Jam & Tea Studios Introduces AI-Powered Gaming with "Retail Mage"
Jam & Tea Studios, a new gaming startup, is leveraging generative AI to revolutionize player interactions with non-playable characters (NPCs). Traditional NPCs rely on scripted responses, which can feel repetitive and limit player experiences. With generative AI, however, NPCs can engage in dynamic, open-ended conversations, creating more immersive gameplay.
Founded by industry veterans from Riot Games, Wizards of the Coast, and Magic: The Gathering, Jam & Tea recently announced Retail Mage, their debut game. This AI-driven roleplaying game lets players act as a wizard working at a magical furniture store, with the goal of earning five-star reviews—or causing chaos. Players can freely interact with AI-driven NPC customers, making each experience unique.
Interactive NPCs and Gameplay
In Retail Mage, customers present varied requests, and players can respond by typing into a text generator. For instance, players might ask the AI to "say something charming," and the system will generate multiple dialogue options. This flexibility allows for creative and unexpected interactions, such as playing games with NPCs during playtesting.
The game uses generative AI to enable spontaneous behavior, like NPCs initiating a game of hide and seek without prior programming. Such emergent gameplay is achieved through advanced large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI, Google’s Gemma, Meta’s Llama, and others. While the final LLM for the game is undecided, the team is fine-tuning models to ensure responses stay in character.
Expanding Creative Freedom
Beyond dialogue, the AI engine supports player creativity by allowing interactions with in-game objects and generating items on demand. For example, players can "create" unique items, such as an antelope-shaped plush, though some objects may appear as placeholders rather than detailed visuals. Artists work alongside AI tools to ensure the game world remains visually consistent while fostering player imagination.
Importantly, the game’s 2D and 3D assets are crafted by real artists, not generated by AI. This approach ensures a human touch in the game's design.
Limitations and Guardrails
Despite its innovative potential, AI-driven NPCs come with challenges, such as unpredictable or inaccurate behavior. To address this, Jam & Tea is continuously refining its AI and incorporating player feedback to improve NPC interactions. The game also features safeguards to prevent inappropriate content.
Looking Ahead
Retail Mage serves as a proof of concept for Jam & Tea's AI-driven approach. The company is also developing a more ambitious project, “Project Emily,” which promises richer environments and deeper narratives.
Although the team of eight is small compared to industry giants, Jam & Tea has secured $3.15 million in seed funding and plans another fundraising round later this year. The studio will release Retail Mage on PC this fall, priced at $15 with optional expansion packs, and aims to expand to cross-platform play in the future.
By embracing AI thoughtfully, Jam & Tea aims to push the boundaries of interactive storytelling while maintaining a balance that protects and elevates human creativity in game development.