Did you ever finish "The Wizard of Oz" and feel that you could have handled those pesky flying monkeys or navigated Munchkin politics far better than Dorothy and her crew? With the new AI storytelling platform Hidden Door, you can soon explore the Yellow Brick Road in your own unique way.
What’s Hidden Behind Door Number One?
Hidden Door is both a company and an evolving game. Co-founded in 2020 by Hilary Mason, who serves as CEO, and Matt Brandwein, the mission is to inspire creativity through play with narrative AI. The team is a balanced mix of machine learning engineers and traditional game designers.
The Hidden Door game project aims to replicate the joy of tabletop role-playing games in a digital format, minimizing the friction associated with physical play. "AI is the technology enabling that," Mason shared.
By leveraging advanced language models and procedural generation techniques, Hidden Door crafts engaging RPG campaigns centered around players' favorite intellectual properties (IPs). Recent examples include "The Wizard of Oz," or future adaptations featuring "Star Trek" and classic Agatha Christie mysteries, providing a rich, immersive experience as you navigate beloved tales—assuming the IP owners grant licensing.
Crafting Your Story
Take "The Wizard of Oz," originally penned in 1900 by L. Frank Baum and now in the public domain. Hidden Door transforms this vast literary universe into an interactive realm that players can explore alongside up to three teammates. The game employs unstructured player inputs, which are then mapped into a coherent game state, detailing characters, locations, items, and relationships.
Players start by creating a character sheet, establishing their avatar's stats and backstory. The system integrates this information with player responses to generate a dynamic narrative. Rather than constructing each scenario from scratch, the game uses pre-computed tropes, or "story thread templates," to create a guided but flexible storyline. For example, players might face objectives like uncovering the source of a village curse—a mystery that encourages exploration and interaction.
Prioritizing Safety and Inclusivity
While the potential for chaos exists when chatbots are left unchecked, Hidden Door emphasizes safe play. The system prevents inappropriate input and provides real-time feedback to maintain a welcoming environment for all players. For instance, should a player suggest harmful actions, the AI will redirect with playful or nonsensical alternatives.
Inclusivity is paramount in character creation. Gender pronouns and roles are determined in a way that avoids stereotypical bias, allowing players to define their own identities without machine learning interference.
Explore and Innovate
Starting at a pivotal moment in Oz—right after Dorothy's infamous encounter with the Wicked Witch of the East—players can shape their own adventures in the familiar Land of Oz. Decisions made by players influence the world around them, creating a unique narrative with every choice.
Through Hidden Door, players can fully engage with the universe, whether through political maneuvering in Munchkin village or other fantastical quests, while remaining bound by the game’s safety protocols.
Engaging in Character-Driven Stories
The game's design is rooted in the philosophy of "Chekhov's Armory," where players' previous choices are tracked and woven back into the narrative to maintain continuity. This approach ensures that every decision made has meaningful consequences, avoiding disjointed storytelling.
Advanced AI Framework
Hidden Door utilizes 16 specialized machine learning models rather than a single, monolithic model like conventional chatbots. This sophisticated approach allows for tailored game mechanics and narrative construction, enabling diverse storytelling experiences that can shift from whimsical to more serious tones based on player direction.
A Future of Interactive Creativity
Generative AI raises the potential for accessible storytelling, allowing more people to engage with creative processes in new ways. While current capabilities may not match the brilliance of human imagination, they pave the way for innovative game interactions and narratives.
To experience Hidden Door firsthand, sign up for the waitlist for upcoming test runs and be part of this new era of interactive storytelling.
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