Make your own video game with AI – London’s TILKI raises €1.8 million to enable developers with no coding experience

British AI-powered game creation platform TILKI has today announced the completion of its €1.8 million pre-Seed funding round to enable customers to build video games without coding experience and launch their closed beta in six months time.

The round was led by specialist first-cheque AI fund Twin Path Ventures and with participation from Atlas AI^VB Fund I (Atlas sgr), XTX Ventures, and SFC Capital.

“AI is not just going to tweak the end of the development pipeline with NPC and asset generation. AI is going to start the pipeline and run throughout, creating new video game experiences that evolve dynamically around the player,” said Barn Cleave, Co-founder and CEO of TILKI.

Founded in 2024, TILKI is an AI-powered game creation platform that enables creators to build immersive games without coding experience. Unlike traditional games with predetermined storylines, TILKI aims to create dynamic experiences where non-player characters make autonomous decisions. Their goal is to make it so every choice a player makes has persistent effects on the game environment, enabling storylines to develop as they interact with the game world.

The TILKI team of 17 people is a combination of video game developers, AI researchers and machine learning engineers who’ve built games for Atari, Sony, Microsoft & NVIDIA.

Members of TILKI’s senior team were also previously involved in creating a user-generated content platform for 14 million players, in addition to founding a number of other AI startups.

“The strength of TILKI’s team was a key factor in our investment. The blend of experience they bring – from gaming and AI to mathematics and product development – struck us as unique, and we’re confident it will be instrumental in realising their vision,” Nick Slater, Partner at Twin Path Ventures.

The company says that because every interaction and decision impacts a players’ environment, TILKI’s AI-powered model can expand far beyond the potential of traditional pre-made game experiences.

In a TILKI game, non-player characters (NPCs) can reportedly move freely throughout the world, make autonomous decisions that carry meaningful consequences, and have persistent effects on the environment. This creates dynamic storytelling experiences rather than the static, pre-scripted interactions that have long characterised traditional gaming.

For example, an innkeeper NPC might gladly take payment for a night’s stay if that were all a player wanted. However, (with the right persuasion) they could also ignite a rebellion, whispering the call to arms to nearby NPCs, who spread it from villager to villager until the entire town rises in fury.

“We see a future where anyone with a game idea can bring it to life, creating experiences that grow and evolve alongside the players,” added Cleave. “By democratising game creation, we’re not just changing how games are made; we’re opening the door for entirely new voices to shape the medium. Through TILKI, we’re empowering the next generation of creators and helping transform the $176 billion global games market.”

The funding TILKI will be used to build the company’s closed beta (which will launch in six months) and a subsequent open beta set to launch within one year. As part of this, TILKI plans to create an accessible marketplace where players can share strategies and components, and collaborate on game elements.

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