[Elarion: Aetherfall] Add a spectator mode for PvP matches

Hey r/games! Solo dev here - excited to share Elarion: Aetherfall for Indie Sunday. # Gameplay Footage [Gameplay here](https://youtube.com/shorts/SOadlXSpGcw) # What Is It? Elarion: Aetherfall is a PvP card battler for iOS built around a priority-based combat system that makes every round a mind game. You build an 8-card deck from 70+ characters across 6 factions, draw 4, and go head-to-head over up to 4 rounds. But here's where it gets interesting - **one player commits their card first**, and the opponent gets to **see which card was played before choosing their response**. The catch? Neither player knows how much Aether (your resource pool for the entire match) the other committed. Since attack power scales with Aether spent, every round becomes a bluffing game: do you go all-in early or bait your opponent into burning resources? # What Makes It Different * **Priority system** \- Not simultaneous, not full-information. The responding player sees your card but not your Aether commitment. Creates constant bluffing and counter-play. * **Aether resource management** \- You start with 12 Aether for the whole match. Overspend early and you're defenseless later. Play too conservatively and you lose rounds you needed to win. * **Faction synergies** \- 6 factions (assassins, bio-horror cultists, Aether mages, industrial workers, mutated survivors, manipulators) each with clan bonuses that activate when you run 2+ of the same faction. Deckbuilding is a puzzle between raw stats and faction synergy under a strict rank cost cap. * **70+ characters with unique abilities** \- Cards aren't just stat sticks. Abilities trigger on win, on loss, or passively-stopping opponent abilities, draining Aether, boosting power, healing, and more. # Fair Model All gameplay content is unlocked from the start. No pay-to-win, no gacha. Monetization is cosmetic-only - card art variants, card backs, battle arenas, effects. There's also a player-run Night Market where you can trade cosmetics with other players. # Current State The game is **live on iOS** with ranked matchmaking, seasonal battle passes, and regular balance patches. I've been actively shipping updates based on community feedback - the meta is evolving and the player base has been great about surfacing deck strategies and balance issues. # Links * **App Store**: [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/elarion-aetherfall/id6754101666](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/elarion-aetherfall/id6754101666) * **Discord**: [https://discord.com/invite/VDa9CWJNTA](https://discord.com/invite/VDa9CWJNTA) Happy to answer any questions about the design, the priority system, or anything else. Been working on this for a while and love talking about the mechanics.