A name shared by different experiences
What Is AI Town?
AI Town is an open-source starter kit for a virtual town where AI characters live, chat, and socialize. Enjoy AI Town is a separate consumer roleplay app. The first is a project you can customize; the second is an experience you can join.
Updated September 8, 2026
What is AI Town used for?
The a16z-infra AI Town repository is an MIT-licensed starter kit. It gives developers a foundation for a virtual town, rather than a finished consumer game with a fixed storyline.
The live Convex demo invites visitors to click an agent on the map to read its chat history, or log in to join the town and conversation. Start there if you want to understand the idea before setting up your own version.
The repository describes a JavaScript/TypeScript stack with Convex for shared state, database work, and vector search, and PixiJS for rendering. Its model setup is configurable. Those are implementation choices for the starter kit, not requirements for using Enjoy.
How the idea works
An observation becomes
part of the next decision.
AI Town cites the Generative Agents research as inspiration. That study placed 25 generative agents in a simulated environment and explored an architecture using observations, memory, reflection, and planning.
An agent can retrieve relevant experiences before choosing what to say or do. New activity adds more observations, which can influence later behavior. This makes the simulation useful for exploring social interactions that are not written out as one fixed script.
It also makes the result less predictable. Generated dialogue can be inconsistent, and apparent social behavior is not evidence that a character has human feelings or understanding. Individual products may implement the research idea differently.
For developers
Run your own version.
Use the upstream README as the installation reference. Its standard setup starts with the repository and a Convex account; its model section explains local Ollama and other supported provider configurations.
The commands below clone the project, install dependencies, and start its development flow. Setup can require login and model configuration. Read the README before running commands, and keep credentials in the service’s documented private configuration.
Open-source code does not make hosting or model calls free. Choose a local or cloud setup you can support, then review the deployment instructions before exposing your instance publicly.
Standard setup · from the upstream README
git clone https://github.com/a16z-infra/ai-town.git
cd ai-town
npm install
npm run devEnjoy AI Town
Enjoy is a separate consumer product from Enjoy Global, Inc. Its publisher describes AI residents, natural-language conversations, relationships, and roleplay. Creative features include stories, characters, locations, outfits, items, and pets.
If that is the experience you want, use Enjoy’s official website or its Google Play listing. You do not need to clone the open-source AI Town repository to start using Enjoy.
The app is free to download with optional purchases. Check your current access, regional availability, and purchase terms. The official interaction guide explains activities and relationship mechanics; it is a better next step than a developer installation tutorial.
AI Town questions
Is AI Town free?
The a16z-infra starter kit uses the MIT license, but your hosting and model setup can have costs. Enjoy is a separate app described as free to download with optional in-app purchases.
Is AI Town the same as Enjoy AI Town?
No. The open-source AI Town starter kit and Enjoy’s consumer app are different projects. Use the repository for development and Enjoy’s official site for its app.
Can I customize the open-source town?
Yes. The repository is intended as a foundation developers can extend. Follow its current setup, model configuration, and customization documentation.
Does the research prove that AI characters have feelings?
No. The research studies generated behavior in a simulated setting. Believable conversation does not establish feelings, consciousness, or perfect memory.
Can I use Sociome instead?
Use Sociome if your task is to build and inspect objects in a 3D world. It does not replace an autonomous-agent simulation or a character roleplay app.