Prior to the emergence of ChatGPT and the surge in generative AI, OpenAI’s technology was already powering a creative game named AI Dungeon 2, enabling users to collaboratively craft limitless stories with an AI storyteller. Now, a new platform named Hidden Door is entering early access, allowing users to co-create choose-your-own-adventure narratives alongside AI. This innovative narrator imposes certain constraints, which is part of its charm.
Hidden Door takes place in familiar public domain settings, including the Wizard of Oz and Pride and Prejudice, as well as the licensed universe of The Crow. Players create characters by detailing backstories and traits, initiating the adventure with a scenario set by the game. Players then respond like participants in a tabletop role-playing game, with behind-the-scenes dice rolls determining the outcome of key decisions.
In a preview session prior to the official launch announcement, I experimented with a story variation of Pride and Prejudice, dubbed “Courtship and Crimson,” incorporating vampires. I crafted my character as a vampire hunter driven by a “relentless sense of duty and a thirst for vengeance.” The game immersed me in a social gathering where I quickly identified what I presumed was a vampire. While there were preset options available, I opted to write my own action—attacking the supposed vampire—and the game allowed it. It turned out the “vampire” was merely an illusion.
Throughout gameplay, players amass cards representing characters and locations, which serve as reminders of significant story elements. The narrator also possesses a selection of plot cards that can be drawn upon to steer the narrative direction at points during the game.
A notable distinction of Hidden Door compared to general-purpose chatbots is its introduction of narrative limitations. For instance, when I prompted ChatGPT to invent a version of Pride and Prejudice featuring vampires, I created a powerful magical bow with silver arrows. The chatbot did not hesitate to accept this and allowed me to eliminate every vampire in existence effortlessly. Such scenarios diminish the challenges and narrative satisfaction. In contrast, when I attempted a similar maneuver in Hidden Door, the game redirected me to investigate further instead of brute-forcing the outcome.
At times, Hidden Door’s constraints felt excessively restrictive. For example, in a scene involving the Wizard of Oz, I attempted to have my character, a ‘daring, danger-addicted’ reporter, confront a seemingly hypnotized porter aggressively. However, the game returned a “you failed” message. While it might have just been bad luck with the dice, there were instances when I felt that the narrative was unnaturally manipulated, limiting my exploration of various characters.
The narrative experience can sometimes feel disjointed. In my sessions, each story unfolded as a collection of entertaining segments, tightly controlled by the AI narrator. One instance in the vampire narrative featured an orchestra conductor who persistently provided information to set up an intriguing plot point, even while my character dismissed him entirely in favor of confronting a vampire version of Lady Catherine. The camaraderie of playing with friends in a live tabletop setting is absent when interacting solely with an AI.
While the game has potential, certain aspects require improvement. There are moments when the narrator’s responses lag, which can lead to distraction as players wait. In my adventures, I encountered instances where the game accidentally repeated lengthy descriptions about my character’s sibling, even inserting stray punctuation.
Ultimately, the focus on beloved narrative universes may render Hidden Door an appealing option for those exploring AI-driven storytelling. Unlike generic AI chatbots that allow players to bypass rules to achieve immediate victories, Hidden Door encourages adherence to narrative logic, enriching the gameplay experience (even with whimsical elements like vampires or magical settings). Furthermore, the incorporation of public domain and licensed material provides reassurance against copyright issues, as Hidden Door asserts that “most authors we collaborate with are actively involved in the creative process.”
Despite some of my critiques regarding the vampire hunter storyline, I find myself intrigued about the unfolding narrative possibilities that Hidden Door offers.
