Detection Timer for Alien Invasyndrome

This Detection Timer paces the hide window after you are spotted in Alien Invasyndrome Demo (Steam 4603980). Plan for about one minute of hide-focused recovery on Atlas. The widget defaults to 60 seconds. Use it to train patience, not to speedrun alert clears.

18+ adult stealth-action; mechanical tone only. Developer Mozu Field / 百舌鳥; publisher Shady Corner Games. Full release TBA.

Why the timer exists

Confirmed detection burns time and pushes crew onto alert paths. Many Demo losses happen because players keep nesting, peeking, or sprinting for doors during the penalty. The correct response is boring: break line of sight, softlock or corner-hold, wait, then re-check facing before exit.

Read the full model on Stealth and Detection. Action bindings: Stealth Actions. If desk cover traps you, use Softlock Fixes instead of mashing interact while the timer runs.

Detection Timer widget

Set seconds (default 60), press Start when spotted, Reset when you leave cover cleanly or abort the drill. Display is mm:ss.

How to run a hide drill

1. Enter Kitchen, Clinic, Lab, or Cafeteria with a known escape tile.
2. Allow a spot or simulate one by starting the timer as you break line of sight.
3. Do not nest, loot, or cross open floor while the clock runs.
4. Softlock under a desk only if the nearest patrol is committed away from your exit.
5. When the timer hits zero, peek facing, then leave cover in one continuous burst.
6. Reset the widget and repeat until exits feel dull.

Room-specific timer notes

Kitchen

Short loops mean the minute matters. Counter corners beat island crossings. If you leave cover at 0:40 because you are bored, you are training the fail.

Clinic

Desk softlocks are common. Start the timer as you enter cover. Use the minute to solve exit orientation, not to spam interact. Pair with softlock recovery reading if input sticks.

Laboratory

Long sightlines punish early exits. Stay down for the full window even if the nearest crew walked away at 0:25—second peeks from far doors are common.

Cafeteria

Open seating creates false “clear” reads. Hold choke points near serving lines until the timer ends, then cross once.

Security

If spotted mid A/B route, timer discipline beats route improvisation. Abort to cover, wait, then leave the room rather than swapping routes under alert. Route pages: Security Room, Security Routes.

Timer and skill spends

Skills do not skip the hide tax. INT setup can reduce how often you need the timer; STR pressure does not erase a confirmed spot. Log spends on Skill Planner only after you can survive one full hide window without restarting. Early order: Early Build.

Nest interactions started under alert are how Demo routes collapse. Keep Nest Checklist closed until the timer finishes.

Recovery loop cheat sheet

1. Accept the ~1 minute hide.
2. Break line of sight; prefer corners and deck transitions over open corridors.
3. Softlock if the room furniture supports a safe exit later.
4. Stop interacting; cancel mid-nest if needed.
5. Re-check patrol facing at 0:00.
6. Set a short next goal: next door or next marker—not the whole deck.

Practice block (10 minutes)

• 2× Kitchen corner holds with full timer
• 2× Clinic desk enter/exit with full timer
• 1× intentional nest abort when a patrol turns, then timer hide
• 1× Security door abort scout with timer if spotted

Map support: Key Rooms, Map Hub. Broader stealth theory remains on Stealth and Detection.

Common mistakes

• Restarting every spot instead of learning the penalty window.
• Leaving cover when the nearest crew turns away but the timer still has thirty seconds.
• Nesting because the prompt is available during alert.
• Treating STR nodes as a stealth skip.
• Ignoring Locale Emulator when UI misreads cause false stuck reports (Locale Emulator).

Related pages

• Tools Hub
• Stealth and Detection
• Softlock Fixes
• Stealth Actions
• Nest Checklist
• Skill Planner
• How to Play

Start the clock when spotted. Earn the right to move again. That habit clears more Atlas rooms than any highlight capture.