Habitica is an online task management app designed as a role-playing game. The document discusses improving Habitica's design to increase long-term user engagement. Suggestions include adding a storyline, unlockable content, pet skills, leaderboards, item drops, and tutorials. The core activity loop would involve completing tasks, developing one's character, battling monsters, gaining rewards, and helping other players.

1. Gamification Design Challenge
Improving Design for Habitica
Copyright © 2017 Ivan Milev Ltd. All rights reserved 
3 March 2017Ivan Milev Ltd.

2. Agenda
About Habitica
Design sample slides
Strategy Dashboard
Ideation
Core Activity Loop

3. About Habitica
Habitica is an online task management web application that takes the
form of a role-playing game. Its main goals is to help players keep track of
and remain motivated to achieve their goals and ultimately change their
habits for the better.
The game is laid out in the form of an RPG, in which the player grows,
collects items, resources and becomes more powerful when maintaining
real-life goals.

4. The challenge
 Habitica has seen relative success with decent brand awareness.
 Long-tern engagement is still a problem. Many users leave once the
freshness wears off.
 It also has a difficult time breaking into the mainstream as a
productivity app.
Our goal:
Study the app and offer improvements.

5. Agenda
About Habitica
Design sample slides
Strategy Dashboard
Ideation
Core Activity Loop

6. Business Metrics
The key business metrics* Habitica wants to improve on in order of importance
are :
1. Daily Active Users
2. Weekly returning user after 6 months
3. Weekly tasks completed per active user
4. Onboarding Completion
5. Social Activities and Outreach within App
* Note: In another case key business metrics will be discussed with the client. For the purpose of the competition
I will take the ones for the presentation (also in terms of importance)

7. Traffic statistics for habitica.com
* Note: The information is based on statistics from www.semrush.com and www.alexa.com. They may not be completely accurate
but will make an assumption that they are correct.

8. Demographic statistics for habitica.com
* Note: The information is based on traffic statistics from www.alexa.com. They may not be completely accurate but will make an
assumption that they are correct. More research is needed to make a more accurate conclusions.
Based on the statistics we can assume that:
 More female than male are using habitica.
 Most users have some degree which means that children (under 18) are not a target
audience.
 Out target audience is adults between 25-45 years (more female than male) that have a
number of tasks to complete – studying, working, having children
 Working parents (particularly working mothers) represent a special target croup so we
will address them in out gamification design.

9. Core drives embedded in Habitica

10. Core drives embedded in Habitica
The current Habitica app:
 Relies mostly CD2, CD4 to stimulate users to complete tasks
 Uses also CD5 and CD8
 Uses with limited functionalities CD1, CD3, CD6 and CD7
Some anti-core drives used in the current Habitica app:
 Change my behavior for the better (CD1) - Spend time to understand what to do in the
game (CD8)
 Change my behavior for the better CD1 - Make in-app purchases (CD8)
 Progress in the game (CD2), collects pets (CD4) - Make in-app purchases (CD8)
 Spend time with my guild, doing group quests, daily log-ins (CD5) – Doing real life work
(CD2), spending time with real friends (CD5)

11. Desired actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
Desired Actions Feedback Mechanics Incentives & Rewards
Discovery
Go to the website Wellcome, Homepage Access to website
Register Email, thank you screen Access to the portal
Onboarding
Complete onboarding Gold, solver, XP Gold, silver, XP
Customize avatar Proceed to next step N/A
Create to-dos Proceed to next step N/A
Create Daily tasks Proceed to next step N/A
Create Habits Proceed to next step N/A
Create rewards Proceed to next step N/A
Buy gems Notifications, thank you screen Gems

