{
  "name": "The Arcanum AI RPG Benchmark",
  "edition": "2026 H2",
  "published": "2026-07-29",
  "updated": "2026-08-02",
  "archived": "2026-07-29",
  "url": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/benchmark/",
  "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.21721591",
  "conceptDoi": "10.5281/zenodo.21721590",
  "archive": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21721591",
  "methodology": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/methodology/",
  "methodologyVersion": "1.0",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "licenseName": "CC BY 4.0",
  "citation": "The Arcanum AI RPG Benchmark, 2026 H2 edition (archived snapshot, 2026-07-29). Arcanum RPGs. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21721591 (CC BY 4.0).",
  "publisher": "Arcanum RPGs",
  "creator": "Rukka",
  "scope": "Released AI roleplay and AI RPG platforms, scored first-hand on a single published rubric. Pre-release software is never scored. Prompt-games are scored elsewhere on the same rubric but are deliberately excluded here — this measures platforms you can pay for and play.",
  "scale": {
    "min": 0,
    "max": 5,
    "increment": 0.5,
    "composite": "Mean of the axes that apply, rounded to 0.1. Inapplicable axes are excluded, never scored zero.",
    "note": "A scored 0 means the capability is absent or broken. A missing axis means it did not apply to that platform."
  },
  "axes": [
    {
      "key": "memory",
      "label": "Memory & Continuity",
      "measures": "Does the world remember what happened, and for how long?"
    },
    {
      "key": "agency",
      "label": "Player Agency",
      "measures": "Railroading AND puppeting — can you act off-path, and does the narrator stay out of your character's mouth?"
    },
    {
      "key": "npc",
      "label": "NPC Fidelity",
      "measures": "Consistent personality, own goals, durable reactions — or agreeable mirrors?"
    },
    {
      "key": "depth",
      "label": "Mechanical Depth",
      "measures": "Real systems underneath, or narration wearing dice?"
    },
    {
      "key": "fairness",
      "label": "Determinism & Fairness",
      "measures": "Outcomes earned and consistent, or arbitrary and luck-washed?"
    },
    {
      "key": "longevity",
      "label": "Longevity",
      "measures": "Does it survive past turn 50 and the novelty window?"
    },
    {
      "key": "signature",
      "label": "Signature Design",
      "measures": "Does it do something nobody else does?"
    }
  ],
  "fieldAverages": {
    "memory": {
      "mean": 2.66,
      "max": 4,
      "heldBy": [
        "WyrdTale",
        "Hidden Door"
      ],
      "scoringOneOrBelow": 2
    },
    "agency": {
      "mean": 2.25,
      "max": 4,
      "heldBy": [
        "AI Dungeon"
      ],
      "scoringOneOrBelow": 3
    },
    "npc": {
      "mean": 3.19,
      "max": 5,
      "heldBy": [
        "Janitor AI"
      ],
      "scoringOneOrBelow": 0
    },
    "depth": {
      "mean": 2.19,
      "max": 5,
      "heldBy": [
        "Friends & Fables"
      ],
      "scoringOneOrBelow": 4
    },
    "fairness": {
      "mean": 2.56,
      "max": 5,
      "heldBy": [
        "Friends & Fables"
      ],
      "scoringOneOrBelow": 1
    },
    "longevity": {
      "mean": 2.31,
      "max": 4,
      "heldBy": [
        "WyrdTale",
        "Hidden Door"
      ],
      "scoringOneOrBelow": 3
    },
    "signature": {
      "mean": 2.63,
      "max": 5,
      "heldBy": [
        "Friends & Fables"
      ],
      "scoringOneOrBelow": 2
    }
  },
  "platformCount": 16,
  "platforms": [
    {
      "id": "friends-and-fables",
      "name": "Friends & Fables",
      "composite": 3.9,
      "tier": "extended",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 3.5,
        "agency": 3,
        "npc": 4,
        "depth": 5,
        "fairness": 5,
        "longevity": 2,
        "signature": 5
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/friends-and-fables/",
      "site": "https://fables.gg"
    },
    {
      "id": "janitor",
      "name": "Janitor AI",
      "composite": 3,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 2,
        "agency": 3,
        "npc": 5,
        "depth": 2,
        "fairness": 3,
        "longevity": 3,
        "signature": 3
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/janitor/",
      "site": "https://janitorai.com/"
    },
    {
      "id": "old-gregs-tavern",
      "name": "Old Greg's Tavern",
      "composite": 3,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 3,
        "agency": 3,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 2,
        "fairness": 3,
        "longevity": 3,
        "signature": 4
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/old-gregs-tavern/",
      "site": "https://www.oldgregstavern.com/"
    },
    {
      "id": "wyrdtale",
      "name": "WyrdTale",
      "composite": 3,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 4,
        "agency": 1,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 3,
        "fairness": 2,
        "longevity": 4,
        "signature": 4
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/wyrdtale/",
      "site": "https://wyrdtale.com/"
