In a surprising turn of events, a developer who incorporated AI-generated assets into their roguelike card game, Hardest, released on Steam in June 2025, has announced plans to remove the game from sale by the end of the month. In a January 10 post on Steam, developer Rakuel declared their decision to “delete” Hardest, effective January 30, stating bluntly that “AI is bad.”
The game’s Steam page includes a disclosure about its use of “AI-generated assets.”
“I created this game during the summer in a couple of months, thinking using AI would be a clever choice, especially since in university, we’re bombarded with ideas like ‘you can generate unlimited images for free,'” Rakuel shared. “However, I’ve come to realize that AI isn’t really free and carries significant implications for both the economy and the environment.”
Rakuel expressed concerns that some AI companies might leverage the existence of games like Hardest to attract investment, ultimately harming those who contribute real value to the economy. “I coded everything myself, so I can always create a new game with traditional assets if I choose to,” they noted. “But in its current state, this game feels like a disgrace to all game makers and players. The only ethical decision is to remove it from Steam.”
The shift in perspective seems to have been prompted by a personal connection, as Rakuel mentioned they were influenced by “the girl I’ve been dating for a month,” who helped bring to light the tangible risks associated with AI.
Since its launch, Hardest has received 31 mixed reviews on Steam, with a rating of 54% positive. Described by Rakuel as a “rock-paper-scissors” style card game roguelike, players can “stop time, summon tsunamis, shoot with bubble guns, and feed cards to mimic, all while collecting rare negative cards!” The game was originally intended as a learning project, with Rakuel promoting the public GitHub repository in the Steam description. In the end, it became more of a personal education on the implications of AI usage in gaming.
This controversial decision aligns with a growing sentiment in the gaming community, where some publishers, like Hooded Horse, are taking a firm stance against AI-generated art, labeling it “cancerous.”