A Genetic Programming Framework for 2D Platform AI

There currently exists a wide range of techniques to model and evolve artificial players for games. Existing techniques range from black box neural networks to entirely hand-designed solutions. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of a genetic programming framework using human controller input to derive meaningful artificial players which can, later on, be optimised by hand. The current state of the art in game character design relies heavily on human designers to manually create and edit scripts and rules for game characters. To address this manual editing bottleneck, current computational intelligence techniques approach the issue with fully autonomous character generators, replacing most of the design process using black box solutions such as neural networks or the like. Our GP approach to this problem creates character controllers which can be further authored and developed by a designer it also offers designers to included their play style without the need to use a programming language. This keeps the designer in the loop while reducing repetitive manual labour. Our system also provides insights into how players express themselves in games and into deriving appropriate models for representing those insights. We present our framework, supporting findings and open challenges.

Exploring Novel Game Spaces with Fluidic Games

With the growing integration of smartphones into our daily lives, and their increased ease of use, mobile games have become highly popular across all demographics. People listen to music, play games or read the news while in transit or bridging gap times. While mobile gaming is gaining popularity, mobile expression of creativity is still in its early stages. We present here a new type of mobile app -- fluidic games -- and illustrate our iterative approach to their design. This new type of app seamlessly integrates exploration of the design space into the actual user experience of playing the game, and aims to enrich the user experience. To better illustrate the game domain and our approach, we discuss one specific fluidic game, which is available as a commercial product. We also briefly discuss open challenges such as player support and how generative techniques can aid the exploration of the game space further.