This jam, I wanted to experiment with using an AI art generator (https://www.wombo.art/create). My normal collaborator (programmer @allthebees) wasn't available, so I wanted to try using an unconventional programme as an engine - and settled on using Indesign to create a hyperlinked pdf, and an interactive graphic novel.
Dream seemed very good at generating cityscapes, portraits, and pipes. With a bit of massaging in photoshop, it was possible to edit the results so that 'characters' appeared a tiny bit consistent, or to match colours between panels to appear on the same page. I wanted to try to build a narrative which dealt, at its core, with the way that AI art generators iterate, and produce multiple similar, but not identical outputs. In the available time, I didn't manage to finish a satisfying story arc: if I had infinite time, the narrative would deal with the characters realising the limits of their world (and lovingly pointing out some of the inconsistencies in cyberpunk/biopunk sci-fi...). All they know is that every ten seconds, another train arrives.
The thing that I managed to make in the time is really just a proof of concept - with time, I think it would be good to: * speed up the opening * increase the interactivity (would require some coding, but maybe have a 'blink' button, so the images on each 'page' change while the text stays the same?) * have a complete gameplay loop, where multiple choices lead to a good/bad/neutral ending * dial up the uncanny/horror/discomfort - e.g. having the pipework flicker into recognisable objects/animals
But I think there might be legs in exploring the idea further? The AI was very good at generating: * cyberpunk cityscapes * portraits in the styles of specific artists (here, portraits like Egon Schiele, pipework like Terry Gilliam's Brazil) * pipework. So, so much pipework.
I'm not sure how I feel about AI art generators, but it was a fun weekend.
Very intriguing! Has vibes of A Scanner Darkly with a little bit of Sandman. Even with AI assistance this seems like a *huge* project for a single weekend. My only suggestion would be to change up the font; something about the all-caps blocky letters didn't quite seem to fit the tone of the story and images.
Loved it, absolutely brilliant. Thanks for making this, found myself totally submerged in it for the past while.. A bit sad that I didnt get to see the story through. It made me think of Enki Bilal, and that made me really happy.
Amazing idea, gripping story, and fantastic choice of artworks. I found this to be so interesting, I never thought of using the image generators in such a way and I have to say this is the first time I've experienced someone utilizing them really well. In my experience people have just been using them for funny one off images or cover / album art. Great idea and well done, should definitely explore doing this further.
This is a pretty fascinating experiment. I'm surprised how coherent the styles are throughout the novel. And the generated art fits the format well, i.e. snap-shot illustrations for mood, but making the writing fill out the blanks regarding what is actually going on in the scene.
The idea has potential for sure, since that is the output of a mere 48 hours. The illustrations are evocative, so as long as the plot follows the limitations of the generated art, I can definitely see this working as a "full" project. Added interactivity would of course be nice, though additional branching could probably do a lot of the heavy lifting in that regard.
Really cool concept and well executed. Find AI art fascinating and love seeing projects that use it in an effective way. Definitely something I could see being expanded. Nice work :)
An unusual but certainly pleasant entry! I tried a couple times to get the "good ending" but failed 😄 - Great usage of the AI art and its integration with the story. I think I would have like to see the paths diverge more showing more of the city, but there is only so much you can do with so little time! I'd love to see more of this format. Good work!
This is an awesome experiment. Would agree about choice would be nice earlier on, but I was so fascinated looking at the art that I didn't mind. Could see this evolve further into it's own subgenre in the near future
Awesome idea and use of tech! I'd love to see this done in real time, but with a mostly set script - maybe an AI voice narrator and customisation to the player (name, face, etc).
Wow, amazing. Very unique. Never expected a pdf as a game submission. Nice story and good art (even if its with AI you still came up with the prompts I guess). Nice going.
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LDJam user 04 Oct 2022, 14:11
Nice idea! In the first five pages a choice for the player would be nice because at first i thought i is just a simple novel but later on it would turn out not to.
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4 Oct 2022, 14:11
Nice idea! In the first five pages a choice for the player would be nice because at first i thought i is just a simple novel but later on it would turn out not to.
Great idea! I'm glad you mentioned about the infinite choice of alternatives devaluing individual drawings. I was thinking throughout that it would be so much better with fewer images, that you should just choose one image per idea instead of 6, then that image becomes more impactful. Interesting that you were exploring this idea in itself. AI-generated imagery just becomes bleh after seeing a hundred amazing-looking images back-to-back. It's a weird feeling.
Oh man would you be interested in turning this into an actual running game? It would be pretty easy to do with Godot and if you're up for it, we could meet on discord and I could show you how. I love the art, this is so good!
You managed to end up with really really good art! I'm impressed at how you managed to keep the characters looking similar. The pdf was very well put together and I'm sure that took quite a bit of effort. What's the font you used? It looks really nice. Really good work overall and an amazing example of what AI generators can do. The plot was also very very intriguing and I'd be very happy to know the continuation if you plan on finishing this!
