This Unique Indie Game Simulates a Phone Experience

I’m sure I’m not the only one who sometimes finds themselves mindlessly opening and closing apps, as if sifting through virtual shop windows just to feel a bit more active.

IAIYWOYP introduces this intriguing scenario where you’re simply pretending to be engaged with your phone. It gives you random commands and tasks, such as:

Open your eyes wide, then form a frown.

You’ll find yourself tapping circles as they appear, swiping on cue, and occasionally prompted to give your screen a good wipe.

This creates the perfect blend of motions, making it seem to anyone nearby—like those folks at the next table in a restaurant—that you’re not really paying attention to them, just busy with your phone.

What I find both fascinating and a tad unsettling is just how gratifying this whole routine feels. I enjoy double-tapping a pink circle and thoughtfully touching my lips with my fingers. Perhaps it’s the element of role-play, or maybe this straightforward interaction mirrors what I actually get from my phone usage. I admit I’m hooked on my phone, though all I really have to show for it is close to 2,000 wins in Sawayama Solitaire.

So if taking commands from a quirky phone game holds my attention as much as scrolling through Bluesky, it begs the question—what exactly am I doing here?