Should Indie Game Developers Use AI? My Honest Thoughts (part 4)

One of the hottest topics within game development especially for indie creators — is the use of AI. Should we use it?

In so many discussions, people are either completely against it (“everything in a game should be made by a human”) or they use it for absolutely everything. It’s a bit of a minefield to figure out the best approach. What’s the right balance as both a creative and a business?

The reality is AI is here, and it’s never going back. Once the genie was let out of the bottle, there was no turning back — and it’s only getting faster and smarter. From massive studios to solo developers in their spare rooms, everyone now has access to tools that can accelerate their work in ways we’ve never seen before.

Within game development, there are so many roles: programmers, artists, animators, designers, sound engineers, writers — the list goes on. And now, almost every one of those skills can be enhanced (or even replaced) by AI. Will we get to the point where anyone can just type a prompt, wait a few seconds, and suddenly be playing the exact game they imagined? If that happens, what does it mean for us as creators?

The truth is, we can’t get away from AI — it’s everywhere. The biggest risk I see is the flood of AI-generated games hitting the market at record speed. The stores are already oversaturated, and I worry this next wave could make things worse. We’ll end up with sloppy, soulless games that were made for quick cash instead of love. There’s a human seal of quality that AI simply can’t replicate.

For me, using AI in game development has become a personal journey. Everyone’s circumstances are different, and there’s no single rulebook. If you’re a great programmer but a terrible artist, is it wrong to use AI to improve your visuals? If you’re a talented artist but can’t code, should you use AI to help you build your game? Not everyone can afford to hire a full team — and that’s okay.

The biggest benefit of AI is time. What once took hours can now take seconds. But one alternative to using AI is buying assets from other creators — which supports other indie artists. Or, you can spend the extra time learning every skill yourself through tutorials and courses. The tradeoff is that it might add years to your development cycle.

When I started Munch O Crunch Run in early 2024, I decided to find my own balance. I use AI to help me when I get stuck with programming, or when I can’t remember how to do something. But I make sure to learn as I go, so I understand how everything works when I need to change it later. If I hadn’t used AI at all, there’s no way the game would be releasing in a few weeks — not a chance.

That said, I restrict myself. I don’t want AI doing all the work, because then the game loses its heart and soul. Every character, enemy, trap, item, background — everything in Munch O Crunch Run — is hand-drawn from scratch. I could have saved thousands of hours using AI or pre-made assets, but that would have taken away the fun of creating.

At the end of the day, what makes game development special is the act of creation. There’s something magical about a blank page, where you imagine the world, the characters, the story — and you bring it to life one piece at a time. I want my games to carry that love and human touch. AI might speed things up, but it can never replace that feeling.

Andy Cox