My Experiences Using Spirit City: Lofi Sessions, A Productivity Tool

A few months ago, a co-worker of mine reviewed Spirit City: Lofi Sessions — a productivity tool that also kind of works as a game by giving you in-game currency you can spend to decorate your room and character. I had heard about productivity tools before, but I had never considered trying one, as I figured I'd just eventually stop using it and waste money. Still, Spirit City stayed in the back of my mind as I thought about all the praise she had given it, and as a big sucker for anything to do with customisation and decoration, I ended up buying it.

As I've mentioned a million times, I have a terrible memory and attention span, so I tend to have days when I'm an awful worker. I always figured it had something to do with laziness or lack of motivation, but I began taking it much more seriously ever since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia this February. On the 1st of May, I bought Spirit City in hopes it would provide a relaxing atmosphere while I work and help me stop forgetting as much; I figured that if I reached level 50, I'd write about my experience... and on the 5th of August, just six days ago, I finally hit the goal.

As Alyssa says in her review, Spirit City has a ton of phenomenal features. Some of them help with productivity, such as the Pomodoro timer and the to-do list, and others keep you invested and coming back, like the pets and decoration. I wanted to try it all, even if I might not end up sticking to it, so I explored everything the game has to offer. My favourite feature is the to-do list because, with it, I've been able to keep track of my tasks much easier; this has helped me unload some of my mind's preoccupation and free up that attention for the actual tasks, making getting through work more manageable. While it could do with some more polishing (such as setting daily ones instead of having to uncheck every day or synchronising with the calendar), it alone would've made the purchase worth it. I had underestimated how much the anxiety of forgetting things had bogged down my ability to focus.

Unsurprisingly, I loved the Pomodoro timer — it was a great way to help me keep track of how long I had been working on any task, and it also helped me take some breaks without feeling guilty. This was especially useful during days when I struggled with mental fog and couldn't focus or put the effort necessary into some tasks. While it's not something I use very often, I try to keep it in mind whenever I sit down for a particularly heavy day of duties. Sadly, since I only use Spirit City whenever I'm working, it makes it harder to use the timer, but I'm hoping once I get back into more writing, it'll become a more significant part of my routine.

At the moment, I haven't done much in the way of journaling; although it's something I've done throughout all my life (I have like nine diaries from my childhood safely kept in my closet), I haven't had the time or energy for it.Once things settle down more in my personal life, I can't imagine it won't become part of my to-do list, especially if more customisation features are added.

All that being said, I don't think I would've stuck to Spirit City for so many months and consistently used its productivity features had it not been for the fantastic idea of amalgamating it with gaming. While there isn't any actual gameplay per se, I get stupidly excited to unlock everything and change my room and character, giving me a much-needed break from focusing on work every now and again. This was especially true with the Pomodoro timer, as instead of getting distracted scrolling X or salivating over the games on my Steam library, I could spend some time redecorating my in-game space instead.

Interestingly, having the quick routine of decorating and choosing the music and ambience before I begin to work has helped me have a better insight into how I'm doing every day. If I'm craving calming colours, soft music, and the gentle pitter-patter of the rain, I know to expect to have more kindness with myself that day. Other times, I'll redecorate in bright pinks and yellows and look for my favourite tracks on YouTube because I'm ready to give it my all. Whatever it is that I am feeling that day, whether I'm emotional, focused, discombobulated, etc., I find my place in Spirit City, and I'm able to get through the day much easier.

So, if you've got problems with attention or motivation, I suggest you give Spirit City: Lofi Sessions a try. The developer, Mooncube Games, has done a phenomenal job creating a place that welcomes all sorts of moods, likes, and people. Throughout the months I've used it, multiple free updates have continued to add quality-of-life changes as well as new content, which not only helps keep the game fresh but also adds even more features that help with productivity and bad days. Take it from someone who came in as a sceptic and now has over 200 hours and 100% of the achievements: these tools are famous for a reason. After all, the only way to overcome our problems and flaws is to work through them!