Game On: The Power of Games

When it comes to getting fitter and leaner, staying motivated is likely to be your biggest challenge. No matter how clearly you know, intellectually, that exercise is essential for health, this doesn’t get most people walking more or working out. The problem is that we’re not rational creatures. We’re emotional ones and we’re driven by our feelings, not our thoughts. Even if you have a long-term exercise habit (or especially if you have one), you likely recognize that what gets you on the trail or in the gym are things like friends, competition and fun, personal goals, or a simple enjoyment of movement - not an abstract calculation of benefits.

So, what does get people motivated? What lights the fire of their enthusiasm? For our players, it is the promise of fun, competition, and the promise of pride in completing an epic journey. That is, we know that people love playing games so we offer one that links deeply with your movement. Games give people a sense of purpose, inspire creativity and problem solving, and have built-in metrics for achievement and progress. While caution is warranted - you cannot play games to the exclusion of real life - it is safe to say that games are a powerful tool for letting players create a version of themselves that is powerful, competent, even heroic.

Even before our first adventure was released, these virtues were behind the frequent application of gamification to fitness. Gamification, is based on the idea that people will be more motivated to do something if it is presented as a game. It is why so many fitness apps and devices use badges, points, and other game mechanics.

The problem, as I saw it when designing these adventures, is that the application of game mechanics in most fitness and wellness settings is simply not very good. They are not fun, they are not engaging, and they do not inspire. And the reason is because they miss a bigger, more immersive purpose. So I began looking for an alternative. I didn’t want to build a fitness or wellness app with some game mechanics tacked on. I wanted to create a game that would be fun, engaging, and inspiring while using activity metrics to drive the game. I wanted to create a game that would help people become the hero of their own story through the power of art, music, story-telling and, only then, good game mechanics.

And that is how Legend’s Path was born. It is a game that uses your daily activity to drive the game. It is a game that is fun, engaging, and inspiring. It is a game that will help you become the hero of your own story. And it is a game that will help you become healthier, stronger, and more vibrant.

Dr. B on 2024-12-10