We’ve gotten a few questions and comments about our use of “AI” in Endless Machines.
So we figured we’d take a moment to explain a bit more about what we’re actually doing — and why.
One comment on Reddit stuck with us:
"Finally an honest, practical use for an LLM in an indie game."
We were genuinely grateful for that. It kind of nails what we’re trying to do.
When the hero robots in Endless Machines come alive, they don’t arrive pre-programmed with perfect grammar, social rules, or emotionally polished expression. They’re figuring things out as they go. Learning. Stumbling. Copying stuff they don’t fully understand yet. Sometimes what they say is quirky and weird. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense at all.
And occasionally, it’s kind of touching in unexpected ways. That’s the whole point.
This isn’t polished, scripted dialogue. It’s more like watching a robot try to understand the world — and itself — in real time.
How it works (for the curious types)
The same Reddit comment also asked:
"How taxing on the local machine is it? Is it a custom model?"
Short answer: yes, and it was a pain to make it work while not setting the pc running it on fire.
Right now, we’re using eight small, fine-tuned models that we trained to talk like the robots and refer to the game’s lore. It’s a super lightweight setup — it all runs on your machine with no internet connection and no data leaving the game.
Honestly, it only works because the robots aren’t supposed to sound perfect. They’re meant to feel a bit like baby AIs. So when they hallucinate or say something slightly off, it just fits.
What we did to make it work
We took apart an LLM that was originally made for mobile productivity tools and rewired it with our robot heroes at the center. At first, we weren’t even sure we could make a model small enough to fit the game. Over six months, we tuned it with each robot’s personality, a bunch of emotional tones (fear, joy, anger, sadness, glee), and the kinds of situations they might run into during the game. That gave us a huge catalogue of expressions, reactions, and phrases. Everything they say now builds from that.
Why we like it this way
The result is a stream of unscripted, unpredictable dialogue. Sometimes strange. Sometimes funny. Sometimes just nonsense. But also — sometimes — it hits something real.
And that’s exactly what we were hoping for.
Egal, the lone cowboy:
Geweier, sniper and cool cat:
Katame, whimsical, unpredictable wild card:
Velos, three-legged, eccentric mad scientist robot:
We’re happy to have you here
... following along as this game takes shape. Also, if you feel like saying hi or asking anything about the game, you’re very welcome to join our Discord. We’re always happy to chat and answer your questions (to the best of our ability), though sometimes it might take us a little while to get back to you. We’re a small team, but we promise we’ll get there.
Talk soon,
Cindy & Jonas
Disclaimer: Please remember that Endless Machines is still in development. As the game evolves, things that may seem like an integral part of the story right now could change or turn out not to work as we intended. As a result, they might not make it into the final version. This is a natural part of the process. Thank you for your support!