# The NPC AI of The Last of Us: A case study

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.00682 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.00682/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 0 of its 16 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 1 Jul 2022.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Path Generation and Evaluation in Video Games: A Nonparametric Statistical Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.03522/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The Last of Us is a game focused on stealth, companionship and strategy. The game is based in a lonely world after the pandemic and thus it needs AI companions to gain the interest of players. There are three main NPCs the game has - Infected, Human enemy and Buddy AIs. This case study talks about the challenges in front of the developers to create AI for these NPCs and the AI techniques they used to solve them. It also compares the challenges and approach with similar industry-leading games.