AI Invades Steam: Is Your Favorite Indie Game Secretly Powered by Robots?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
A new report says generative AI is more common in Steam games than you might think, especially among indie devs. While the report's findings aren't scary, it opens up a conversation about where AI fits within gaming experiences.
Right, so a new report from Totally Human Media dropped, and it turns out generative AI is sneaking its way into more Steam games than you might reckon. According to *Game Rant*, they're saying that a surprisingly large chunk – nearly 20% – of games released on Steam in 2025 disclosed using generative AI. That's a bloody huge jump from just a year ago.
Now, before you start picturing Skynet taking over your favorite indie platformer, let's put this in perspective. Valve started requiring developers to fess up about using AI in their games back in January 2024, which is fair enough. Transparency is good, right? This report basically crunches those disclosures, and the numbers are… well, they're certainly numbers.
It seems most of this AI action is happening in the visual arts department. We're talking 2D/3D models, textures, backgrounds – the kind of stuff that can take ages for a solo dev to crank out. Makes sense, doesn't it? A little AI assistance can be a lifesaver for smaller teams. Other uses include audio, text, marketing (naturally), and even a bit of code generation. Spooky!
*Game Rant* highlights *My Summer Car* as a surprising example. It's a pretty popular game (2.5 million units sold, apparently), and the only AI used was for generating paintings inside the main house. The fact that it's still well-loved despite the AI disclosure suggests players might be getting more chill about minor AI usage. Or maybe they just really like building virtual cars, I dunno.
On the other hand, there's *InZOI*, which actually *uses* generative AI in the game itself, letting players whip up custom textures and outfits. That’s a bit more involved, innit? If players are screaming for more character customization (and they usually are!), slapping in an AI feature to handle it is a pretty smart move.
But what does all this *mean*? Are we all doomed to play games slathered in soulless AI art? Nah, I don't reckon so. It looks like it's mostly helping out indie devs who are already stretched thin. And let's be honest, if a bit of AI helps a talented creator bring their vision to life, that's a win for everyone. The real question is how *cleverly* it's used. A well-placed AI-generated texture might go unnoticed. A clunky AI-generated character model? That's gonna stick out like a sore thumb. So, the future is still unwritten, and it looks like it is a matter of when to use it more than if.
Tags: AI, Steam, Indie Games, Game Development, Generative AI
Original article: Game Rant