While many game studios prefer to quietly use or completely avoid generative AI, a small development team has taken the opposite approach. The developers of the “bullet hell” game Codex Mortis claim the game is entirely built with AI. There are no hand-drawn artwork, no hand-written code, and no traditional music production. A free Steam demo has been released for anyone curious to try.

Codex Mortis attracts attention with its AI

According to the description on the Steam page, “all code in the game is AI vibe code; so are the artwork, sounds, music, and text.” This is a rare case where a developer is not only open to the use of AI but also makes it a key selling point for the game. The character faces shown in the trailer are even revealed to be AI-edited selfies of the development team members superimposed onto undead mage bodies.

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The gameplay is quite familiar with its necromancy theme. The full game is expected to support both single-player and co-op modes.

Early impressions of the game are intriguing but mixed. The actual in-game visuals look a bit raw compared to the brighter YouTube trailer, and some players note the UI is clumsy when used with a controller. However, the basic cycle—combining spells, dodging incoming attacks, and summoning minions—works well enough. This shows that a completely machine-generated game can at least work and be played.

Whether it’s fun is another matter entirely. The studio seems aware of this and, hoping to attract attention rather than backlash, is relying heavily on the “100% AI-Made” aspect. While some players treat the game as an experimental art project, others see it as another example of AI infiltrating game development to replace human artists.

Codex Mortis doesn’t shy away from this debate. With a planned low price tag for the final release, the team is confident that curiosity and affordability will convince people.