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Lucas Pope, the creator of the indie games Return of the Obra Dinn and Papers, Please, said he does not want to publicly disclose details of an in-progress project. In a podcast hosted by indie developers Mike Rose and Rami Ismail, Pope argued that generative AI tools could enable others to take ideas before a game is finished.
Pope’s concern, he said, is not primarily about speed or productivity. Instead, he emphasized that what matters to him is the experience of making the product. “People talk a lot about using AI to program or design graphics. It could make me faster, but that isn't what I care about. I care about the process itself,” he said.
Pope described his workflow as one where he often does not know what he will do next. He said combining programming, designing, and illustrating in a single process helps him maintain context and creative “ingredients” that shape the final work. “Often I don't even know what I'll do next. The act of programming, designing, and illustrating all at once—if you hand it off to others, you lose that context and the ingredients that flavor the 'stew',” he said.
Because he works alone, Pope said he is not accustomed to directing others, and that AI tools that function as if they are running like a full team do not fit his approach. He also said his reluctance to share is not only about secrecy. He previously enjoyed talking about what he was working on, but now feels uncomfortable. “I don't know whether ideas will be sucked by AI or copied by someone else. It's not a hard rule; it's a feeling of discomfort about sharing what I'm working on,” he said.
Beyond concerns about AI, Pope acknowledged additional pressure. He said he worries he may not be able to outdo himself, noting that Return of the Obra Dinn and Papers, Please set a high benchmark for his future work. Even so, he said he remains in Japan and continues to pursue creative freedom on his own terms.
Pope’s concerns are framed against wider reports of AI misuse in creative industries. The article cites the 2026 annual game industry status report from the Game Developers Conference, which included testimony from a worker who said they were forced to use AI at work. In that account, the worker described the situation as follows: “AI is theft, but I have to use it, or I'll be fired.”
Pope said he is still developing the new project, but will not reveal details until the product is ready for launch.
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