Adult ADHD! I have it.

If you feel me, and I know many of you do, you might already know about productivity games. These games incentivize you to complete tasks, make progress on projects, and keep good habits with a lot of tried and true coping mechanisms — all masked in a cloak of cute creatures, customization, and soothing music.

But there are tons of productivity tracking games out there that prove to be a hindrance more than a help. Some are so engaging they’re actually distracting, some are laden with ads, and some simply fail at the most important element of a good productivity game: motivating you to do real-life tasks in order to progress in the game.

I’ve tested out tens of digital productivity tools over the years (most of them before I was diagnosed), with varying degrees of gamification. The only two I recommend — Spirit City: Lofi Sessions and Virtual Cottage — fit seamlessly into my workflows, giving me the push I need to complete certain tasks without the software becoming cumbersome, or worse, just another task to add to the pile. I don’t use either of these tools every single day. Instead, I fire them........

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