AI Dungeon maker Latitude unveils Voyage, a platform for creating AI-powered RPGs

Source: TechCrunch

Overview

If you’ve ever played a role‑playing game (RPG), you know how fun it is to create your character in any way you choose and embark on epic adventures. Now, picture an AI‑powered, text‑based RPG where every interaction with a non‑player character (NPC) is completely unscripted.

Latitude, the startup known for its open‑ended text adventure games featuring “infinite storylines” generated by AI, recently unveiled its new platform that allows users to step into the role of game designers.

Voyage Platform

Voyage (beta at https://beta.voyage.io/) enables players to design their own gaming worlds with the help of AI. Users can describe settings—including regions, cities, landmarks, main quests, and villains—and establish game mechanics such as abilities, leveling systems, and combat challenges.

Example: Want to create a fishing village haunted by a sea monster? The AI generates the necessary code, which you can further customize before sharing the world with others.

Image Credits: Latitude

Player Experience

• Genre flexibility – From cozy adventures to hardcore quests.
• Text‑based gameplay – Players read the story (audio narration is available) and type actions for their character.
• Open‑ended choices – Instead of preset options like “run, fight, hide,” players can become a “goblin therapist” or suggest any creative action.
• AI‑driven narration – The AI describes outcomes and NPC responses, often leading to surprising or humorous conversations (e.g., a troll discussing his marriage troubles).
• Character progression – Skills, luck, and dice‑like mechanics determine growth; special abilities unlock after defeating bosses or completing quests (e.g., “Counterspell”).
• Help system – A chatbot can suggest actions or skip to different story parts when players get stuck.

World Engine

At the core of Voyage is Latitude’s World Engine, a system developed over five years. It leverages multiple AI models to:

• Narrate actions
• Manage gameplay mechanics
• Track characters, objects, and relationships
• Preserve continuity across sessions

This results in NPCs that remember past interactions. For instance, betraying a character’s trust may turn them into a rival later on.

“Characters aren’t just reactions to you, but have their own personality backstory, that react to you in ways that feel like real, and that’s really part of the magic of the engine,” said Latitude CEO and co‑founder Nick Walton to TechCrunch.

Image Credits: Latitude

History & Background

Latitude first made waves in AI‑native gaming with the launch of AI Dungeon in 2019 (see the original announcement https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/04/latitude-seed-funding/), which attracted millions of players.

“It exploded on the internet as one of the first times people interacted with generative AI,” Walton explained. “Voyage takes that core concept and blows it up 10× farther… with deterministic systems, challenges, progression, and persistence.”

Beta Testing, Partnerships & Investors

• Beta – Voyage is in expanded beta testing, with an open beta slated for later this year. Early testers have interacted with over 160,000 unique AI‑generated characters and made nearly 3,000 gameplay choices on average.
• Partnership – Latitude announced a partnership with Google’s AI Futures Fund. The platform combines its proprietary models with third‑party models such as Google’s Gemini Flash (image generation) and Gemma (text, audio, video).
• Key personnel – Former Roblox Chief Business Officer Craig Donato joined as an investor and board member.
• Investors – Album VC, Griffin Gaming Partners, Midjourney, and NFX are among the notable backers.

Image Credits: Latitude

Pricing & Safety

Voyage is free to play, with upcoming subscription plans at $15, $30, and $50. Paid tiers will unlock advanced AI features and remove limits on the number of actions per session.

The platform is suitable for all ages, though some experiences contain mature content comparable to titles on Steam. Voyage implements safety measures and parental controls to help users filter out inappropriate material.