12. Desired actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
Desired Actions Feedback Mechanics Incentives & Rewards
Scaffolding
Check in every day Notification screen, congratulaions
screen
Gold, silver, random rewards, XP
Customize avatar Channging avatar N/A
Add new to-dos Added to list N/A
Add new Daily tasks Added to list N/A
Add new Habits Added to list N/A
Add new rewards Added to list N/A
Complete to-dos Notifications Gold, silver, random rewards, XP, badge
Complete Daily tasks Notifications Gold, silver, random rewards, XP, badge
Complete Habits Notifications Gold, silver, random rewards, XP, badge
Collect rewards Notifications Items in your inventory, afford real life
reward
Buy gear Notifications Items in your inventory
Choose a character class Channging avatar Avatar
Grow character - allocate points Progress bar, levels Status. Access (need to be certain lvl to
choose a char)
Join party with anotther person Additional avatars on screen, channging
interface
Access go group quests
Complete quests Notifications Gold, silver, random rewards, XP, badge
Join a guild Notifications, access to guild Access quests,

13. Desired actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
Desired Actions Feedback Mechanics Incentives & Rewards
Scaffolding
Fill out a survey, help test new
functionalities
Thank you messages Gems, exclusive equipment, and
prestigious titles
Contribute to Habitica Thank you messages, notifications Hall of contributors, gems, exclusive
equipment, prestigious titles.
Participate in challenges Notifications Gems
Participate in seasonal events Notifications Gold, silver, random rewards, XP, badge
Buy gems - buy gems, potions, food,
avatars, backgrounds
Notifications, thank you screen Gems
Create a shared task list Notifications N/A
Assign tasks to group members Notifications N/A
Claim a task that you are working on Notifications N/A
Mark tasks that require special approval Notifications N/A
Chat privately with your group Notifications N/A
Create a group Notifications Access to group, Power - group
moderator
Fight bosses Progress bar Gold, silver, random rewards, XP, badge

14. Desired actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
Desired Actions Feedback Mechanics Incentives & Rewards
Endgame
Find all pets Notifications Badge
Find all mounts Notifications Badge
Find all pets and mounts x2 Notifications Badge
Upgrade max weapona and aromor Notifications Badge
Begin a new adventure .. Start again Notifications Badge

15. Commentary on actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
* Note: The information is based on traffic statistics from from www.semrush.com
Discovery
 Statistics show more than 80% bounce rate, less than 2 pages viewed per visitors and
around 3 minutes spend per visitor on site.
 Website seems well build but could be improved by adding more comprehensive
presentation of the game on homepage.
 The registration process is fluent and easy.
Suggestions
 An interesting video combining with some beautiful graphics could also help
 Some more information on building habits could be added to the website and how Habitica
uses gamification to engage users and help them.
 In terms of marketing, considering the budget is limited (almost
not existing for an open source project) spending some small
budget an FB advertisement
 Visual redesign will be beneficial to reach more mainstream
users.

16. Commentary on actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
Onboarding
 The onboarding process is poorly designed, not very comprehensive and even
confusing
 At first this screen looks too complicated. All the options of the panel are open to
explore which is too overwhelming for the user.
 The game’s narrative is missing during onboarding, and is hard to understand also
during the other phases of the game
 Too much emphasis is given on loss during onboarding. Using CD8 during onboarding
not a good idea (purchasing gems, the loosing health explanation on screens during
onboarding)
 Some bugs also show at this point which is demotivating.
Suggestions
 Guide the user without too many complicated options. Dim the background and only
show things one step at a time with clear guidelines and user friendly options.
 Really missing the general meaning: add some interesting storyline
 Remove the emperies on CD8 and concentrate on CD2
 Add more feedback mechanisms – gaining gold silver XP and show why. Add glowing
choices

17. Commentary on actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
Scaffolding
 Most desired actions of the game are concentrated in this phase which makes is full of
different actions a user could do.
 Feedback mechanisms are relatively well done and appropriate even though they could
be improved. For example: How lifting levels benefit you is unclear, when you have an
egg you don’t have a reminder to hatch it and so on
 Feedback mechanisms and rewards are attached to most of the desired actions which
makes the Octalysis Strategy Dashboard complete in most cases
 After onboarding however the screen is too complicated with too many options.
Almost all content sections are unlocked even though the user still cannot use them -
pets, mounts, armors, weapons, rewards, quests, guilds, party…
 How to continue your progress after onboarding is unclear and takes time to explore.
 Users can easily cheat lifting levels (the game relies entirely on users not cheeting)
 Congratulations screens have too much information which could confuse users and
diminish the achievement effect
 Even though hatching eggs, collecting pets and mounts is a significant part of the game
they do not have any effect on the game itself and only serve as Collection Sets and as
part of your avatar

