House House Confirms LLM Use in Big Walk
The Australian studio says large language models helped fix bugs late in development, prompting IGF jurors to pledge against voting for AI-assisted games.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
Live Poll
Would you want games to disclose whether generative AI was used in making them?
House House, the Australian developer behind Untitled Goose Game, confirmed that large language models were used during the final stretch of Big Walk's development for bug fixing. The studio added an FAQ entry on the matter after October 23, 2026, and said less than 0.1 percent of the game's code had any connection to LLM usage.
Why it matters
The disclosure has drawn attention because 19 IGF jurors have declared they will not vote for any game using generative AI in any capacity. Kyle LeClair said the most-discussed game in IGF voting almost entirely involved its AI usage, highlighting how contested the question of generative tools in indie development has become.
House House reported that LLMs were used during the final stretch of Big Walk's development, with snippets copied as a starting point and then modified into game code. Less than 0.1 percent of the game's code was connected to LLM usage, though the specific code changes were not detailed.
The players
House House
An Australian independent game studio best known for developing Untitled Goose Game.
Kyle LeClair
A four-time IGF judge who said the most-discussed game in IGF voting almost entirely involved its AI usage.
The details
House House updated the Big Walk FAQ page with a section titled 'Was AI used to make Big Walk?' after October 23, 2026, confirming LLMs were used to help work through difficult technical challenges and bugs. The studio did not disclose LLM use on Steam, and IGF judges were made aware of the usage because the festival's rules require disclosure.
Timeline
After October 23, 2026: House House adds the LLM disclosure FAQ to the Big Walk page.
November 10, 2026: Kotaku publishes its report on the disclosure.
Roadmap
The IGF's disclosure requirements for generative AI use set the framework under which House House's LLM usage became known to judges. Juror pledges to exclude any AI-assisted game extend that framework into a stricter voting position than the festival's rules require.
Players and developers following IGF results may see AI-assisted games judged differently depending on how they are disclosed. Studios using LLMs for debugging may need to document that use publicly to avoid being excluded from festival consideration.
The takeaway
Disclosure of AI tool use is becoming a practical concern for indie developers, since it can shape how juries and players judge a game. Studios should decide early how they will describe any generative assistance in their projects.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in the Artificial Intelligence section for context on how generative tools are shaping software development.
Live Poll
Would you want games to disclose whether generative AI was used in making them?
