AI has progressed in leaps and bounds in recent years, especially with regards to generative models. These generative models are used to create a wide variety of artworks, with the more recent developments allowing for the generation of playable game models.
Oasis AI is one of several ‘free’ solutions to hit the market as of late, offering a ‘Minecraft-like’ experience based on real time AI generation.
Despite its shortcomings, it still is quite impressive and might just be a glimpse at the future of game development. More on how to play Minecraft using Oasis AI below.
How to play ‘Minecraft’ using Oasis AI
- Head to the Oasis AI website linked here using a Chromium based browser. Safari and Firefox will not work; Chrome is ideal.
- Choose between any of the (currently) 5 available ‘worlds’ – Mountain Meadow, Village Outpost, Dense Forest, Rugged Coastline and Desert Expanse.
- Confirm your selection, and wait your turn if so required.
- Once the game world loads, you can freely move and interact within the square window that generates the game in real time.
Controls for the game should be listed at the bottom of the window. You have around 2 to 4 minutes until you can explore and play. Once your session is over, you can export the gameplay in the form of a video.
Obvious limitations and technicalities
While most certainly impressive, the AI model is not without its shortcomings. For starters, there is no in-game sound, and the game world looks rather low-res and often times, glitchy.
This is unfortunately the extent of generative models in its current state, and the experience can be described as a novelty at best. It’s most certainly no substitute to the original game, but it is nevertheless exciting to witness.
Each map was ‘trained’ on thousands of hours of gameplay footage to create a like-for-like version, which is generated real-time.
The developers do not label the game as a ‘Minecraft clone’ though, likely for legal reasons.
