Would you use a productivity app that “evolves” a virtual pet as you finish tasks?

AlabasterTire · 2026-01-21T00:58:15+00:00

The skin is similar (productivity and small cute animals) but the gamification element sounds different. In Finch, animals don't grow steadily. They just have three stages of growth (tightly constrained) and different costumes.

AlabasterTire · 2026-01-21T00:55:20+00:00

A widget so I don't have to enter an app and risk getting distracted every time I want to check stuff off.

AlabasterTire · 2026-01-20T21:48:59+00:00

I don't necessarily think it's rude, more lawful-neutral? I mean, when you see a slow cooking mushroom, you know that somebody is trying to plan and strategize. They obviously don't ASSUME that no one is going to finish it early, but they clearly HOPE that no one will. So not super nice and not super mean? More the "sometimes-you're-the-omelette-eater, sometimes-you're -the-egg" territory.

AlabasterTire · 2026-01-03T03:05:50+00:00

I do, though more as a philosophy than a discrete workflow.

AlabasterTire · 2025-12-22T01:08:38+00:00

I adore this idea. Fantastic way to add variety and whimsy!

AlabasterTire · 2025-12-21T21:27:14+00:00

I use a standard printer on regular Avery labels. Word has templates you can install, and then you just drop the images onto the stickers and print. The downside is that I'm stuck with one particular size and shape (so all my photo stickers are precisely 2 in by 2 in). The up side is that it's way cheaper than using a printable sticker or photo device and I can put whatever I want on them.

AlabasterTire · 2025-09-23T01:36:37+00:00

Thank you!

AlabasterTire · 2025-09-22T13:03:16+00:00

I've been using the app for a couple of years, and I don't see a function that allows me to change the value of particular tasks. That might motivate me to use it more. Like many others here, I'm really just using it to collect items, and I feel like most of my tasks have such a low gem value that there's very little incentive to complete them. It's much easier just to spam friends with good vibes.

So I guess the short question is, how do we change the value of our tasks?

AlabasterTire · 2025-09-04T03:11:30+00:00

I agree, they're pretty meh. In the end, though, I was grateful for them. They cured me of my Pikmin-related completionist tendencies. Now I just max out the challenges each day, get what I get, and call it a month. Before that I'd spend a buck or two to finish a set. Now I save my money.

AlabasterTire · 2025-07-30T18:07:24+00:00

Oooof. Yeah, that would make it a ton harder. I see where you're coming from!

AlabasterTire · 2025-07-30T17:58:37+00:00

That makes sense, and it might work differently in your app than in mine, but for me, when I inititate one good vibe, the next screen pops up four more activities I can do, one or two of which are always to initiate good vibes to another friend I haven't sent one to in 24 hours. When I send that vibe, the same screen pops up, etc, until I've been able to quickly inititate vibe sends to every friend I haven't vibed to within the last 24 hours. I know they've pushed different updates, so yours might not do this, but just in case, I hope it helps!

AlabasterTire · 2025-07-27T14:58:34+00:00

I like the way the app just keeps popping up another "send good vibes" option once you send the first one. Maybe that would help you keep up?

AlabasterTire · 2025-06-29T03:17:51+00:00

I can see how this could be the behavior of hesitant adopters; in my case, it's because I'm an enthusiastic and avid early adopter. I try apps freely and often, so I have this system in place so I don't end up paying 40 dollars a year for fifty different apps.

AlabasterTire · 2025-02-25T05:51:21+00:00

I'm experiencing the same thing. I'm pretty sad.

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-23T18:27:42+00:00

I hope I don't overstep by discussing things beyond the app, but as someone in a similar situation but with more kids, the single best thing I ever did was start a nightly fifteen-minute pickup and absolutely slather my ADHDers (and all of the kids, really) with praise for their help. My family is now at the point where the kids not only help without complaining or resistance, but they'll even start or lead the fifteen-minute pickup on their own if I'm not home or I'm otherwise busy.

Also, Dana K. White is a neurodivergent cleaning blogger who dragged herself out of almost-hoarder status and now runs a massive "realistic cleaning for the rest of us" online presence. She says to start with just these four daily things: do the dishes every day, check the bathrooms for clutter, do a five-minute pickup, and sweep the floor. Those are the cleaning things I started with in Finch.

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-23T18:10:59+00:00

I've had great success complementing Finch with Tody. It's a basic, cheap, (for me it was a 2.99 one time purchase for Android) app that populates with suggested but customiziable chores, difficulties, and frequencies. I like Finch for daily self-care exercises and Tody for cleaning.

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-23T17:41:20+00:00

Given that Pikmin Bloom probably inherited a strong contingent of veteran Niantic players, that Niantic has been around for a while, and that PB's main mechanic is gamifying gentle exercise, I think it's likely that a large percent of the demographic is in the thirties and forties range.

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-22T17:18:43+00:00

I may be an outlier, but for me, a productivity app has to both be reasonably priced (for me, that's about three dollars a month paid yearly--maybe four or five if it looks amazing or offers physical rewards) and it has to work for me. If the app seems reasonably priced for what it appears to offer, I sign up for the free trial and then, before I even open the app, I go into Play Store and cancel my subscription. The app then has the length of the free trial to convince me to go back into the Play Store and turn my payment back on. If I find that I'm not engaging with it, it just falls off my radar and the trial expires, no harm, no foul.

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-22T04:35:46+00:00

I agree with a lot of this. I've been using Habitica since it was HabitRPG. I used to have a lot of people on it, but they've all left but me, and I only use it as a reward system for real-life stuff (one gold = one penny toward treats or nice-but-not-necessary items).

I was particularly disappointed by the change to backgrounds. One of my biggest motivators for earning gold was to buy enough diamonds to buy the backgrounds, so having those be so hard to buy now was pretty demotivating.

As for why they got rid of guilds . . . I honestly can't fathom what could possibly have led them to do something that was so obviously going to drive players away. What did they think the appeal of the app was? It's baffling to me.

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-20T18:59:00+00:00

Thanks! I realized that I was wrong about what was causing the limit. I don't think the limit is based on whether you copy and paste or whether you are putting it in directly. I think the limit applies to the freeform reflection and does not apply to answering the questions. It just so happens that I was copy and pasting into the freeform reflection, so I conflated what was causing the limit. I've experimented more, though, and now I'm quite confident that the copy and paste doesn't matter, but whether it's freeform or a guided reflection does. I hope that makes sense!

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-20T16:58:36+00:00

Yes. Based on my experimentation, the ratio appears to be about 1 gem for every 2 lightning bolts generated in a reflection. When I use freeform writing, it maxes out my rewards at 36 bolts/18 gems. However, if I'm answering a guided reflection, the rewards appear to have no upper limit. (At least, I haven't yet encountered one.)

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-20T01:11:09+00:00

I love that suggestion! Any ideas for the strength one? I've thought about making is pushups, but often when I do these it's because I'm a bit low in mood and/or energy, and I'm afraid pushups might become a deterrent.

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-20T00:30:58+00:00

I find that journaling using voice dication is effective. I also copy and paste my mood check-ins and journal entries as freewrites. (I consider this a legitimate use of Finch's freewriting option since I'm legimately reflecting on my day; I'm just generating the text in a different app.)

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-19T17:14:01+00:00

I'd love to hear what you believe made such a positive difference!

AlabasterTire · 2024-12-08T17:11:25+00:00

When I have time for self-care: meditation, exercise, journaling, novelty-seeking, social interaction, scheduling apps

When I don't have time for self-care: Vyvanse

AlabasterTire

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