A developer who used AI-generated assets in the roguelike card game they released on Steam in June 2025 says they'll remove the game from sale at the end of the month after their girlfriend made them realize "AI is bad".
In a January 10 Steam post, developer Rakuel confirms that free-to-play roguelike Hardest will "be deleted" on January 30.
The game's Steam page has the following AI-generated content disclosure: "AI-generated assets."
"I made this game during the summer in [a] couple months and thought to use AI because in university there is so much brainwashing on students and all the tools are given for free, so I could generate unlimited images for free and so," Rakuel says.
"But I have realized the AI is not actually free, and it has a major effect on the economy and environment," they continue. "Some AI companies can use this game just existing as a reason [to] get more investment for their AI companies, that benefit no one, but rather suck resources from the economy from hard working people.
"I coded everything myself, so I can in the future make a new game with real assets if I feel like it, but the game existing in its current form is a disgrace to all game makers and players. Ethically only logical reason is to delete the game from Steam," Rakuel concludes.
This decision, and this updated stance on AI, was apparently sparked by "the girl I've been dating for a month," says Rakuel, as she "made me realize" the real and potential hazards of AI.
Hardest has earned 31 mixed (54% positive) reviews on Steam since launch. It's described by Rakuel as a "rock-paper-scissors" card game roguelike where you "stop time, summon tsunamis, shoot with bubble guns, feed cards to mimic, collect rare negative cards!" It was always positioned as a learning exercise of sorts, with Rakuel promoting the public GitHub code repository in the Steam description, and apparently ended up being a personal lesson in AI.
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