Watchman Privacy – "Lone Wolf: Make Your Own Video Game with AI"

Host: Gabriel Custodiet
Guest: Urban
Date: April 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode introduces "Lone Wolf," a newly released video course on making your own video game with AI, now available on EscapeTheTechnocracy.com. Host Gabriel Custodiet and guest Urban dive deep into the evolving landscape of solo game development, focusing on how AI can empower individuals to create fully realized video games—even without a large team. They explore practical AI techniques, the philosophical shift in accessibility, and how their approach differs from superficial online tutorials.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background & Credentials

• Urban’s Experience:

  • Longstanding work in both cybersecurity and game development.
  • Experience ranges from custom, solo-built games to complex professional Unity and Unreal projects.
  • Enthusiast since childhood: “For a long time it required a team… Now with AI what we want to show in this course… is using AI as an assistant to help you design your own game.” (B, 01:53)

• Evolution of Accessibility:

  • In the past, a solo developer needed vast knowledge and resources; now, AI bridges that gap significantly.

2. The AI Game Development Revolution

• When Did It Click for Urban?

  • The turning point was early experimentation with ChatGPT:
    “One of the thing I tried was hey, let's make this emulate a Linux console… And then like immediately I realized that it's able to do it… This can be used for all sorts of things out of the box.” (B, 03:10)
  • Inspired by projects simulating fake digital worlds and dynamic content creation.

• AI Tools Mentioned:

  • ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney (for art), and Godot (as the primary game engine).
  • Emphasis on AI as an "assistant" that empowers agility and experimentation.

3. What Makes ‘Lone Wolf’ Different from YouTube Tutorials?

• Depth & Completeness:

  • Focuses on "boring but essential" features often skipped online, such as:
    • Inventory systems
    • Save/load feature
    • In-game economies (e.g., buying and selling mechanics)
  • Quote: “Most tutorials on YouTube… forget things like… you need to be able to buy and sell items in virtually every video game… how do you restore a game…? This doesn’t make for a good video on YouTube… In our process, you will not only see how AI was used to speed up development, but also… how to save… and restore it.” (B, 06:49)

• Transparent, Community-Centric Model:

  • Full access to source code and assets—learners can directly download and run the evolving game.
    • “Any update that we do to this project, we provide it to you free of charge… You are going to be able to follow the development of this game and… download it and run it on your own computer.” (B, 08:50)
  • Unlike commercial or ad-driven tutorials—no sponsorships or restrictions.

4. Who Is This Course For?

• Not for Absolute Beginners:

  • “Our product is not for everyone. This is a serious course for people who want to learn the basics on how to make video games.” (B, 06:11)
  • Not tailored for those with zero coding or design background, but accessible to those curious, analytical, and willing to experiment.

• Ideal Audiences:

  • Aspiring solo programmers/game designers.
  • Modders interested in integrating AI with existing games.
  • Visual tinkerers and AI-curious developers.

• Urban’s Advice:

  • “If programming is not your thing… maybe it’s not for you right now… But if you want a no bullshit thing and you want to satisfy this curiosity to see like a professional making a game, then… buy it and move along with us.” (B, 11:45)

Course & Game Preview: The ‘Lone Wolf’ Project (with Live Demo)

5. Game Concept & Mechanics

• Premise:

  • A space trading-style game, but with a post-apocalyptic twist: you're managing a train rather than a spaceship.
  • Turn-based encounters, simple inventory/economy, visually driven with AI-generated art.

• Design Philosophy:

  • Start simple: “If you keep your game simple, really, tools like Gemini, ChatGPT and others will be totally able to answer your questions…” (B, 04:52)
  • Emphasizes reusability—skills and code learned are applicable to many genres.

6. Changing Visual Style with AI (Hands-On Walkthrough, 12:40–35:00)

• Switching from Realistic to Comic Book Style:

  • Urban demonstrates replacing assets using Midjourney prompts.
  • Example prompt: “comic book style of a vintage military computer console inside the train. Orthogonal front view.”
  • Iterative selection—choosing, editing, and compositing AI-generated images.

• Art Integration Process:

  • Rapid prototyping in GIMP for window cutouts/transparency.
  • Practical tips: use PNG for lossless quality and transparency.
  • On iterative design:
    “Don’t be perfectionist yet… when we are two week and the game is finished… then you have time to think about those things.” (B, ~23:00)
  • Real-world considerations: what players actually notice versus what’s worth obsessing over.

7. Benefits of AI in Game Development

• Speed and Flexibility:

  • "Imagine if you had to paint all of this by hand. That would have taken hours and hours and hours. And we have this ready by… in a few minutes. So that's a tremendous improvement in efficiency." (B, ~34:30)

• Endless Possibilities:

  • Easy experimentation with styles, mechanics, UI.
  • AI as both assistant and creative collaborator.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the democratization of game development:
  • “Now suddenly I have an assistant that I can ask any question I want… If you keep things simple, really, tools like Gemini, ChatGPT and others will be totally able to answer your questions without much issues.” (B, 04:37)
• On the difference from online tutorials:
  • “We are fully working for you… Your tutorials and your course should be made by people who care about you and not who try to sell you sponsorship or things of that nature.” (B, 10:27)
• Philosophy of practicality:
  • “The human eye can basically notice around seven different objects per second… usually they won’t notice all the mistakes… don’t hesitate to sometimes do like some quick job.” (B, ~22:30)
• Efficiency with AI:
  • “In 30 minutes we have changed completely the style of this image… All of this was done very, very quickly… imagine if you had to paint all of this by hand.” (B, 34:06)
• Logic for turn-based encounters:
  • “The reason why I choose turn by turn battles for this game is very simple. It’s a cost effective way to have battles.” (B, 19:46)
• Advice for the curious:
  • “If it’s something that excites you, go ahead and get it, especially while it’s cheap.” (B, 12:30)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 00:39 | Urban's credentials and history | | 03:03 | Early AI experiments and “the click” moment | | 06:11 | What makes their course different from others | | 08:50 | Transparency: full access to code & constant updates| | 11:45 | Is it for complete beginners? Urban's honest answer| | 12:40 | Hands-on demo: changing the game’s art with AI | | ~22:30 | Guiding philosophy: focus on player perception | | 34:06 | Efficiency & power of AI in development |

Tone & Style

The episode is conversational and pragmatic, marked by Urban’s deep expertise and Gabriel’s curiosity as a non-expert. Urban provides candid, no-nonsense guidance, balancing technical how-tos with encouragement and warnings for those considering the solo development path in the AI age.

Conclusion

Lone Wolf is positioned as a deep-dive, “no bullshit” course designed for those who are genuinely curious and willing to engage hands-on with AI-assisted game development. The hosts stress the value of process, iteration, and a willingness to learn from real professionals—without the noise and hidden motives of most online tutorials. The episode features actionable advice, live walkthroughs, and a motivational vision for anyone looking to create their own video game in a new era of individual empowerment.