We hold a simple
conviction about AR
Technology that sits gently in the world, respects the person holding the phone, and does what it promises — that's what makes augmented reality worth pursuing.
Back to homeWhat actually drives the work
Overlay started from a fairly narrow observation: AR has real potential for mobile games, but most of the conversation around it leans heavily on what's theoretically possible rather than what actually holds up in people's hands.
That gap — between potential and reliable reality — is where we focus. Not because the ambition is wrong, but because closing that gap carefully is what makes the work worthwhile.
Depth without complexity
Measured pace
Respect for the person
Clear deliverables
The digital layer should feel welcome
Augmented reality at its best doesn't announce itself loudly. It sits alongside physical experience in a way that feels natural — adding something, not demanding attention. That's the vision we hold for mobile AR games: experiences that fit how people actually move through space, rather than ones that require patience or tolerance to get through.
We're not interested in AR that relies on hype to feel impressive. The experiences worth building are the ones that hold up on a second, third, tenth use — where the technology fades into the background and the game itself comes forward. Getting there takes careful work, and we think that care is worth the effort.
Things we keep coming back to
Honesty is a feature
Telling someone their idea has real challenges isn't a service failure — it's the actual service. We'd rather give you an accurate picture early than an optimistic one that falls apart later.
Devices set the terms
The phone in a player's pocket determines what's possible. We start from device realities — processing, camera quality, sensor limitations — rather than treating them as obstacles to route around.
Small and done beats large and half-finished
A single AR interaction that works reliably is more useful than a sprawling prototype that works sometimes. We keep scope tight and quality high, because that's what you can actually build on.
Comfort is part of design
An AR experience that's technically impressive but physically uncomfortable to use isn't a success. Arm fatigue, screen glare, confusing UI — these are design problems, and we take them seriously.
Progress doesn't need pressure
We don't believe in urgency tactics. Good AR work takes the time it takes, and the people we work with deserve to make decisions without feeling rushed toward a next step.
Clear notes, always
Whatever we deliver should be readable by the developer or designer who receives it. Unclear recommendations that sit in a folder don't help anyone.
How these translate into actual work
When we review a concept, we include the uncomfortable parts
A concept review from us won't just validate what's good about your idea. We look specifically for friction points — device limitations that might cause trouble, audience assumptions that might not hold, scope that might expand in uncomfortable ways. You get a full picture, not a filtered one.
Prototype scope is agreed before a single line is written
Before a prototype build begins, we confirm exactly what the deliverable is: one interaction, one surface type, one test build. There's no surprise expansion mid-project. If you later want more, that's a separate conversation with separate scope.
Comfort reviews happen in real-world conditions, not studios
We test in variable lighting, at different angles, over extended play sessions. The notes we produce reflect how the experience actually behaves when someone's standing outside, or moving around, or using it after ten minutes of play.
The person holding the phone matters most
Behind every AR experience is someone — curious, engaged, maybe slightly impatient — trying to play a game. Their comfort, their reading ability in changing light, their arm position after five minutes — these things shape whether an experience succeeds or quietly frustrates.
We keep that person in mind throughout all the technical work. Not as an abstract "user" but as a real individual whose experience matters and whose tolerance for friction is lower than most developers assume.
Readable in all conditions
Text, indicators, and placed objects should work in sunlight, shade, and indoors without adjustment.
Comfortable over time
Sustained play shouldn't require uncomfortable positions. We check for ergonomic friction, not just first impressions.
Interaction that makes sense
Controls and interactions should feel intuitive without requiring a tutorial to understand.
We don't follow AR trends, we follow AR problems
New AR capabilities appear regularly — better occlusion, improved lighting estimation, faster surface detection. We follow these developments, but adoption isn't automatic. We ask whether a new technique reliably improves the experience in everyday conditions before recommending it.
Careful attention over constant iteration
Rather than chasing each new release, we maintain a careful picture of which AR capabilities are genuinely stable across a wide range of devices. That picture informs every recommendation we make — and it changes more slowly than the hype cycle suggests.
We say what we see
Fixed pricing means you know the cost before you decide. No estimates that grow. No surprise additions. No "we'll need to revisit scope" midway through.
If a concept has a significant problem we can see at the outset, we'll say so in the first message back — not after you've paid for a full review. The goal is to save your time, not extend the engagement.
You're the one who knows your game
We come in as a focused collaborator, not as the authority on what your AR experience should be. You know your game, your audience, your creative goals. We know AR's constraints and possibilities in practice. The combination is what makes the work useful.
We ask questions. We check our assumptions. We make space for you to push back on our recommendations, because sometimes context we don't have changes the picture significantly.
What holds up matters more than what impresses once
AR effects that dazzle in a demo but create friction in daily play are not a success. The work we're most proud of is the kind where the AR becomes unremarkable — reliably present, clearly readable, and completely out of the way of the game itself.
That kind of quality doesn't come from speed. It comes from testing in real conditions, being willing to say something isn't ready yet, and caring about the player's tenth session as much as the first.
What to expect when you work with us
A response that's direct and specific
No vague encouragement, no hedge-everything caution. We aim to give you something concrete you can act on or think through.
A fixed cost before you decide
You know exactly what you're paying before any work begins. No surprises, no scope creep, no unexpected invoices.
No pressure toward the next step
Each service is complete in itself. We won't structure our delivery to create dependency or push you toward a follow-on engagement.
Output that's ready to use
Whether it's a review document, a prototype build, or a set of refinement notes — you get something in a format your team can work with directly.
If this sounds like a good fit
We'd be glad to hear about what you're working on. There's no commitment in reaching out, and we'll be straight with you about whether we're the right people to help.
Send us a message