Habitica Brings Gamified Personal Development To Android

Gamifying work, projects and goals seems to be all the rage nowadays, and HabitRPG, now known as “Habitica,” is one of the first personal GTD apps to fully gamify the experience of personal development. The concept is something that gamers are familiar with: As the user acquires a new positive habit or phases out bad ones, they get rewards, according to the progress they make. And sometimes, the rewards turn out to be worth the effort!

Habitica just re-launched its Android app this Dec. 14, rebuilt from the ground up. The previous version, last updated on Nov. 14, was a rather buggy port from iOS. The latest, relaunched iteration for Android is more promising, as it is an app tailor-made for the Android.

Habitica is best used with a community. A community allows for accountability, which is the principle that the app runs on. A user will be able to make great progress with their tasks, and even lives, because they are mindful of their accountability towards their community. More than that, Habitica has team challenges available, which makes it tougher for a Habitica user to drop the ball. On their “How It Works” page, Habitica outlines a team challenge, wherein if a team member fails to do the task, the whole team experiences the consequences. One of these consequences includes having the team fight a major “enemy,” also known in game circles as “The Boss,” or “boss level.” In no uncertain terms does Habitica explain it: “A day you miss the gym is a day the boss hurts everyone.”

Habitica also reminds users that the principle of the RPG-flavored GTD app is centered on instant gratification. Psychology already explains that the reason that people have addictions is that they are seeking the highs brought about by instant gratification. So whether it’s a shopping or a painkiller addiction, the concept is the same: The pleasure-seeker is looking for a way to get happy, stat.

Habitica leverages that ingrained pleasure-seeking drive and works it into a behavioral modification system that gives instant happies. Forget waiting for Likes on Facebook; try progressing on learning a new thing or breaking a bad habit instead.

With Habitica now properly ported to the Android, it’s high time to integrate positive life changes, and be rewarded, RPG-style, for each baby step made towards the goal. So gather your friends and family and get into the compelling RPG “game” that may transform into real-life rewards, the most fulfilling of which would be lasting behavioral changes that translate into ultimate personal development.

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The Official Habitica/HabitRPG Website: https://habitica.com

Habitica on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.habitrpg.android.habitica

The old HabitRPG App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ocdevel.habitrpg

How Habitica Works: https://habitica.com/static/features

Habitica on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lefnire/habitrpg-mobile