming with the release of AI Dungeon in 2019, captivating millions of players.
“It exploded onto the internet as one of the first times people interacted with generative AI,” Walton said. “It kind of established the original promise of what it would be like to have a game or world where nothing was predefined and everything wasn’t scripted. Voyage takes that core concept and leaps tenfold from a single AI model to a full-fledged world with deterministic systems, challenges, progression, and persistence, solving all the problems that we didn’t think AI Dungeon could fully accomplish on its own.”
Voyage is currently in extended beta testing, with an open beta planned for later this year. On the platform, early testers are interacting with over 160,000 unique AI-generated characters, each with a distinct personality. The average player has nearly 3,000 gameplay choices.
Alongside the launch announcement, Latitude announced a partnership with Google’s AI Futures Fund. The platform combines proprietary models with third-party models such as Google’s Gemini Flash for image generation and Gemma for text, audio, and video.
In addition, former Roblox Chief Business Officer Craig Donato has joined as an investor and board member. Other notable investors include Album VC, Griffin Gaming Partners, Midjourney, and NFX.
Voyage is free to play, but will soon offer $15, $30, and $50 subscription plans. These plans offer advanced AI capabilities and lift limits on the number of actions players can take.
It’s also important to note that while the platform is suitable for all ages, some experiences include adult content, which Walton says is similar to what you’ll find on Steam. He added that Voyage has implemented safety measures and parental controls to help users filter inappropriate content.
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