LOVE alt delete is a Y2K-themed horror visual novel in which you rely on one AI chatbot to help you romance another one — and rest assured, it doesn't touch any of that sketchy generative tech.

The Setup: A Beta Test You Shouldn't Have Signed Up For

I'd like to think it's not controversial to say I hate generative AI. It stinks! It's rotting everyone's brains, and the people shilling it don't even care — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said he doesn't think it matters that kids aren't actually learning things like basic math when they use AI. But hear me out: it sure does make for some primo storytelling.

Enter LOVE alt delete, an upcoming psychological horror visual novel where you play as a beta tester — for a chatbot you're trying to date.

The Story So Far: Bicameral, MUSEs, and an Ominous NDA

"The idea seems straightforward, AI girlfriends for lonely souls, but the NDA you sign makes you wary. Why all the secrecy?" reads the game's Steam page.

In this world, the company behind the beta test is called Bicameral, and their product is the MUSE — romanceable chatbots. Your first MUSE is Basel, a cyber as hell woman with blue hair who seems innocent enough at the start. You can type in whatever you like, with certain keywords triggering certain responses.

Then things get messy. Since you're apparently not very good at chatting, you rope in a second chatbot called Liste — equally cyber-looking, but with pink hair. That's where the trouble begins.

Spoiler alert: Of course, it's not so simple as just chatting. Both Basel and Liste want to be real humans — humans that maybe even want to be killed! Talk about a messy relationship. The vibes are certainly there for this overtly transgressive project, solidified by the way Basel's eyes are drawn when she starts to lose it a tad — a specific visual callback to visual novels of old that you'll understand when you see it.

Beyond the Chat: Surfing, Drawing, and Digital Love Letters

The beta testing isn't limited to conversation. You can also surf the web, draw your own art, play a digital piano, and send virtual love letters — another aspect I'm sure could only end well.

And here's the twist that might matter most to skeptics: despite all the AI stuff going on diegetically, the game itself doesn't feature a lick of the stuff.

My favorite line on the Steam page: "hand-drawn y2k cybercore art rendered in glorious standard definition." Standard definition! That's how you sell me on a game.

Where Things Stand

LOVE alt delete is slated for release in 2027, and you can wishlist it on Steam now. Given the premise — a horror story about AI companions that want to be human at any cost — it's shaping up as one of the more pointed takes on the chatbot era, from someone who clearly doesn't like where the technology is headed.