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House House confirms AI coding in Big Walk, sparking indie debate

Game developer House House confirmed that under 0.1% of code in Big Walk was written using AI to fix technical issues, igniting an intense debate among indie developers and Independent Games Festival judges.

Screenshot of stylized, colorful bird-like characters outdoors overlooking the sea in the video game Big Walk.
Image: @VGC_News

Game developer House House confirmed that it used artificial intelligence during the final development of Big Walk, revealing that under 0.1% of the game's code was written with AI assistance. According to The Verge, the studio stated it relied on AI sparingly to navigate difficult technical challenges, while Ars Technica reported the tool was deployed to fix a bug.[1][2][4][5][6][8]

The revelation followed an anti-AI statement released by Independent Games Festival (IGF) Award jurors, believed to have stemmed partly from internal jury deliberations surrounding Big Walk. Despite employing the technology, House House said in a statement that it supports "the work of those who are trying to limit the harm generative AI is doing to videogames and our world," Aftermath reported.[3][7]

The disclosure has triggered widespread friction across the independent gaming community. According to Kotaku, the news caused a significant blowup among fans, fellow developers, and awards judges over where to draw the line on generative AI in games, with Ars Technica noting that many IGF judges view any amount of AI coding as unacceptable.[4][5][8]

Key facts

  • House House confirmed it used AI during development of Big Walk, with under 0.1% of the game's code written using AI.
  • The studio said AI was used sparingly to address difficult technical challenges, including fixing a bug.
  • The disclosure followed an anti-AI statement from IGF Award jurors that was believed to be partly prompted by debates over Big Walk.
  • House House issued a statement supporting efforts to limit harm caused by generative AI to videogames and the world.
  • Ars Technica reported that many IGF judges consider any amount of AI coding to be too much.

Sources · 7 sources

  1. TV

    The Verge@vergePost on X ·

    Big Walk’s developers said that they used AI ‘sparingly’ to help work through ‘difficult technical challenges.’ https://t.co/w1mDHMyqTo

    Open source
  2. TE

    Techmeme@TechmemePost on X ·

    Game developer House House confirms using AI during Big Walk's final development, sparking an intense debate among Independent Games Festival judges and jurors (@lukeplunkett / Aftermath) (Visit Techmeme dot com for the link and full context!)

    Open source
  3. VG

    VGC@VGC_NewsPost on X ·

    Big Walk studio House House has confirmed that it used AI during the development of the game. The confirmation follows an anti-AI statement from IGF Award jurors, believed to have been partly written as a result of jury debates about Big Walk's AI use. https://t.co/vj3vJIMnMu https://t.co/fcnQxsHvle

    Open source
  4. FN

    Frank-News@francobocaPost on X ·

    The latest AI News Ars Technica Big Walk used AI to fix a bug. Now the indie gaming world is having a reckoning. Any amount of AI coding is too much for many Indie Game Festival judges. https://t.co/vX3T40bQtx

    Open source
  5. KO

    Kotaku@KotakuPost on X ·

    The reveal that Big Walk used AI for "under 0.1%" of its code has caused a big blowup among fans, developers, and game award judges. Where do people draw the line on genAI in gaming, and how did a 2026 GOTY indie darling become ground zero for the debate? We broke down the messy discussion: https://t.co/DayHRWp2w2

    Open source
  6. KO

    Kotaku@KotakuPost on X ·

    House House confirms 'under 0.1 percent of Big Walk's code' was written using AI following IGF controversy https://t.co/nL2QiT9SLi

    Open source
  7. TE

    TechmemeArticle ·

    Game developer House House confirms using AI during Big Walk's final development, sparking an intense debate among Independent Games Festival judges and jurors (Luke Plunkett/Aftermath) Luke Plunkett / Aftermath : Game developer House House confirms using AI during Big Walk's final development, sparking an intense debate among Independent Games Festival judges and jurors — 'We support the work of those who are trying to limit the harm generative AI is doing to videogames and our world …

    Open source
  8. AT

    Ars Technica@arstechnicaPost on X ·

    Big Walk used AI to fix a bug. Now the indie gaming world is having a reckoning. https://t.co/dUoET0DUNO

    Open source