    },
    {
      "id": "macerai",
      "name": "MacerAI",
      "composite": 2.9,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 3,
        "agency": 3,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 3,
        "fairness": 3,
        "longevity": 2,
        "signature": 3
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/macerai/",
      "site": "https://macer.ai/"
    },
    {
      "id": "deep-realms",
      "name": "Deep Realms",
      "composite": 2.7,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 3,
        "agency": 3,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 2,
        "fairness": 3,
        "longevity": 3,
        "signature": 2
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/deep-realms/",
      "site": "https://www.deeprealms.io"
    },
    {
      "id": "hidden-door",
      "name": "Hidden Door",
      "composite": 2.7,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 4,
        "agency": 1,
        "npc": 4,
        "depth": 1,
        "fairness": 2,
        "longevity": 4,
        "signature": 3
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/hidden-door/",
      "site": "https://www.hiddendoor.co/"
    },
    {
      "id": "infinity-dm",
      "name": "Infinity DM",
      "composite": 2.7,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 3,
        "agency": 3,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 2,
        "fairness": 3,
        "longevity": 2,
        "signature": 3
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/infinity-dm/",
      "site": "https://www.infinitydm.world/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ai-dungeon",
      "name": "AI Dungeon",
      "composite": 2.6,
      "tier": "extended",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 3,
        "agency": 4,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 2,
        "fairness": 2,
        "longevity": 2,
        "signature": 2
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/ai-dungeon/",
      "site": "https://aidungeon.com"
    },
    {
      "id": "fableai",
      "name": "FableAI",
      "composite": 2.4,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 3,
        "agency": 2,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 2,
        "fairness": 3,
        "longevity": 2,
        "signature": 2
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/fableai/",
      "site": "https://fableai.app/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ai-game-master",
      "name": "AI Game Master",
      "composite": 2.3,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 3,
        "agency": 2,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 2,
        "fairness": 2,
        "longevity": 1,
        "signature": 3
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/ai-game-master/",
      "site": "https://www.aigamemaster.app/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ai-realm",
      "name": "AI Realm",
      "composite": 2.3,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 1,
        "agency": 2,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 4,
        "fairness": 3,
        "longevity": 1,
        "signature": 2
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/ai-realm/",
      "site": "https://airealm.com/home"
    },
    {
      "id": "characterai",
      "name": "Character.AI",
      "composite": 2.1,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 1,
        "agency": 2,
        "npc": 4,
        "depth": 1,
        "fairness": 2,
        "longevity": 2,
        "signature": 3
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/characterai/",
      "site": "https://character.ai"
    },
    {
      "id": "chub-ai",
      "name": "Chub AI",
      "composite": 1.9,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 2,
        "agency": 2,
        "npc": 2,
        "depth": 1,
        "fairness": 2,
        "longevity": 3,
        "signature": 1
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/chub-ai/",
      "site": "https://chub.ai"
    },
    {
      "id": "dunia",
      "name": "Dunia",
      "composite": 1.7,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 2,
        "agency": 0,
        "npc": 3,
        "depth": 2,
        "fairness": 1,
        "longevity": 2,
        "signature": 2
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/dunia/",
      "site": "https://dunia.gg/"
    },
    {
      "id": "perchance",
      "name": "Perchance",
      "composite": 1.4,
      "tier": "standard",
      "axes": {
        "memory": 2,
        "agency": 2,
        "npc": 2,
        "depth": 1,
        "fairness": 2,
        "longevity": 1,
        "signature": 0
      },
      "page": "https://arcanumrpgs.com/clients/perchance/",
      "site": "https://perchance.org/ai-character-chat"
    }
  ],
  "notMeasured": {
    "note": "In closed alpha, closed beta, or application-gated early access. No score, listed alphabetically, not ranked.",
    "platforms": [
      "AIDungeonMaster.ai",
      "Craft",
      "Fable Forge",
      "Myth Maker AI",
      "MythEngyn",
      "Questner",
      "RoleForge",
      "Taverna",
      "Tidefall",
      "Voyage"
    ]
  }
}