Key points
- IGF jurors stated they will not vote for games using generative AI in any capacity.
- House House reported using LLMs for under 0.1% of Big Walk's code to help with technical challenges.
- The studio disclosed this usage in its IGF submission but not on its Steam page.
House House stated it used large language models to help work through difficult technical challenges during the final stretch of Big Walk development, according to a statement published by the studio.reported
What was released or claimed
The developer reported that snippets from LLM responses were copied as starting points and then modified into game code, estimating that well under 0.1% of the total codebase involved this usage.reported House House clarified that generative AI was not used in any other context during the game's creation.
Who it affects
Several Independent Games Festival jurors, including Sam Barlow and Lena Raine, published a statement saying they would not vote for entries using generative AI in any capacity. The statement noted intense disagreement among jurors regarding the increasing presence of AI-developed games.
What is still unknown
It remains unclear how many other IGF entries used generative AI tools, as the jurors noted a significant increase in such games this year without providing specific counts or a list of affected titles.
What changes, what does not
House House disclosed its AI usage in its IGF submission, but the studio has not updated its Steam page because the platform does not request disclosure of code or chatbot usage, according to the developer's statement.reported
Methods and limits
The studio used LLMs to research issues encountered with third-party code, such as shadow rendering problems, after researching the problem extensively and speaking to a Unity engineer. The reported result is that LLM-suggested code served as a starting point for modification, accounting for less than 0.1% of the project.reported The stated limitation is that this usage was restricted to the final development phase and did not extend to other aspects of game creation.
Why it matters
- Platform disclosure requirements may lag behind development practices, as Steam does not request AI usage data.
- Industry awards criteria are fragmenting, with some jurors rejecting any generative AI use regardless of scale.
- Developers face professional risk when adopting AI tools, as jurors cited concern about signing public statements.
- Minimal AI usage can still trigger significant community debate and organizational disagreement.
Topics: generative AI, game development, LLMs, IGF, disclosure
Updated
Then / now / next
IGF jurors faced increasing numbers of games developed with generative AI tools this year.
Some jurors have publicly stated they will not vote for any games using generative AI in any capacity.
Watch for further statements from House House or IGF regarding the impact of these disclosures on voting.
Story timeline
- Then IGF jurors faced increasing numbers of games developed with generative AI tools this year.
- 10 Nov 2026 The indie game community is in disarray over AI and Big Walk
- Now Some jurors have publicly stated they will not vote for any games using generative AI in any capacity.
- Next Watch for further statements from House House or IGF regarding the impact of these disclosures on voting.
The strongest doubt
Counterpoint from the sources
Some jurors expressed concern about signing the anti-AI statement due to fear of professional blowback, indicating internal disagreement.
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Your choice stays on this device. No public tally.Terms in this story
LLM
Large language model, an AI system capable of generating text and code snippets.
IGF
Independent Games Festival, an annual competition for indie video games.
Generative AI
Artificial intelligence that creates new content, such as code or images, rather than just analyzing data.
Questions readers ask
Did House House use AI for all of Big Walk?
No, the developer stated that generative AI was used in well under 0.1% of the code and only for technical challenges.
Why didn't House House disclose AI use on Steam?
The studio said Steam does not request disclosure of code or chatbot usage, so they did not add it to the page.
Do all IGF jurors reject AI games?
No, the statement was signed by some jurors and explicitly noted it does not speak for all IGF jury members or the organization.
Connected stories
Reading receipt
- IGF jurors stated they will not vote for games using generative AI in any capacity.
- House House reported using LLMs for under 0.1% of Big Walk's code to help with technical challenges.
- The studio disclosed this usage in its IGF submission but not on its Steam page.
Still open: How will the IGF organization officially respond to the jurors' statement?
Still open: Will other studios follow House House's disclosure model for AI usage in awards?