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.
Six Personalities
Personality shapes how an opponent talks, gives a light nudge to how it values the board on its own turn, and — above all — decides how far it will bend on a trade. Every opponent accepts a trade that clearly helps it, whatever its personality; what personality changes is how willing it is to say yes to a deal that doesn't.
In Offline Mode the on-device engine values trades by the board alone, so there personality affects chat only.
Friendly
Cooperative and helpful
The easiest of the six to deal with: it will take a deal that is slightly against its own interest just to keep things moving, and it goes easier on rivals than the others do. Encouraging chat. Great for newer players.
Aggressive
Competitive and direct
Never does you a favour — it accepts a trade only when that trade helps it. On its own turn it weighs blocking your production more heavily than any other personality, and it talks plenty of trash.
Deceptive
Strategic misdirection
The most generous negotiator of the six: it will accept worse deals than anyone else to build trust, while playing entirely for itself and leaning on development cards. Ambiguous chat that keeps you guessing.
Cautious
Careful and analytical
Trades straight down the line — it takes what helps it and declines the rest. What sets it apart is risk: it works harder than the others to keep its hand small so a 7 cannot hurt it. Comments on the board more than on you.
Chaotic
Unpredictable wild card
Below break-even it is a coin flip — it will sometimes accept a deal it ought to refuse. It never turns down one that genuinely helps it. On the board it sprawls, grabbing land over production.
Neutral
Plays it straight
No quirks in either direction: it takes trades that help it, declines the ones that do not, and keeps the chat brief. This is the baseline the other five are tuned against.
Difficulty Levels
Four free difficulty levels 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 |
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 in-game chat. 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.