Monday, 7 July 2025
29.9 C
Singapore
33.8 C
Thailand
19.1 C
Indonesia
29.9 C
Philippines

Character AI tests games on its platform to boost user engagement

Character AI introduces games to its platform to boost user engagement and enhance its entertainment offerings.

Character AI, a startup that allows users to chat with various AI-powered characters, has introduced new games to its desktop and mobile web apps to enhance user engagement. The games are being tested with paid subscribers and a select group of users on the free plan.

Introducing new games to the platform

Character AI has launched two games, Speakeasy and War of Words, as part of this new initiative. These games are designed to offer users a more interactive experience while still allowing them to chat with their favourite characters. Users can access the games by tapping the new controller icon in the browser while chatting with a character.

Speakeasy challenges players to get the AI chatbot to say a specific word without using five listed words. For example, to make the chatbot say “croissant”, players must avoid using words like pastry, butter, bake, French, and flaky. In War of Words, users duel with the character in a five-round contest, with an AI referee deciding the winner after each round.

The feature aims to make the platform more fun and engaging for users, providing them with an entertainment experience alongside the text-based interactions they already enjoy.

A shift towards entertainment

A spokesperson from Character AI stated, “Our goal as an AI entertainment company is to find ways to make the Character AI experience even more fun and entertaining. We’re currently testing a feature that allows gameplay with your favourite Characters, all while keeping the immersive experience users love.”

This marks a shift for Character AI, which has previously focused on text-based games such as the popular Space Adventure Game, where users create their characters. By introducing its games, the company is positioning itself as an entertainment platform, much like other platforms such as YouTube and Netflix, which have used games to boost engagement.

Changes in leadership and plans

Character AI has undergone some leadership changes in recent months. Co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas left the company to join Google. In response, Character AI appointed a former YouTube executive as its chief product officer, and Dominic Perella, the company’s former general counsel, became the interim CEO.

Character AI has already taken steps to ensure the safety of its younger users, including implementing clearer labels on AI characters and introducing a time-out notification after 60 minutes of usage. These moves are a response to lawsuits the company has faced, including concerns about its AI characters being mistaken for real people.

As Character AI continues to expand its offerings, its decision to test games on the platform is a strategic step to keep users engaged for longer periods. According to analytics firm Sensor Tower, users spend an average of 98 minutes daily on the app, and introducing these games could help increase that engagement further.

Hot this week

tesa opens new ‘Debonding on Demand’ laboratory in Singapore to support circular innovation

tesa launches its new Debonding on Demand lab in Singapore to drive sustainable adhesive solutions for repair, recycling, and reuse.

Google lets you share smart home access more easily with family and kids

Google Home lets you easily assign Admin or Member roles, even for kids under 13, to manage your smart home access better.

Trump says talks with China on TikTok deal to begin this week

Trump says TikTok deal talks with China will begin this week, with possible involvement from President Xi or his team.

Alibaba Cloud marks 10 years in Singapore with new data centres and AI innovation hub

Alibaba Cloud celebrates 10 years in Singapore with new AI centre, data centres in Southeast Asia, and global green AI initiatives.

China’s smartphone shipments fall 21.8% in May, marking the sharpest 2025 decline yet

China’s smartphone market declined 21.8% in May 2025, with local brands taking the hardest hit amid fewer new launches and shifting buyer habits.

TikTok may dodge US ban with new app and ownership deal

TikTok could avoid a US ban with the launch of a new app on September 5 and a possible sale to non-Chinese investors, including Oracle.

Windows 11 has finally become the most popular desktop operating system

Windows 11 overtakes Windows 10 in desktop market share as Microsoft prepares to end support for its older system in October.

Sony halts Xperia 1 VII sales in several Asian markets due to technical issues

Sony halts Xperia 1 VII sales in several Asian countries after users report shutdown issues, although it remains available in Singapore for now.

Embedded LLM and AMD launch TokenVisor to boost AI monetisation for GPU neoclouds

Embedded LLM and AMD launch TokenVisor, a platform enabling monetisation and management of AMD GPU clusters for LLM workloads.

Related Articles

Popular Categories