Steam fans have embraced the AI game dragged by Studio Ghibli head

If you’re an anime fan, or a nerd of any kind, you’ve probably seen that 2016 clip of Japanese auteur Hayao Miyazaki being disgusted by a presentation. The filmmaker, known for animated classics like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away, was viewing a demo of artificial intelligence technology that aimed to make models move realistically. Spoilers: The man who painstakingly draws masterpieces by hand absolutely hated what he saw.

But rather than being discouraged by his comments — or the wave of ridicule and memes his reaction inspired — the people working on that technology kept going. Nearly a decade later, the tech at the center of it all has since been repurposed to power ANLIFE: Motion-Learning Life Evolution, a new game by Attructure Inc. that released on Steam on Feb. 11. It looks nothing like what Miyazaki saw back in 2016. Instead, ANLIFE is a cutesy evolution simulator where players cultivate the growth of abstract life forms. Think of it like a laid-back Spore, but with movement at the forefront — creatures will develop gaits unique to their form.

If you haven’t seen the moment from the four-episode documentary 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki, there’s some context worth knowing. At the time, Miyazaki was viewing some footage of a zombie which had been programmed to move with its head. A producer at Studio Ghibli, Nobuo Kawakami, informed Miyazaki that the zombie couldn’t feel any pain — so it wouldn’t hesitate to interact with its environment in an unnatural way. It was an intentionally grotesque display for a theoretical horror game. But Miyazaki didn’t care about the particulars. The clip reminded him of a friend who had a disability and the difficulties that his buddy faced, and that association made it difficult for him to find AI tech like this interesting.

“Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever,” Miyazaki said. “I am utterly disgusted. If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”

People like to split hairs about the quote and where Miyazaki was truly directing his ire. Some argue that Miyazaki’s comments have less to do with the concept of AI tools and more about what the tech was being used for in this context. But looking at where AI tech has gone since 2016 — and the way Studio Ghibli’s style has been cannibalized to show off its capabilities — it seems increasingly difficult to argue that generative AI enhances human creativity. But however you parse it, and in light of advances like OpenAI’s Sora, Miyazaki’s horrified reaction has remained as relevant in 2026 as it was in 2016. The clip seems to go viral at least a few times a year on social media.

Though Miyazaki’s comments about the technology were brutal, they’re also why ANLIFE is receiving any attention at all right now. Most reviews on Steam reference the infamous exchange in some way or another, and the last week has been filled with news items connecting the game to Miyazaki. But where you might expect a bloodbath of fanboys dissing a game purely on principle, the game is actually getting a warm reception. ANLIFE has a “positive” rating on Steam, and as of this writing, does not have a single negative review under its belt.

“This is evolution as a sandbox experiment—watching machine-simulated critters figure out how to exist through trial, error, and a lot of falling over,” one review reads. Though the review calls the gameplay “primitive” and notes that the experience only lasts a couple of hours, it still deems the game worthwhile.

“There’s something oddly charming about watching digital life stumble toward survival,” it continues.

Many of the reviews say that the game is a little basic and may be best enjoyed as a casual, second-screen experience. Here, evolution isn’t quite survival of the fittest: it’s more of a chill inevitability. “My blood pressure has lowered,” another review reads.

Back in 2016, the presenters were visibly distraught at Miyazaki’s brutal reaction. The website for ANLIFE treats the event almost like a footnote by generically characterizing it as the impetus for “a topic of discussion.” But it’s clear that Attructure took the experience to heart. With bright colors and a playful art style evocative of a toddler’s toys, ANLIFE comes across like a spiritual repudiation of the zombie incident. The animation tech here isn’t meant to replace or even mimic a person, nor does it make light of pain. There’s something deeply human about the way ANLIFE shows that, despite a constant cosmic struggle, life perseveres one way or another.

The world might never let go of the zombies, but the folks at Attructure would argue that it was never reflective of the kind of art the company wanted to make.

“In truth, I wanted to create life being lived within a simulation,” ANLIFE creator Masayoshi Nakamura said back in 2018.

ANLIFE is available on Steam for $11.99. The developers are encouraging fans to share their creations for an upcoming virtual zoo exhibition.