Thread by @KenneyNL

A thread on how to recognize and avoid AI #gameassets! Using these game assets is not allowed when releasing a game on Steam, but might also lead to other legal issues as it's hard to determine who owns the rights. How to recognize them; 🧵

Generating assets using AI takes no effort, so these packs will often include hundreds or even thousands of similar assets. They can't judge what is good art, so they'll just include everything that gets generated

Take a look at any other game assets published by the same user. Often their art styles won't match. You'll often find wildly different styles, even in a single package!

AI users are often in it for the money, making some quick cash. They don't care for the craft or contributing to the community. That means they'll often sell a lot of packs for little money, a few cents or a dollar - anything but free

When they'll use AI for generating art they'll also often use AI to generate text. Their descriptions are overly specific and often explain the most basic things (like what 'pixel art' is) or use MANY words where only a few were needed

Sometimes they'll be honest about using AI, but often they'll try to justify the work they put in. Effortless stuff like resizing images,picking the best results or removing the background

Take a look at promotional images or thumbnails. They'll use random text elements using fonts that don't fit the aesthetic. An actual artist will also be able to create a decent looking preview, sample or thumbnail. They're proud of their work and want to show it off properly

When releasing pixel art they'll never include actual tiles, but rather complete buildings or sets. AI can't generate these tilesets and it takes a great deal of effort to make sure that tiles fit together and are modular. Something they do not want to invest time in

Using all of these tips will make it easier to recognize AI game assets! Stay safe, and happy holidays! 🎄🫶