AI Opponents
SettleUp features a deep roster of AI opponents. Each one combines a personality, a difficulty level, and a strategic archetype — so every match feels different.
Five Personalities
Personality shapes how an opponent trades, places the robber, and talks during the game.
Friendly
Cooperative and helpful
Prefers trades that benefit both parties, avoids targeting weaker players with the robber, and uses encouraging chat. Great for newer players.
Aggressive
Competitive and direct
Blocks the leader at every opportunity, only trades when it gains an edge, and uses the robber as a weapon.
Deceptive
Strategic misdirection
Builds false alliances, varies robber targets to stay unpredictable, and sends ambiguous chat that keeps you guessing.
Cautious
Careful and analytical
Avoids risky trades, keeps resources diverse to minimize 7-roll losses, and builds steadily toward the win.
Chaotic
Unpredictable wild card
Takes calculated risks others would avoid, varies strategy constantly, and is by far the most fun to play against.
Difficulty Levels
Four free Standard AI tiers plus one premium LLM tier give you a full range of opponents to choose from.
| Level | How it plays | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Simple moves, makes mistakes — perfect for learning. | Free |
| Medium | Moderate strategy with the occasional blunder. | Free |
| Hard | Strong play with optimal decisions in most situations. | Free |
| Expert | Deep analysis and top-level play. | Free |
| LLM AI | Powered directly by large language models — the toughest and most human-like opponent. | Premium / Premium+ |
Premium subscribers get 5 LLM-powered games per day. Premium Plus subscribers get unlimited LLM games and can pick which model powers each opponent — Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, and more.
How the AI Works
Unlike traditional board game AI that follows simple decision trees, SettleUp pairs a tuned heuristic engine with real language models for chat and high-level strategy. The system runs on two layers:
- Strategic layer — Plans long-term goals every few turns, considering overall board position, opponent threats, and resource targets.
- Tactical layer — Makes real-time decisions each turn: what to build, where to place the robber, and how to respond to trade offers.
The dual-layer design means the AI can both plan ahead and react to immediate situations, making it a challenging opponent at every level.
In-Game AI Chat
AI opponents don't just play — they talk. During the game, each AI sends personality-driven chat messages that react to what's happening on the board. Friendly opponents celebrate good trades, aggressive ones trash-talk, deceptive ones bluff, cautious ones share observations, and chaotic ones surprise everyone.
AI chat is available on all tiers — it's part of the core experience that makes every game feel alive.