8Bit/Digi

A Look at AI2U at GDC 2026

Since 2023, AI2U: With You ‘Til The End has been a game that has captured the attention of guests on the show floor at the Game Developers Conference. This is due to its colorful booth, developers cosplaying as characters, and its unusual overall premise. All of that returned for GDC 2026, along with a more expanded and refined experience for attendees.

During GDC 2026, I stopped by the AI2U: With You ‘Til The End booth to once again play the game. My goal during this playthrough was to try a different stage with the goal of escaping alive the stage alive. 

Spoiler Alert: I got killed by the angry yardee. 

Waking Up in a Strange World 

AI2U: With You ’Til The End is an escape room experience in which players are trapped in a room or some other location with a single character. Its core gameplay revolves around communicating with an NPC whose responses are generated by an AI chatbot. Players type questions or commands to interact with the character, who responds based on how they are treated and how they feel about the situation or question. Remaining calm and polite leads to a friendly response, while being rude or hostile escalates the tension and can lead to death. Beyond communicating with the character, players must also search every corner of the stage for clues, gather needed resources, and solve puzzles with the character’s help.

At previous GDCs, I opted to play the apartment stage. In it, I am trapped in a unit with Eddie, a catgirl who is obsessed with me. During each of my playthroughs, I first tried to find the key and then convince Eddie to hand it over. On my second run, I explored the room more thoroughly and tried looking out the windows to get a better sense of the outside world. No matter how the scenario plays out, it always ends with Eddie losing her temper and stabbing me to death. That outcome is especially shocking, because I do love cats.

This time, I chose to play the Eiona stage, which stars a siren goddess who resides on Siren’s Island. She appears human at first, but can transform into a mermaid when she needs to attack or swim. With a new character and setting, I decided to give this stage a try.

Siren’s Island

The stage begins with Eiona waking me up on a sunny beach. She instructs me to gather resources to build a campfire and rebuild a hut damaged by a storm. I begin by exploring the island for supplies and wooden crates that can be broken apart. The island feels empty, with only its natural beauty and the two of us occupying the space. Navigating it is easy because, while it appears large at first, it is not especially massive. Whenever I find a crate, I examine it for weaknesses and mark them. Once they are all marked, Eiona transforms into a mermaid and smashes the crate with her tail. I then collect the resources from the rubble. After gathering enough materials, I build the campfire and rebuild the hut.

As night falls and the rain begins, we relocate to the hut. There, I share stories about the human world and its many wonders. Eiona is not impressed by the amazing things humans have, such as fish tacos and boats, though she does seem to like sushi. I try to convince her to build me a boat since I cannot swim, while she could pull it and show off her siren strength. She thinks it is a stupid idea and refuses to go along with it. Because she is a siren, I ask Eiona about her singing ability. She tells me she no longer sings and does not want to because of her “horrible sounding voice.” I disagree and tell her that her voice is beautiful, like that of an angel, and that she should share it through song. She becomes angry and confused, asking how I could have heard her voice. When I respond that I heard it simply by listening to her talk, she lashes out and kills me with her mermaid tail.

Final Thoughts 

Siren’s Island gave me a chance to explore more aspects of the game beyond the chatbot mechanics. At the same time, it let me interact with a character other than Eddie, which helped the experience feel less repetitive. However, the characters are quick to get angry and kill me, often over minor remarks or questions. That means I probably need to stop badgering them over small details if I want to survive longer.

AI2U: With You ’Til The End is currently in Steam Early Access with a targeted release date of 2026. Additional details about the game will be unveiled in the future. 

This article is part of our coverage of the 2026 Game Developers Conference. If you attended the event, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Disclaimer: GDC provided 8Bit/Digi with press passes for the event.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.