Wow that's interesting, quite the unique use of pdfs and unique kind of entry and excellent storytelling, especially with the use of the AI's variability in output. This really shows what AI art can and should be used for. Very creative, I love it!
Very interesting concept. I enjoyed the story. I got the bad ending. It was intriguing and very mysterious. I like how without a programmer you made something anyway. The pictures really set the mood of the story. I really appreciate that you took yourself out of the running for graphics since you used AI generated art. Good job.
Whoauw this is so cool! Very well done. I like how you used this weekend to experiment. GameJams are great for that. It is a great excuse to take a weekend and learn a new skill!
Goes to show how far AI has come. This one gets 5 stars for innovation in my opinion
I like how you put the theme into the story itself
Ah, I made my way towards the bad ending at first, let's try that again. Ok, second time again, I can do this, I can do this, one more chance. >You were on the way towards... the good ending
At last, sweet (way towards) victory.
But yeah, super stylish, I think the generated art worked well for the type of cyberpunk game and the blurring of reality in the story it was going for. Very cool and innovative, wonderful job!
My favourite of this LD. It was risky, because it was very ungame-like in the conventional sense. But I was lost in your world, your writing tied me all up, and when you made use of the AI-generated art in the clever way you did, I was impressed. Nice work friend.
I'm generally a non-fan of AI art, but you've made a powerful use case for a situation where it works really well--its squidginess and not-quite-rightness support the overall theme. You're using the colors very stylishly, and the world is intriguing and unnerving. I would keep reading for sure.
That said, this is really a graphic novel rather than a game. (But honestly, that's perfectly fine. More power to you.)
Such a unique approach. Definitely eye-opening to see more AI art put in practice. This was inspiring. Interactive pdf was also a new strategy I haven't thought of before. Thanks for making this!
I'm quite into oldschool cyberpunk where the main character has to be at least near to losing the mind at some point, so this sat well. It is inspiring that you didn't let the lack of programming capabilities stop you from taking part.
If I may ramble a bit.. As for questions raised, I don't fear AI art itself just yet. Like a Netflix hit, it excels in style (surface) while lacking soul, as cheesy as that sounds. If it can mimic aspects of some artist's hard work, it is questionable whether those particular aspects had any true value to begin with. Of course, crowds may be pleased with the surface, but what's new about that? In any case, it was your writing that breathed life into this novel.
I enjoyed the visual novel very much. Good use of AI to set the ambience and mood. I think you were extremely resourceful in creating a game despite not having a programmer. My favourite scene was the comparison of the wires to the sea creatures. That felt like a scene that really provokes the imagination. Thank you for the entry!
I have to say that I am also not sure yet how to feel about the AI generators, but it is great to see people like you using them in such creative ways in the jam and creating stuff that just wasn't possible before! (Though I would still prefer if they remain not allowed in the compo 😄) My favorite page was 16. Somehow I was on the track of the bad ending but I enjoyed it nonetheless
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It definitely need an multiple choice in the first 5 pages or so.
The idea has potential for sure, since that is the output of a mere 48 hours. The illustrations are evocative, so as long as the plot follows the limitations of the generated art, I can definitely see this working as a "full" project. Added interactivity would of course be nice, though additional branching could probably do a lot of the heavy lifting in that regard.
It was an interesting experiment to experience!
I love that it's an interactive PDF. It has a lot of novely, and it's intuitive and works well.
The diffusion images are hella cool too.
I agree with your own take on it. More interactivity would be awesome.
But that's of course a lot more content to make.
Having high res images that take up the full screen would be dope too. That's just a question of getting a gigantic GPU...
Goes to show how far AI has come. This one gets 5 stars for innovation in my opinion
I like how you put the theme into the story itself
Ok, second time again, I can do this, I can do this, one more chance.
>You were on the way towards... the good ending
At last, sweet (way towards) victory.
But yeah, super stylish, I think the generated art worked well for the type of cyberpunk game and the blurring of reality in the story it was going for. Very cool and innovative, wonderful job!
That said, this is really a graphic novel rather than a game. (But honestly, that's perfectly fine. More power to you.)
chek out my jam game!
If I may ramble a bit.. As for questions raised, I don't fear AI art itself just yet. Like a Netflix hit, it excels in style (surface) while lacking soul, as cheesy as that sounds. If it can mimic aspects of some artist's hard work, it is questionable whether those particular aspects had any true value to begin with. Of course, crowds may be pleased with the surface, but what's new about that? In any case, it was your writing that breathed life into this novel.
And that plumber was on acid. Btw your entry would go nice with music, perhaps something like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcAUlEkU05A
Very unique, and probably a glimpse into the future ^^
Very unique, and probably a glimpse into the future ^^
Wish i whas as good as the ai in art :)
Wish i whas as good as the ai in art :)
I think, it is a sweet entry. Thank you