u/Division-11 — reddlx

I am an Indie developer that created S.E.L - Synthetic Emergent Lifeform

Hey everyone,

I’m an indie developer and I recently released my mobile game S.E.L — Synthetic Emergent Lifeform on the iOS App Store.

S.E.L is a GPS-based extraction game where the real world becomes the map. You move through real locations, scan for hidden signals, hack relay nodes, recover materials, bank rewards into your Vault, craft tools, and choose a faction during Signal Cycle 0.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/s-e-l/id6762884768

The core loop is:

Scan the map
Find signals
Hack relays
Recover materials
Extract and bank rewards
Craft tools
Go deeper

The game has a dark cyberpunk / Runner OS style, with factions, signal hacking, field bags, PvP hacking, crafting, Vault progression, and real-world signal discovery.

Current features include:

GPS-based signal discovery
Relay hacking
Field bag recovery
Vault and inventory progression
Crafting and materials
Faction alignment
PvP hacking
Signal Directives
Cyberpunk-style Runner interface

I’m looking for people who enjoy location-based games, extraction mechanics, hacking systems, or experimental indie games to try it and tell me what works and what does not.

What I’m most interested in:

Does the core loop make sense?
Is scanning clear?
Does hacking feel interesting?
Does the GPS/map flow work?
What feels confusing?
What would make you keep playing?

The game is called S.E.L on the iOS App Store.

Feedback, criticism, screenshots, and screen recordings are all helpful.

Scan. Hack. Extract. Survive.

u/Division-11 — 4 days ago

▲ 8 r/GameDeveloper+5 crossposts

Come try S.E.L!

Alpha SEL — an AR extraction game for iOS. Looking for early testers.
Built this solo. It’s a location-based extraction game where you scan your environment to find hidden caches, encounter corrupted geometric entities, and try to get out without losing your loot.
Core loop right now: surface scan → locate cache → open it (or fight for it). Defender encounters are in — three types, each plays differently.
It’s rough in places. That’s why I’m here.
iOS only. TestFlight link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/cBqmWU8k
If you run into something broken or something that just feels off, I want to hear it.

u/Division-11 — 2 months ago

▲ 1 r/augmentedreality

Hey all,

I’ve been building an experimental mobile AR project called SEL (Synthetic Emergent Lifeform) using Unity Engine + AR Foundation, and I’m trying to explore something I don’t see much in AR right now—tension instead of comfort.

The loop is built around scanning your real-world environment to locate anchored caches (currently testing with VPS-style placement inspired by Niantic’s approach). As you collect resources, the system gradually destabilizes—visual distortion, signal interference, and eventually a forced encounter before extraction.

The key design idea:

You can extract anytime and keep what you’ve gathered

But pushing deeper increases reward and the chance of losing everything

So instead of AR being passive or playful, I’m trying to make it feel like:

something is building up around you the longer you stay

Right now I’m experimenting with:

Spatial warping effects on meshes / particles to create a “far but close” feeling

Audio + haptics tied to proximity and signal strength

A final encounter system that triggers based on player greed (not time alone)

I’m still early in alpha, so I’m mostly trying to answer:

How do you create presence in AR without overloading the user visually?

What’s the line between tension and frustration in a real-world context?

Has anyone here experimented with making AR feel “hostile” instead of safe?

If anyone’s working in a similar space or wants to sanity check ideas, I’d love to compare notes. Also happy to share a build with a few people if you’re curious how it feels in practice.

Appreciate any thoughts.

reddit.com

u/Division-11 — 2 months ago