Screen test Will treating life as a game improve it?

Self-care apps promise to sort out our lives, but do the quests, magic potions and rainbow stones actually work? We try out four of them

- Chloë Hamilton

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W e all find it hard, at times, to fit in self-care. But if there's one thing I've noticed since becoming a mum of two small children, it's that even the most basic level of personal care requires military-level planning.

Often, I pour from an empty cup because I haven't had time - or, more likely, I've simply forgotten - to refill it.

Fortunately, there's an app for that.

Lots, in fact. The global self-care apps market was valued at $3bn in 2024 and is forecast to reach $14bn by 2033. Many of these apps turn self-care into a game to help users look after themselves.

Gamification expert Kimba CooperMartin says of the trend: "Gamification taps into psychological motivators like achievements, competition (even with yourself) and rewards. It makes tasks more engaging and less like chores." So, I put four gamified apps - Finch, Habitica, Ahead and Pokémon Sleep - to the test for one week each to see if they could help me take better care of myself. All are available for iOS and Android and have free versions or free trials, plus extra features for a small additional monthly fee.

Finch 'I like keeping track of my goals, but I find that the concept is lost on me'

Finch, which launched in 2021, encourages users to look after themselves by, um, making them look after a pet. As you complete self-care goals on Finch (drinking more water, meditating, running), your little pet (they call it a birb) will go on adventures, grow, be happy. And if you don't hit your goals? Don't worry: according to the app's creators, the pets "never die because it can be too anxiety inducing".

Sure, I already have a baby, a toddler and a spaniel to look after, but what's another mouth to feed? "You hatched a birb," my phone tells me when I open Finch for the first time.