Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Makes Game in 30 Minutes Using AI

Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has created a playable detective game using generative AI, claiming the entire project took approximately 30 minutes to complete. He shared the free browser-based game, titled Interrogation Room Komiya, on October 11, 2026.

The game was made using Anthropic's Claude AI and published through its Artifacts feature. Horii said he was surprised by how easily AI could turn instructions into a working game without requiring him to handle the artwork or programming himself.

Interrogation Room Komiya is a short mystery adventure in which players act as a police officer questioning a 72-year-old former locksmith named Komiya. He is suspected of breaking into a pawnshop safe, and players must expose contradictions in his statements to uncover the truth.

The investigation involves selecting questions, presenting evidence and identifying lies. Komiya also has two status indicators, agitation and resistance, which change depending on how the interrogation progresses.

Higher agitation makes the suspect more likely to confess, but pushing his resistance to 100 causes him to remain silent. Players must balance these factors while gathering information, with their final rating determined by how many lies they successfully uncover.

Horii made the Japanese-language game available to play for free through Claude's Artifacts feature.

Reflecting on the experiment, Horii recalled creating The Portopia Serial Murder Case, his 1983 mystery adventure. He explained that he developed the original PC game largely by himself, including writing its story, drawing its artwork and handling the programming.

Horii contrasted that experience with modern AI tools, which now allow someone to produce a small game simply by providing instructions. He described the results as astonishing, particularly because creators no longer need to personally possess every technical skill involved in making a playable project.

The demonstration highlights how generative AI can assist with rapid game prototyping. However, Horii did not share the complete development process or the prompts used to create Interrogation Room Komiya. His reported 30-minute production time should not be taken as evidence that a full commercial game could be completed in the same period.

Horii had already discussed possible uses for generative AI during the G-Star 2025 conference in South Korea. He suggested that AI chatbots could support mystery and quiz games by allowing players to investigate cases through conversations.

One example involved working with an AI-controlled assistant that could question suspects, gather information and respond to the player's requests. Horii said solving a mystery through natural conversations could make for an interesting experience.

When asked whether he was considering incorporating AI into future games, he expressed interest in the possibility.

Interrogation Room Komiya is a separate experiment focused on AI-assisted game creation rather than the conversational systems he previously described. Horii has not announced plans to develop it into a larger release or confirmed that similar technology will appear in a future Dragon Quest game.