egrunt

egrunt is a term used in software development and game design to denote a lightweight, autonomous agent or bot designed to perform basic, repetitive tasks within a simulation or game environment. The name combines electronic or automated connotations with 'grunt' to imply a low-level utility unit rather than a sophisticated AI. There is no formal standard governing egrunts, and the exact implementation varies across projects.

In practice, egrunts are characteristically simple: rule-based behavior, limited perception, and small state machines. They are typically implemented in scripting languages or integrated into game engines, and are designed to be cheap to run in large numbers.

In video games, egrunts may serve as basic enemies, non-player characters, or crowd-simulation units that fill space and provide atmosphere without requiring complex AI. In automated testing and simulation, egrunts can model generic agents or placeholders to stress-test systems or explore performance under load.

Some projects treat egrunts as configurable templates or data-driven entities, enabling designers to adjust parameters such as movement speed, health, and reaction thresholds without code changes. Others use egrunt-like components within larger AI architectures as foundational subsystems.

Related concepts include bots, non-player characters (NPCs), agent-based modeling, and crowd simulation.