Big Walk AI Controversy Is a GOTY Awards Twist Sparking a Bigger Debate

House House disclosed that it used generative AI tools during development of Big Walk, prompting 19 Independent Game Festival jurors to say they would not vote for any game made with generative AI, including for coding. The dispute has put the well-reviewed game’s awards prospects under scrutiny and sharpened a broader debate about AI’s place in game development.

House House said well under 0.1% of Big Walk’s code involved AI tools, which it used to work through technical challenges and bugs. The studio said it used a large language model to produce a starting point that developers then modified, citing about 10 lines of code used to address a lighting issue. Jurors cited concerns about AI’s effects on jobs, the economy, the environment and information, while some players objected to the lack of disclosure at release; Steam’s disclosure rules do not cover AI used for code or chatbots.