Seyed’s Side Quest: Building Games Backwards

Hi! My name is Seyed and I’m an indie developer. Unlike most indie stories, I NEVER dreamed of becoming a game developer, nor did I ever have a dream game. This may already sound like a disaster, haha, but trust me, in today’s turbulent indie game market, making your dream game is suicide.

I can talk about the games market for hours, so let’s put that aside for now. I was born in Tehran, raised in Dubai, and have lived in London for the past 15 years. I think I would classify myself as a nerd. I studied physics at university and went as far as doing a PhD in condensed matter physics.

After graduating, I teamed up with a friend, and we started a tech startup. The product was a multi-scale simulation platform for materials. Well, it ended up being among the 90% of startups that fail. We went our separate ways, and I started my second startup. This time, it was an AI startup (before generative AI) to predict material properties based on their composition. Statistically speaking, that one didn’t work either, but the tech was cool, and an idea struck me! What if I use the tech as a core crafting mechanic in a game? And that was where my gamedev journey began.

Spent a good time to learn Unreal Engine while developing the worst prototypes of my life. Had some talented students and grads join me on the project. After about two years of hard work, we had a pitch deck, a trailer, and a demo. I pitched the game to 70+ publishers, and I got 70 thumbs down. This was the point that I understood, making the game you want without understanding the market and the target audience is an excellent recipe for disaster!

So I killed my darling, took my sweet time to understand Steam’s market and genres, and started my second project. After two years of work, it’s almost ready to be announced soon. And given that I wrote this bio for Hashtag Survival, you can guess that it is an open-world survival craft game 😀

Survival Link

My story is perhaps different from that of many developers in the genre!
What linked me to survival was neither any passion for bushcrafting nor any survival game that particularly inspired me. It was merely driven by the desire to make a game in a genre that would be commercially viable, and that would allow me to recycle parts of the systems and mechanics I made for my first game.

The answer was none other than an OWSC game!

Check Out Some Games I Love!

I’m a PC nerd and I’m proud that I never bought a console, haha. My favourite games, such as the Age of Empires franchise, have their own very niche audience, so I will avoid recommending those types of games and stick to those with more general appeal.

Satisfactory: This game is so good to the point that I don’t want to recommend it, lol. It can get very addictive and have a negative impact on your personal and professional lives 😀

The Planet Crafter: Don’t judge it by the graphics. The core gameplay loop is actually tight!

Subnautica: This is the classic OWSC game, and I think everything is done right in this game. Offers various difficulty modes to capture different audiences.

Far Cry 3: Old game, but classic. It’s my favourite in the FC franchise.

Cyberpunk 2077: The scope and amount of content in this game is simply mind-blowing. The game world is very immersive, and you never run out of things to do. Great concept and excellent execution.

Random Stuff I Recommend

Thinking Fast and Slow (book)– This book changes how you see the world. You won’t be the same person after reading it.


Tenet (movie) – I know, this is a very unpopular opinion. Tenet is one of the most hated Nolan movies, but sorry, I think Tenet is the pinnacle of sci-fi done right. 

Coherence (movie) – A very underrated and hidden gem. If you’re into physics and sci-fi, this is a must-watch!

Alice in Borderland (TV series) – You think Squid Game is the best series? It’s because you haven’t watched AIB!


Razer Blackwidow – there is just something about mechanical keyboards that once you use them, you can’t go back to a normal one. Typing on a Blackwidow Green Switch is no different than playing piano. Music to the ears.

Logitech G502 – you would only know how bad the majority of mice are when you try the G502. It’s a mouse from another universe.
Home appliance:

Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner – Dyson makes the most boring chore of vacuuming fun.


American Eagle Jeans – Trust me, this has absolutely nothing to do with Sydney Sweeney’s ads. I have been an AE fan for the past 15 years. I genuinely believe they make great jeans.


Hellmann’s Burger Sauce – Burger sauce makes all the difference in burgers, and I think Hellmann’s chunky burger sauce is precisely what burger sauce should be. Nothing less, nothing more.


Chocolate honey milk – This is part of my morning routine. It elevates my soul. It’s pure meditation. I don’t drink tea or coffee. I mix cocoa powder with honey, add a tiny bit of hot water to dissolve it, and then add cold milk. My mom made me this when I was a kid, and I am forever grateful for it.


Shelem – This is a niche card game, only played by a niche segment of professional card players. This game is so good, I’m actually surprised there is no PC game on this. Maybe I’ll make it one day!

Deuter – I use Deuter almost daily. Doesn’t get old. Doesn’t degrade. It’s like a lifetime investment. You get to keep it forever.

The Business of Video Games – This is hands down the best podcast to learn about the business side of video games with a focus on the indie ecosystem.