A new indie game,*Codex Mortis*,is sparking debate after its creator claims the entire project – code,art,music,and animation – was built using artificial intelligence in roughly three months. The game, reminiscent of *Vampire Survivors*, forgoes conventional game engines in favor of AI tools like Claude Code and ChatGPT [[1]]. While AI’s role in game development is expanding, with indie developers increasingly leveraging it for prototyping and asset creation [[1]], *Codex Mortis* represents a particularly ambitious, and controversial, experiment in fully AI-driven game creation. A playable demo is currently available on Steam, fueling discussions about the future of game development and the ethical considerations of AI-generated content [[2]].
A new indie game, Codex Mortis, is generating buzz for a unique reason: its creator claims it was built entirely using artificial intelligence. From code and graphics to music and animations, the entire project was reportedly completed with AI assistance in approximately three months.
The game adopts a similar formula to Vampire Survivors, but the development process is what sets it apart. Notably, no traditional game engines like Unity or Unreal were used. Instead, the developer, known as Grolaf or Crunchfest, utilized TypeScript and common web development tools, guided by AI – primarily Claude Code – throughout the process. Visual assets were generated with ChatGPT, though some animations were ultimately replaced with simpler effects after multiple attempts.
Grolaf initially conceived the project as an experiment to determine if such a feat was even possible. Maintaining a consistent visual style proved to be one of the biggest hurdles, but the creator says the AI was able to “remember” successful elements and apply them consistently. Interestingly, Grolaf found the AI-assisted method to be less taxing than traditional development, describing it as having an “exoesqueleton” to aid in the work.
The game has also drawn some criticism, with some questioning its aesthetic and others voicing concerns about the use of AI in game development, with some players stating they do not want to support such projects. However, others are curious about the implications of AI in game creation, as discussed in Steam community discussions. The debate highlights the growing complexity of integrating AI into creative fields.
While Codex Mortis doesn’t have a firm release date yet, a free demo is currently available on Steam.
Eurogamer first reported on the project.
