In 2017, I downloaded a game called InstLife. It was my first text-based life simulator, and it changed everything for me.
“InstLife gave you full control. Every choice mattered. It was everything I ever wanted in a life sim.”
BitLife came out around the same time. Both were good. But InstLife always felt different—like you were actually living a life, not just tapping through prompts.
That's when I knew I wanted to build something like it someday.
2019. College. I started learning to code. From day one, “build my own life sim” went on the bucket list.
But I wasn't ready. Not even close.
So I spent years building other things. Websites. Backends. Servers. Flight software. I became a systems engineer—the kind of person who obsesses over architecture and logic, not flashy UIs.
By 2026, I was finally ready. ChronaLife became my first Apple app—and the biggest bucket list item I've ever checked off.
You might notice the color scheme feels familiar. That's on purpose. I'm a backend guy—I build systems, not pretty UIs. So I took what worked and focused on what I'm good at.
Simple UI means faster iteration. Every week I'm shipping new features, new systems, more depth. That's the trade-off, and I think it's worth it.
The proof is in the pudding. Play it and see.