AI Opponents

Too Big To Fail lets you play against AI opponents — no other humans required. There are three kinds of bots: Heuristic bots for casual play, MCTS bots that use Monte Carlo tree search for stronger play, and LLM bots powered by large language models that play creatively and chat with you during the game.

Heuristic Bots (no setup needed)

These bots are free, instant, and always available. They use simple rule-based strategies — good for filling seats and learning the game. Pick a level when you create a game:

• Easy — The Rookie — plays random valid moves. Good for learning the rules.
• Medium — The Analyst — prefers founding chains and buys cheaper stocks.
• Hard — The Closer — makes smarter tile and stock choices based on majority positions and merger bonuses.

MCTS Bots (no setup needed)

MCTS (Monte Carlo Tree Search) bots simulate hundreds of possible future games before each move, choosing the action most likely to win. They're significantly stronger than heuristic bots and play with genuine strategic depth — buying stock for majority control, timing mergers, and making end-game decisions based on simulated outcomes.

• Easy — The Intern — 200 simulations per move (~1 second). A step up from heuristic bots.
• Medium — The Broker — 600 simulations per move (~2 seconds). Solid, competitive play.
• Hard — The Trader — 1,500 simulations per move (~4 seconds). The strongest built-in opponent.

MCTS bots take a few seconds per move as they think ahead — this is normal.

LLM Bots (Bring Your Own Key)

LLM bots use AI language models — the same technology behind ChatGPT and Claude — to decide their moves and chat during the game. You pick a sci-fi persona for each LLM bot when you set up the game, and they'll trash-talk, strategize, and react to what's happening on the board.

To use LLM bots, you need an API key from one of the supported providers. An API key is like a password that lets the game send requests to the AI service on your behalf. You pay the provider directly for the tokens used — the game itself is free.

Supported models

Getting an API Key

If you've never used an AI API before, here's how to get started. It takes about two minutes.

1. Create an account with one of the providers above. Click the provider name in the table to go directly to their key management page.
2. Create a new API key. Each provider has a button like "Create Key" or "Generate new secret key." Copy the key — you'll only see it once.
   • Google/Gemini: Make sure the Generative Language API is enabled for your key. Other Gemini roles (like Vertex AI) won't work. Do not add HTTP referrer restrictions — the API calls come from the server, not your browser.
3. Add billing. Most providers require a payment method before the key will work. Some offer free credits for new accounts.
4. Save it in your profile. Go to your Profile page and paste the key into the appropriate provider field. It's stored encrypted and used automatically when you create games with LLM bots.

You can also enter a key directly when creating a game — it will be used for that game only and is not stored. Profile keys are more convenient if you play regularly.

How Much Does It Cost?

Each LLM bot uses tokens (the AI's unit of text processing) for every move and chat message. Costs vary by model — faster, smaller models are cheaper. A typical game costs a few cents to a few dollars per bot depending on the model.

After playing, visit the Usage page to see exactly how many tokens were used and the estimated cost for each game.

What if the LLM can't respond?

If an LLM bot's API call fails (wrong key, network issue, invalid permissions), it retries for up to 60 seconds, then falls back to a heuristic move so the game keeps going. You'll notice this as an unusually long pause (~1 minute) before the bot plays. If every move is slow, double-check your API key and permissions.

Watch AI vs AI

You don't have to play against the bots — you can also pit them against each other. Create a game with all AI seats, sit back, and watch language models compete. It's surprisingly entertaining.