Non-Believable Agents: Representation, Play, and AI in Ape Out

Abstract

This chapter examines the relationship between "simple" game AI and creative expression in game design. In the first part, it briefly outlines game AI and the concept of the believable agent in AI programming, emphasizing the contextual complexity of game AI. Then, departing from the key concepts of randomness and emergence, it argues that AI can be viewed as part of video games' evolution toward a greater capacity to incorporate player agency. The second part offers an analysis of the independent game Ape Out. After profiling the game, the behavior of non-player characters (NPCs) and procedural content generation are analyzed individually. Finally, the chapter presents an interpretation of the game through three distinct player attitudes, highlighting the dynamic interactions between the game's AI systems and other components in the process of complex meaning-making. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.