Welcome
Welcome to the official website for Galactic Arms Race (GAR). GAR is both a multiplayer online video game and a research experiment in automatic content generation driven by player preferences. Unique game content, namely spaceship weapon systems, automatically evolves based on player behavior through a specialized version of the NEAT evolutionary algorithm called cgNEAT (content-generating NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies). In particular, new variants of weapons that players like will be continually created by the game itself. In this way, the game never stays the same. GAR is the first video game to demonstrate that critical content can evolve as the game is played to satisfy its players.
For an idea of what the game is like, think "Space Diablo", with real-time combat, cool particle system weapons, and RPG-style leveling and skill trees. You can download the GAR 1.1 Demo with the button below.
Indie Game Challenge Finalist
GAR is selected as a finalist in the Indie Game Challenge. See their GAR page.
Best AI in an Independent Game (Editor's Choice)
GAR wins Editor's Pick for Best AI in an Independent Game in the 2009 AIGameDev.com Awards .
Best Paper Award at CIG09
The GAR conference paper won Best Paper award at the IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Games (CIG09).
GAR Multiplayer Server Stats
We have implemented a live stats tracking system for the GAR Official 32 player server where you can check your progress offline. Check it out on the stats page. Note that there is a permanent link on the menu bar to the left on this page.
GAR Slashdotted
Read the full article here.
There are several more articles about the game on the media page.
GAR 1.2 Updates and Screenshots
A full list of planned features for GAR 1.2 is available in this forum thread. Here's some screens of planet ring and new explosion graphic effects.
Evolving Weapons Examples
In GAR, new weapons evolve in unique ways from older weapons that players fire the most. Below are two series of weapon lineages. In the upper row, the player tended to favor a spread pattern that later evolved (from left to right) in color and pattern. In the bottom row, the player often fired a straight firing spread gun with slower outer projectiles and a fast inner projectile (longer trails denote faster projectiles). Later variations discovered by the player had greater variation in spread, color, and projectile speed differential.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Evolved Weapons
These images show the variety of weapons that have evolved. Keep in mind that these weapons were created by the game itself, guided by player behavior.
One interesting class of weapons that have evolved are "Wallmakers". These defensive weapons create a literal wall of particles that is useful for blocking incoming enemy projectiles.
 |
 |
"Ladder Guns" fire a wide wave-like pattern.
 |
 |
The "Ultrawide" (below left) fires a wide pattern that is good for blocking incoming projectiles and is hard to evade. "Subatomic Heat" (below right) emits a chaotic pattern that resembles atomic particles.
 |
 |
The "Tunnelmaker" (below left) creates a defensive sheath of particles on either side of the player. The "Corkscrew" (below right) fires an initially wide pattern, which is good for blocking, that later converges for concentrated damage.
 |
 |
The "Double Bolt" and "Trident" class of weapons show that weapons similar to those found in typical space shooters can evolve.
 |
 |
Finally, here are two more evolved variations of the spread gun.
 |
 |