itch.io

What if instead of finishing tasks we thought of our todo lists as a mob of monsters ready for slaying?

Over the last few months I've been working on a system to help keep people motivated and on track as they seek to finish their never ending list of todos. When people normally say "gamified" they usually mean "we have points and badges" however a lot of gamified apps miss out on many major parts of gamification.

With the system I'm making, Dayquest, you'll be able to continue using the same todolist or task management tool you use everyday BUT be able to turn it into a quest!

To do this I've been documenting (like a table top game) a "rulebook" that will explain:

• How to turn tasks into monsters
• How to track points earn for monsters slain
• How to use your tracked points to rank up from Copper to Bronze to etc

As I finish up the basic task management rulebook I'm planning to release another more extended guide about how to use the system to do project and goal management with a gamified spin.

Any feedback on the concept is really appreciated!

Key Question

• What'd you think of the idea/description?

At the start of 2022 I was constantly overwhelmed.

I had a mountain of tasks that I couldn't get past no matter how hard I tried.

BUT then I gamified my life with points, narrative, and silly naming.

This gamification has led to me becoming much happier as I track what to do and what has been finished.

Plus I can see on my weekly leaderboard that I'm becoming better week over week.

But how do you get started with gamified productivity?

Gamified productivity takes the fun of game-like structures and combines it with the outcomes of a productive lifestyle.

Let's assume "productive lifestyle" means the person is acting on health tips for physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.

For gamification we have to ask the super broad philosophical question "What is a game?"

Researchers define games as "activities usually involving skill, knowledge, or chance, where you follow rules and try to win or solve a puzzle".

However this definition doesn't take into account a lot of critical factors that go into making games resonate with people emotionally such as:

• Narrative / Theme / Setting
• Art / Visuals
• Rewards

To start with gamified productivity it'll help to take your favorite simple game loop and wrap it around how you complete your tasks or structure your week.

You can also add a strong narrative theme to help give yourself more internal motivation!

Here's an example.

In Pac-Man there's 3 main ways to get points:

• Small points from the dots on the path
• Big points from eating the big orbs then eating the ghosts
• Major points from fruit that's hard to eat

Now let's say points = priority but clearing the path = objective

If we add a narrative and simplify the points we have:

• Slimes | Small tasks | 10 pts
• Wolves | Big tasks | 100 pts
• Trolls | Major tasks | 1,000 pts

The labels and points can be added to your tasks to help set a priority PLUS start a weekly leaderboard with yourself!

I help a few others with their gamified productivity

So now I'm creating a group to do the same for anyone interested:

https://dayquest.carrd.co

If you want to start prioritizing your goals and slaying your tasks make sure to check out the page above!

One of the secrets to how I stay focused -  I call my tasks slimes, goblins, wolves, and trolls then treat my tasks like slaying monsters (years of RPG games helps with the mental imagery) 😂

And yes I do call myself the Task Slayer 🤣

I'm building a community of people interested in gamifying their productivity by adding an adventuring theme, monsters, points, and a personal leaderboard to help plan, prioritize, and review their week!

You can learn more at:

dayquest.carrd.co

The core system will be made free to everyone on the waiting list! After a day or two of setup, it can also be used on any modern tasks, todo, or project management tool!

Slaying tasks can get lonely so let's form a guild to become more productive together! ⚔️

Hey All! My team has started work on our next game and we’re looking for people to interview to understand more about what you like in games. The interview will only take 15-30min, and participation would be greatly appreciated!

You can learn more here:

https://airtable.com/shr09alu8Mnz0JK3q

Thanks!

Thank you! :)

Exactly! Always loved them as a kid XD

Thank you so much! :D 

Thanks for playing and leaving a comment!

Thanks for bringing up the text! Just did some testing and yeah think the text is cuz of how itch.io/unity webgl is working I'll make sure to add a full screen button after the ratings which should fix the base issue on most computers

Awesome character with an interesting ability! I love how the character's ability isn't exactly a perk yet engages the player in very unique way

Had a lot of fun! Very holistic: fun level, unique character, and great sounds!

Enjoyed this a lot! Really great design and hilarious character!

Cute character with a cute ability! Love the aesthetic!

Love the ability (always love games that have you summon helpers) Had fun with the examples you gave!

Interesting! Like the combination of keyboard and mouse controls

Cool ability!

Cool! I'm imagining super frantic gameplay! 

Cool ability! Would love to see this with some hilarious story added XD

Awesome ability and character! Really unique and love the mechanic. Could see a lot of awesome gameplay with this!

Very interesting! Love the art! 

Awesome! Loved the ability, inputs, and playing around with the boxes/crates!

Favorite part was how lose the ability was which led to some awesome moments like getting the box to fly me up to the ceiling

Awesome ability! Also really liked the character! Plus a great showcase of puzzle platforming levels!

Cool ability, the screen shake was epic!

Fun ability! Very fun to explore the level!

Interesting base ability! Would love to see how the planets interact with each other or the environment/enemies

Loved the art and animations!

Cool ability, would love to see the farts interacting with the character or environment 🤣

Cool ability! Could see adding different types of enemies or powerups/hazards 

Loved this ability and the demo level is great! Had a nice smile every time I barely dodge a missile 😁

Cute character with a hilarious ability! 🤣

Thank you for playing and for the super positive feedback! 😁

I wanted to try something besides an action mechanic and wanted to see if people would like an "explorative narrative puzzle". Super happy you enjoyed it! (Loved your game's art and ability!)

The skating feels good and like the idea of the ability!

Interesting controls! Could see some awesome platforming elements in future gameplay!

Thank you for playing! 😁 The open-endedness was definitely a design challenge, but...

What problems can't be solved with cursing? 🤣

Thank you so much for playing! 😁

Apologies for any weird bugs (I was having issue with Unity's scaling UI in those final moments 😆)

I'm definitely considering expanding it once GDKO is over 🤔

Thank you for playing and commenting! 😁

Woah! Thank you so much for this great feedback! 😁

For the jam wanted to keep things simple and toy like, but still puzzle-y XD You got exactly what I was going for with the mechanic (narrative-based puzzling) 🤩

Originally I was going to use the clerk as a tutorial and then have a second area where you had to get past two guards, but sadly I got a bad cold during Round 1 and couldn't work on the entry as much as I'd planned 😔

One more time thank you for the great feedback (really considering expanding this more, but that might have to wait till after GDKO) 😆

Cool ability!😁

Interesting character with a great ability! Really loved the art and the combination of abilities! 😁