Reality is a Game

Game thinking from Adam Clare

Maple Resistance: AI Trump Annexes Canada

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

I built a prototype of a game that explores the takes on of the “bugs” of AI and turns it into a feature. That bug is, of course, hallucinations. The way generative AI works requires hallucinations to function but to the end user the hallucinations can come across as a bug. Hallucinations are what causes the “false truths” and made up facts that generative AI spits out. I started to wonder  if there’s a way to make a game in which the hallucinations are beneficial to the play experience.

I want to create more games about policy and possible futures. In the same vain that the military uses war-games to train we ought to use policy-games to train our politicians and bureaucrats. A game gives us a space to experiment what works and doesn’t without actually causing harm to the real world.

With my AI thinking and interest in policy games I decided to make a game set in the year 2025 in which Donald Trump has won the 2024 election. Since Trump makes up facts and losses track of what’s being discussed he and a simple hallucinating AI could be indistinguishable from one another. The” bug” has become the feature.

The player’s goal is to prevent Trump from annexing Canada, so in Maple Resistance you negotiate with an AI Trump while trying to make political choices to protect Canadian sovereignty.

I also integrated a local LLM in the game; read on for why I made this game and what I learned.

It’s worth noting I started working on Maple Resistance at TOJam back in May and since then the world of both AI and politics has evolved (I was originally going to post this on July 15).

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.


Maple Resistance: navigating annexation through gameplay

In 2025, the unthinkable happens: Donald Trump, re-elected as President of the United States, declares Canada to be part of the USA, following his successful annexation of Puerto Rico. But this time, there’s no military intervention—just a bold proclamation. This audacious scenario sets the stage for “Maple Resistance,” a text and card-based game that explores the intricate dance of diplomacy, identity, and resistance.

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

Designing dystopia

As a game designer, I like to experiment with new technologies and mechanics. One of my primary goals with Maple Resistance was to experiment with local Large Language Models (LLMs) and Unity to create a narrative experience driven by dynamic, AI-generated dialogue. This worked out. The local LLM worked better than I thought, and given that the LLM I was using is from earlier this year I’m sure that the newer ones are even better. For those that are curious I used Mistral 7B.

AI generated image with the prompt "What Canada would like if the United States of America annexed Canada in the year 2025"

AI generated image with the prompt “What Canada would like if the United States of America annexed Canada in the year 2025”

Card collecting mechanic for conversations

Another experiment was the card-collection mechanic tied to player interactions with NPCs. The idea was simple: engage in conversations, gather information, and earn cards that can be strategically played. While this mechanic had mixed results in its execution, it showed promise. In the “Maple Resistance” prototype, players can collect these cards, though the system is not complete and far short of what I originally envisioned. An interconnected inventory system remains an elusive goal; however, the process has sparked numerous ideas for future iterations.

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

Futurism and the polycrisis

Set against the backdrop of a polycrisis—a convergence of multiple, interconnected crises—the game explores themes of nationalism, sovereignty, and the fragility of political systems. “Maple Resistance” is a speculative narrative that resonates with current global uncertainties, from geopolitical tensions to technological disruptions. It invites players to ponder the future of nations and the delicate balance of power, all within the framework of an engaging, strategic gameplay experience.

All the cards and dialogue (expect for the AI generated ones) are based on real world instances or statements made in the last few years. The infamous Project 2025 was an influence when I started this back in the spring.

AI generated image with the prompt "A cartoon version of Canadians holding back Americans from entering Canada"

AI generated image with the prompt “A cartoon version of Canadians holding back Americans from entering Canada”

There’s always more

Working on “Maple Resistance” has been a journey of discovery. The integration of LLMs in Unity was a technical success, although the tech I used is already outdated. The card-collection mechanic, while not perfect, offers a compelling layer of strategy and immersion. These experiences have laid the groundwork for future projects that will refine and expand these concepts, ultimately aiming to create richer, more complex game worlds.

I hop that as we navigate an increasingly uncertain future, games like “Maple Resistance” serve as both entertainment and reflection, offering a space to explore the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead. Through games we can create experiences that not only entertain but also provoke thought and inspire dialogue about the world we live in and the futures we can imagine.

Let’s make more policy games!

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

Screenshot of the game Maple Resistance showing dialogue spoken by a fictional Donald Trump with text generated by a local LLM.

 

Play now

Maple Resistance is available to download from Itch.io.

 

 

A bonus image that makes little sense for those of you that read all the way to the end:

AI generated image with the prompt "A cartoon version of America invading Canada in the near future"

AI generated image with the prompt “A cartoon version of America invading Canada in the near future”

Compare Your Morals in Dr. Trolley’s Problem

Stats displayed in the trolley problem game

 

Over at Wero we just launched a BIG update to our trolley problem game: Dr. Trolley’s Problem!

You can now compare what you think is the “correct” decision to thousands of other players. Are they wrong? Are you wrong? You can now see stats on decisions you make in-game. We want to know which ones players agreed on and which ones generated differences in opinion.

We also added more problems for you to address! 20 new dilemmas which will get you thinking what should I do? More moral problems! We’ve added more scenarios where you have to make tough choices about what’s right and what’s wrong, so that we can keep expanding on this aspect of gameplay and give you more difficult decisions to make.

This is something I wanted in the game since it was pushed out the door back in 2019, yes the game is that old and we still updated it.

Developer Commentary

Games from Ontario Steam promotional image of trolley problem game

This update to the trolley problem game is timed with Games From Ontario Steam Sale. There are over  TK games and companies participating- check them all out!

As part of the promotion of Ontario made games I’ll be streaming Dr. Trolley’s Problem while providing commentary. Joining me on the first stream will be the programmer who built the stats system. 

Tune into our Steam broadcast to hear about the making of the game and the real world situations that influenced the trolley problems in the game!

 We’ll be live on Steam at the times below to play Dr. Trolley’s Problem. Follow Wero on Twitter for a reminder.

September 7th at 5pm EST

September 12th at 3pm EST

Honestly, just check Steam everyday from the 7th to the 14th to check out some great games made in Ontario. There’ll be deals and streams all week!

I’ll be hosting two bonus streams about another game Sept. 12 5pm and 13th at 4pm (more on that later).

Data Collection Privacy

We also care about privacy, so we had to build our own custom system to track all the trolley problems. 

We’re committed to making sure that our trolley problem game is as safe and secure as possible—we don’t track or store any personal information about our users. Only you see your decisions and how you compare to others. When you make a decision it’s recorded anonymously without any data attached to you.

If you’re interested in this we’ll talk about it on the first stream.


Play the Trolley Problem Now!

 

 

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