Training AI to Solve Puzzles in Little Learning Machines

Little Learning Machines is a puzzle game with a fairly unique premise: rather than solving the puzzles yourself, you train non-player characters called Animos to solve them for you.
It's a game where training NPCs using AI is a mechanic, but it's also a game that tries to teach you how training neural networks with reinforcement learning actually works.

To find out more, I sat down with four members of the development team at Transitional Forms - Nick Counter, Dante Camarena, Pietro Gagliano, and Fiona Firby - to find out more about where it all started, how the game actually works, and the challenges faced in building a game around training AI characters.

Plus catch my bonus conversation with Dante, Nick, and Fiona over on the Branching Factor podcast on @AIandGamesPlus (plus Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more!)
https://youtu.be/pG7-ubbNZFI

Little Learning Machines is available right now on Steam, with a free update coming September 5th:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1993710/Little_Learning_Machines/

Find out more about Little Learning Machines via the links below.
Website: https://www.transforms.ai/little-learning-machines
Learning Companion (PDF): https://www.transforms.ai/learning
GDC Postmortem Talk: https://gdcvault.com/play/1034597/AI-Summit-Little-Learning-Machines

This is a sponsored episode of AI and Games, and we were compensated for our time spent in producing this video and related collateral.

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Chapters
[00:00] Intro
[01:25] About the Game
[05:20] Training AI as a Game Mechanic
[09:00] How Training Works
[16:20] Designing for Learning
[24:16] Closing

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