18. Commentary on actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
Scaffolding
Suggestions
 Make some sections unlockable and don’t show them from start.
 Convey more the feeling of achievement adding more congratulations screens.
 Connect lifting levels with quests, unlockable sections, content, quests and so on.
 Congratulations screens should be more clear and with less information
 Add some benefit to pets and mounts, probably link them to quests
 Create a series of linked events, missions, quests and link them to a more general
storyline that is connected to the general goal – changing my habits

19. Commentary on actions, feedback mechanisms and
rewards/incentives in current app
Endgame
 As it seems from the analysis Habitica is not designed for an endgame apart
from a couple of badges and the option to start again which has no real value
in my opinion
Suggestions
 Encourage mentorship - Higher levels players could be able to take a pupil to
teach/guide.
 Add random item drops of special very powerful items from monsters that
are rare to encourage redoing of bosses.
 Add seasonal events based on character level. Higher levels have an access to
monsters that have better drops.
 Content generation and expert advice – advanced players could gain access
to a knowledge section where they could write quides and gain additional
honors

20. Agenda
About Habitica
Design sample slides
Strategy Dashboard
Ideation
Core Activity Loop

21. Improved Habitica

22. Ideation – suggestions for new functionalities (1)
Create a storyline, a path to follow and tasks on the way to achieve goals and to grow. Create a narrative.
Create friend lists separate for party who will can see your progress and achievemets.
Sent tasks to other person/s option - Create tasks/missions/quest for friends and send them to them –
children, husband for example. Could add another type of points. Option to:
- Send tasks that require the other person to respond as to ne to receive points
- Tasks that require confirmation from the sender so that the user can receive points
- Option to send directly points for some action
For example:
(1) Create a challenge foe a group of friends to go to the cinema – whoever comes – the other will say he
has done it and he will receive points.
(2) Create a random drop – when creating a daily for your child you can add a random drip that could
happen – I buy you a new phone with 0,01% change to happen when you complete this daily
Create a map - the world of Habitika that to be explored to support the storyline.
Create predefined challenges and duels for the entire guild
Add guild levels
Create duels between guilds, players. Loosing a duel will lead to health loss

23. Ideation – suggestions for new functionalities (2)
Missions depending on your user journey – what do u want to achieve – where to grow – improve. Create
a predefined missions that users can choose from and that will improve habbits for them. For example:
- Quit smoking (based on some techniques to quit smoking)
- Loose weight
More creativity when growing pets. Add skills to develop develop in pets. Add a pet benefit and pet
bonuses that will benefit the player.
Put general statistics and comparison. Leaderboard - Individual, Guild
Different classes of items - Beating monsters can drop special items – with a % chance. You can buy gear
but the most powerful gear only drops from monsters. Random elite items.
How to build good habits – tutorials, education, sharing content from selected others that achieved high
levels
Higher levels players should be able to take a pupil to teach/guide
Unlockable content
Benefits from pets and mounts
Interesting storyline
Glowing choices
Limit some actions to once a day:
- being able to make a special character punch/hit once a day during duels/quests that deals special high
damage
- Special rewards for daily logins

24. Agenda
About Habitica
Design sample slides
Strategy Dashboard
Ideation
Core Activity Loop

25. Core Activity Loop
Complete tasks
Develop
character, pets,
mounts
Battle monsters,
players guilds
Gain gems: through gameplay or with real money
Gain XP, Gold,
Points, Random
rewards, Gems
Complete quests
Help others,
mentorship and
guidance

26. Agenda
About Habitica
Design sample slides
Strategy Dashboard
Ideation
Core Activity Loop

27. Design suggestions – redesign of the main panel
World of Habitica
Quests
Guild
Party

28. Thank you for your attention!
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/ivan-milev/27/341/908
Ivan Milev
ivanvmilev@gmail.com