GameDoes Heaps: Special Interest Sandbox use AI?
A local AI model generates level maps and text labels at runtime, and AI made the mushroom 3D models.
Our AI review, medium confidence. Not a verdict; the evidence is below.
Checked against Steam on Oct 28, 2026.
Before you buy: anti-cheat, accounts, DRM
No anti-cheat, third-party account or DRM is declared on Heaps: Special Interest Sandbox's Steam page.
Full anti-cheat, account and DRM details, with change history →
Production signals
Facts about who made the game and how players received it. They don't depend on AI, and they help tell a carefully made game that used some AI apart from mass-produced ones.
- Droidknot LLC released 0 games on Steam in the last 12 months. 1 of their 1 game disclose AI.
- This is the developer's first game on Steam.
- Not released yet.
- Our AI review of these signals: solid production.
What the developer says
Software engineering is primarily by hand in C# and python, with local SLM's, run via Ollama, and occasional cloud-based LLM's used to research knowledge deficits and prototype code snippets for specific systems that map to those deficits. Any AI-generated code was reviewed line-by-line, hand-integrated and heavily modified. The application requires local file access to files selected by the player from a standard operating system folder browser with permissions. It scans the user's system via the psutil and gputil standard python packages to ascertain the specifications of the user's system to select a model that will match their system's performance profile. Pinocchio and Hunyuan were used to generate 3D models of mushrooms from 19th century public domain botanical illustrations, and the integrated SLM model is used to generate text labels and summaries at runtime. The application has absolutely no chat interface. An SLM is integrated locally as a black-box system with robust system prompts to generate structured output in the form of JSON based on the player's file inputs. The JSON is consumed by the game to generate maps and levels. Additional Specifications & Technical Notes: - A localhost python server is back-compiled to a C executable and deployed with the main executable and invoked from its application domain to host the local model. - The local model is downloaded from the Internet via Ollama. - The end-user needs to have the Ollama client installed to run the model locally. - The python server has robust internal system prompts to prevent violation of the Terms of Service on the Steam and Itch platforms regarding disallowed content. - The python server is run from the main executable's application domain, in the same directory structure. - The python server and main executable communicate via a local socket connection via IANA-approved port numbers according to RFC 6335. Ports are tested and iterated to ensure that they are available on the local system. If an IANA-approved port listed in RFC 6335 is not available, the application will not run. Heaps adheres to the ARTS standard for AI labeling. A full accounting of our use of AI in this game can be found at: droidknot.com/ARTS/Heaps_SIS_082726.pdf
From the “AI Generated Content Disclosure” on the Steam store page, quoted as written. First seen by us on Oct 28, 2026.
What other sources say
| Source | Their take |
|---|---|
| Steam disclosure | AI content disclosed |
| AI judgment deepseek-flash | AI-driven · solid production, medium confidenceReasoningThe disclosure says an integrated local model generates structured output that the game consumes to build maps and levels, so AI content is generated live during play. AI also produced the mushroom 3D models, while code was hand-written and reviewed. No release history suggests volume production. Against: The developer describes hand-written, line-by-line reviewed code and a detailed technical writeup, which points to real engineering effort rather than low-effort output. |
| Remove AI Slop open-source extension | Mostly AI-generated (generated live in-game, concept/reference, code, level design, art, text) |
FAQ
Does Heaps: Special Interest Sandbox use AI?
Yes. Heaps: Special Interest Sandbox's developer discloses AI-generated content on its Steam page. A local AI model generates level maps and text labels at runtime, and AI made the mushroom 3D models.
Is Heaps: Special Interest Sandbox AI-generated?
AI-generated content makes up a major part of the game, according to its disclosure.
How does GameAICheck know?
We read the AI Generated Content Disclosure from the game's public Steam store page, check it daily, and show what independent curators and open-source tools say about it. Disclosures are self-reported by developers.
Is something wrong?
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