World Builders,

Last time, we talked about the LifeRPG as a means to game your way to a higher level of productivity and achievement. The verdict was they're not a shortcut, and they could disappoint you if you have high expectations.

Life RPGs are Fun

LifeRPGs are interesting, and they can be fun games in an of themselves, but they aren't potent enough in terms of the reward systems they activate neurologically [1]. At least how they're currently designed, they will fail to propel you to greater heights you seek.

Without structure in place, they turn into their own sad version of a button-clicker game: just a quick "dopamine" hit and back to doing nothing of importance. Worse yet, you might get hooked on the "game" instead of getting hooked on the process.

They're Excellent To-Do List Managers

LifeRPGs might not be the best life-improvement tools, but they are a step above your average list-making tool. It's a brilliant way to spice up your Apple Notes or Clear experience. Even people who aren't drawn to traditional roleplaying games should find it more exciting to tap away the to-dos and earn fun loot in the process.

This is a bonus as long as you don't get too enamored with the gameplay and keep your lists manageable and regular. A to-do list isn't a shortcut to self improvement, however, if it's not part of the bigger picture.

Integrate them into your Larger Life System

Systems win at creating paths to improvement, hands down, over anything else you might employ as a means to design a better you. There is no one game programmed to capture all of the aspects of a system of improvement and there's a good reason for this.

Spoiler: life is the game, the rest is just how you play it.

When integrated into a more complete system (which can include goal setting as a practice, with some modifications), tools like the LifeRPG can give you an edge. It can keep the pursuit fun while you get rewards for handling the little things.

Alternatively, you can set the game up to capture your progress toward a larger goal and the game itself becomes your system tracker. Plenty of examples of LifeRPGs out there let you create self-directed goals and chip away at them [2].

Come Talk About LifeRPGs and More!

This Friday, July 28 at 8PM ET I'll be on with a live streamcast recording of an episode of the Infinite Levels podcast where I'm going to dig into the topic of LifeRPGs, systems, habits, and how you can enjoy the process by integrating games and competition.

I'll also be unboxing and talking about a neat physical product I picked up that is in the Life RPG genre that we can check out and discuss together.

Follow me on twitch and get notified when we're live! I can't wait to see you there. Light me up in the chat! Let's have some fun together.

🔔 Follow PlayArchitect on Twitch!

To future worlds,

Matt Ventre

[1] - Check out Andrew Huberman on Setting and Achieving Goals to learn more about the science behind goals.

[2] - HabitHunter and Level Up Life are a couple notable examples of Life RPGs with goal setting features.

Did you know it's Christmas in July over at DriveThruRPG? The entire PlayArchitect Games catalog is on sale: up to 25% off everything through 7/31!