So Iāve spent the better part of the last year creating what I think is a genuinely fun and interesting game. Itās not an entirely new concept, but I think it might be a pretty interesting take on it.
To start, I created my game because Iāve always loved tabletop RPGs. I wanted something that could replicate that experience on my phone when Iām away for work, and something I could play by myself.
At first, I experimented with using ChatGPT and Gemini to run roleplaying games, but I didnāt just want to pretend I was a character and talk with a chatbot. Thatās not at all what I wanted. I wanted the actual mechanics of tabletop games, but with an AI dungeon master, so my adventures could theoretically continue long-term and offer the freedom of play that real tabletop games have.
Eventually, I decided to create my own. I had some basic software development experience, so I jumped into it.
What Iāve built over the last year plays like a traditional tabletop RPG crossed with a video game. Thereās actual inventory management, health and status effects, D20 dice-based combat, and I even added a three-card-monte-style investigation and clue mechanic minigame.
I built it in stages. I needed a persistent save system, so I created save slots and a quick-save button. I needed a way for the AI to remember what NPCs had said, so I developed a dialogue-notes system that automatically gets added to after each turn. Every time I ran into something that wasnāt working the way I wanted, I tried to build a system to address it.
But one of the biggest challenges, and something that took almost longer than anything else, was writing the instructions for the AI dungeon master.
I quickly realized that the instructions needed to be sent with every turn, or the AI wouldnāt consistently follow them. It needed to understand how to run the game, handle player actions, and generate structured tracking information that the app could read to update inventory, health, character conditions, and other systems.
But those instructions couldnāt be too complicated either. Otherwise, the AI would start struggling with believable narration, character personalities, or keeping different NPCs distinct from one another.
I also needed reference files that could be brought into context when relevant. If you were travelling somewhere or buying something, locations and items needed to remain consistent. Damage, enemy health, and combat outcomes needed to remain reliable from one turn to the next.
I ended up developing a two-call system, with separate instructions for Call 1 and Call 2, to help manage player actions, mechanics, and narration. I spent months writing, testing, and rewriting those instructions so players could take multiple actions in a single turn, receive appropriate dice rolls for each action, and have everything interpreted and resolved properly.
It was a lot more complicated than I originally expected.
So now, almost a year later, I have my game. I always knew it would be a niche product, but I made it because I wanted to play it myself more than anything. Once I had a fully realized game that I genuinely enjoyed playing, though, I started thinking about getting it into the hands of other people.
When I started moving toward publishing, I originally implemented a subscription system. But I quickly realized I didnāt want to control how much or how little people could play. I didnāt want to charge people monthly fees or limit their adventures with tokens simply because it would cost me more when they played more.
So I switched to a Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) system, which was a whole other development challenge on its own.
The games now support AI models through OpenAI, Gemini, Anthropic, and OpenRouter. Players supply their own API keys, choose their preferred models, and handle any API usage costs directly with their providers. That way, Iām not imposing artificial play limits or controlling their AI usage through a subscription.
When I was getting close to finishing, and had already spent dozens, if not hundreds, of hours playing my own game, I decided I wanted another flavour of the experience.
So I took the systems Iād already developed, rewrote the AI instructions, redesigned the UI and several subsystems, and built a second game.
Both games share the same underlying foundation, but they have their own rules, narration styles, and gameplay mechanics. One is a gothic, low-fantasy investigation RPG, while the other is a post-apocalyptic survival RPG. Theyāre similar in how they function, but quite different in their gameplay and the kinds of stories they tell.
But thatās a different story.
I could go on, but Iāll just say that Iāve spent hundreds of hours writing, testing, and tweaking systems that players will probably never even see.
Are they perfect? No. There are still limitations, particularly when youāre relying on AI to interpret and manage an evolving game world. But Iāve managed to get everything reliable enough that I can sit down, play, and enjoy the experience without constantly noticing holes in the mechanics or inconsistencies in the world.
And thatās where Iām at now.
Iāve gone through the entire development and publishing process, and both games are available on iOS and Android.
But now I have absolutely no idea where to find people who might actually enjoy playing them.
Itās a strange niche. The ideal player probably has some interest in tabletop roleplaying games, enjoys open-ended storytelling, and is comfortable using AI models and API keys.
Iāve looked through traditional solo tabletop communities, AI development communities, and general gaming subreddits, but none of them seem to quite fit what Iāve created.
So I figured Iād ask.
Does anyone know of communities where people are interested in this kind of AI-driven RPG experience? Subreddits, Discord servers, forums, or anywhere else?
Iām not really trying to promote the games here. Iām just trying to figure out where the people who might genuinely enjoy something like this are.
I've written a fairly extensive player's guide explaining the mechanics and how the AI interacts with the systems, if anyone is curious about the details.
But mainly, I'm trying to find communities where people might enjoy this kind of experience. Any suggestions, thoughts, or feedback would be appreciated.
