Runes & Robots is an experimental project aimed at transforming how players engage with roleplaying games. It integrates AI into the RPG experience, offering AI-generated quests, character creation, and world-building, all facilitated by an AI bot in Discord.

One of the main challenges is to simplify layers of rules, character choices, and narratives from traditional roleplaying games while maintaining player creativity. Additionally, managing the limitations of LLMs is crucial to ensure high-quality gameplay.

This was the team's first AI project. We invested time in research and brainstorming before moving forward. The design and development process followed a double diamond framework.

Considering the LLM’s capacity, scope, and use case scenarios, we opted for a version that simplifies the traditional D&D mechanics into a streamlined option-based system while allowing for custom input.

The gameplay was designed to be short and accessible, allowing users to play in short sessions. This made mobile the preferred platform, and it also helped overcome the LLM’s context length limitations.

After the first MVP, we established the main visual style and design system. I then began exploring other playstyles, including images, maps, and additional battle components.