Explosion of games with genAI on Steam. This is just the tip of the iceberg
Already, nearly 8,000 games on Steam have openly used generative AI, from creating descriptions in promotional materials to almost all content.
Around 8,000 games on Steam are supposed to have elements generated by artificial intelligence.
The issue of "creative" AI (GenAI) continually arouses emotions. While some publishers and developers see great potential in these technologies, players are reluctant to even consider the slightest use of such algorithms in video games or in various materials produced by gaming companies. There are also concerns among devs about the possibility of being replaced by artificial intelligence, apparently not unfounded.
As a result, internet users everywhere are looking for the use of generative AI - sometimes forcibly, sometimes rightly. On Steam, they don't have to look far to find games "made" by artificial intelligence.
GenAI in almost 8,000 games
A year ago, Ichiro Lambe, the head of Totally Human Media, conducted an investigation: how many games openly use generative artificial intelligence since the release of the first such project in 2022? As it turned out, about a thousand, which is roughly 1.1% of the entire Steam library, which slightly surprised the journalist. These were mainly "small" titles, but the list also included The Finals and Tribes 3: Rivals.
Over a year later, Lambe decided to return to the subject. It turns out that in the past year, the number of games openly using "creative" AI has increased to over 7,800. That's about 7% of the entire Steam catalog, which consists of more than 114,000 titles. Moreover, according to Lambe, almost 20% of games released in 2025 contain elements generated by artificial intelligence.
Non-equal AI
It's necessary to pay attention to two facts in this regard. On the one hand, the work of a "creative" AI doesn't necessarily mean generating elements of audiovisual design or even lines of code. AI could just as well write a short game description in promotional materials. It's also noticeable that developers who admit to using AI emphasize that it's just a tool, not a "creator." Real people still stand behind it.
On the other hand, Lambe only considered titles whose developers admitted to using generative artificial intelligence. At the beginning of 2024, Valve updated the Steam rules regarding AI games, but for now, publishers aren't obliged to provide any information on this subject. For instance, The Alters used generative AI for temporary translations ("temporary" because they disappeared from the game in the new update).
In other words, when the journalist said "almost 8 thousand," it's actually the minimum number of games "co-created" by artificial intelligence, but the actual use of "creative" AI might be very limited. Among the biggest titles with such developer declarations are My Summer Car, Liar’s Bar, and InZOI.
Such a sudden increase shouldn't come as a surprise. Before generative AI hit Steam, there were plenty of low-budget games using pre-made graphics, and their creativity was questionable. Although not every title heavily utilizes AI, it has definitely been a blessing for less creative AI developers.
Also, it's not like relying on "creative" AI is something devs should be ashamed of, as proven by AI Roguelite. Out of 456 game reviews on Steam, 82% are positive.
- inZOI creators have fixed two mysterious problems
- Free add-on and a giant update are changing inZOI beyond recognition. A slew of new mechanics have been added to the game
- inZOI is not simply „The Sims clone.” Life sim devs prove they’re listening to players by restoring a feature that „adds humor and realism”
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Author: Jacob Blazewicz
Graduated with a master's degree in Polish Studies from the University of Warsaw with a thesis dedicated to this very subject. Started his adventure with gamepressure.com in 2015, writing in the Newsroom and later also in the film and technology sections (also contributed to the Encyclopedia). Interested in video games (and not only video games) for years. He began with platform games and, to this day, remains a big fan of them (including Metroidvania). Also shows interest in card games (including paper), fighting games, soulslikes, and basically everything about games as such. Marvels at pixelated characters from games dating back to the time of the Game Boy (if not older).
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