Slay the Spire 2 Developers Choose Hand-Drawn Placeholder Art Over Generative AI
Mega Crit, the developer behind *Slay the Spire 2*, has intentionally opted for "Microsoft Paint-style" placeholder art for its early access title, shunning the use of generative AI. Co-founder Casey Yano explained that this approach helps manage player expectations during the game's extended early access period and preserves artistic intentionality. The studio also aims to foster a connection with players and showcase the unique personality of the development team through these crude, human-made assets.
Mega Crit, the studio developing *Slay the Spire 2*, has made a deliberate decision to use hand-drawn, "Microsoft Paint-style" placeholder art for its early access release, rather than employing generative AI.
Casey Yano, co-founder of Mega Crit, indicated that this choice serves multiple purposes. A primary reason is to manage player expectations for an early access title, ensuring that users understand the game is a work in progress and not a final 1.0 version. Yano stated that clearly incomplete art helps prevent players from judging the game as fully developed.
*Slay the Spire 2*, a deckbuilder roguelike, launched in early access and is expected to remain in this phase for one to two years. Player feedback is considered vital for balancing the game and refining experimental features. The placeholder art also needs to convey information legibly to players and other developers, preventing confusion within the game’s content.
Yano expressed a strong stance against generative AI, emphasizing that it removes "authorial intent" and lacks the intentionality inherent in the artistic process. He also noted a distinct aesthetic in AI-generated art—described as dense and colorful—that he believes doesn't align with the game's style and appears "lazy." As an independent studio, Mega Crit stated it does not face external pressure to adopt AI technologies for investment purposes, allowing them to prioritize what they believe is best for their games and audience.
While against generative AI for art, Yano confirmed that Mega Crit developers use other forms of AI, such as for code reviews or as a thesaurus, recognizing their usefulness for definable objectives. The studio also plans to allow players to use original game assets after early access and intends to hold a community contest for "janky" monster art, though there are concerns about potential generative AI submissions.
According to GameSpot, Yano also highlighted that the crude, handmade art adds a sense of levity and tells a story of the game's evolution and the team's development journey.
