Building a Gamified Productivity App with Godot 4

Check out Range here! devduck.itch.io/range
In this video I take a break from my long-time RPG project to build a very simple productivity app over the holiday! Follow along on this 2-week challenge as I drive up and down the east coast over Christmas, building my first ever productivity app with Godot along the way. Hope you enjoy!
#godot4 #productivity #devlog
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[@landru27]

Programmer : "Hmm; I need a way to be more productive with my development, which keeps getting sidetracked by stuff other than my main project ... I know! I'll develop a productivity app, as a side project!" 😆 (I say this in all good humor, from personal experience that is all too relevant! 🙂 And I can truly appreciate the genuine need to take project breaks, even from one's passion project!)

[@YannSchmidt]

Currently doing that 🤣

[@slothbear2]

also in good humor, from Ze Franks’ “how to procrastinate”: you could learn a whole new programming language to put off doing something useful with the one you already know

[@TheAmazinRaven]

OMG this is literally so cute! I have a similar idea for a productivity app but you would be dressing up characters.

[@ysirotenko]

I've been using Pomodoro technique for years and it improve my productivity and reduce stress. Your app is very great idea. I've been using it for all working day long and it's very good, much more better than plain linux pomodoro timer which I use Hope you continue improving app and release new versions from time to time. I wrote down some features which would be great: - Sync local time and app time to change landscape's times of day (morning sunrise, evening sunset etc.) - Changing weather in environment - Sound when time is over - Interrupt main timer (for unexpected situations in real world) - Linux version - Background sounds - Community (maybe network leader board) - Gamification via achievements

[@Aarimous]

Nice work! I’d be curious to see a follow up video about how this fit into your game dev practice. Cool to see Godot being used for non-game related projects. Cheers!

[@Alche_mist]

Godot's UI tools are great and with its finally upgraded interop options with other languages (through GdExtension), it makes quite a lot of sense as a GUI/frontend maker even for quite powerful apps.

[@DevDuck]

I'm definitely keen to follow up on my little "new year's resolutions" video in a while to let y'all know if any of it has stuck!

[@ChrisPalivoid]

Thanks for both the video and the app! I came back to this today when struggling to stay focused, and it actually helped with focus AND take regularly stretches.

[@Zettabit7]

Very cool little project. Would definitely like to see you come back to it in the future, but also looking forward to seeing more Dauphin development.

[@MultiMillionaire-hb6pi]

You don’t know what this video means to me thank you so much. I literally needed to make the exact same thing but in a different theme but found it hard to do on my own. This is a lifesaver. I’ll be your forever sub and fan

[@LevTheDev]

Happy & healthy new year Ben! Hope everything is going well!

[@mewen25]

Awesome project! Really admire the healthy balance of working in spare moments without letting it intrude on outside world stuff. Quite inspiring.

[@GamesBySaul]

Feels like the perfect kind of project for you to make, had a quick look at it and it looks super chill and cosy! Will have to give it a proper go soon! Also your last video about getting an app to cutout social media time has been a huge help, I've cut down the amount of time I go on socails so much now!

[@charlesmeidlinger]

Southwestern Virginian here! So cool to see some rep on this channel of all places haha. Love the vibe of your projects and your videos, keep it up!

[@leoeeo6448]

this is so exciting, I have been struggling with focus and the pomodora system has helped a lot. this app looks so good, perfect timing

[@nonlinearsound-001]

Ben, you actually gave me some needed new direction and new ideas with this video. I am in the planning phase of a new indie project here where I want to create a Godot based gamified relax app that is based on audio playback. (I am an audio engineer besides working as a software engineer). I am also thinking about enabling the users to have the app open on their desktops as well as using it on mobile devices. I was thinking about doing everything in 3D as it opens the possibility to create amazing worlds that the player could explore and find his favorite relax places but watching your video actually changed my mind - presenting nicely drawn 2D worlds that you can move inside (inside a certain area) and that are animated using parallax scrolling could present a super interesting art style that is pleasing and could give me the advantage of creating more in less time or a much better quality in a certain time span. Thanks a lot for this insight and for the inspiration :)

[@DevDuck]

This is one of the main reasons I watch so many other devlogs :) Thanks for watching!

[@moon0xcoder]

Great video! I like how you brought the concept to life :) It gave me some inspiration to do something similar as a side hustle, just to fill up some time and do something interesting to work with. Keep the good work 😄

[@crustydev5561]

This is awesome! I'm signing up for the imaginary wishlist if this ends up on the app store

[@mr.peppermint9994]

Hey this is such a cool video! I had this idea in my brain a couple of months back about making a sailing pomodoro app, I never really did any programming before but seemed like a project to get started with. Im surprised there's a video like this already, but it shows how many good ideas there are! Idea never left the planning phase but I think i got the push i need to get started. Thank you! super cool video and loved the way you recorded your shots!

[@growin.up.gaming]

I am a huge fan of both pomodoro timers and video games - so Sir, whatever this app ends up becoming, considered it purchased! Keep up the great work and videos - Happy New Year to you and your family 🖖

[@snarfum]

I really like the idea of this little app. It's a great ambient game experience. I may have to try something like this as I start learning Godot. Thanks for sharing.

[@BreezyDefrag]

One thing I got to thinking while you were talking about this cool app is maybe have the different landscapes be target locations. So you can tell your little camper, to go to the city (simple button function I believe) and then you can have the landscape parallax as before but then as the timer reaches a certain point you start to change the parallax to a sort of bumper parallax that shows the transition from one environment to another then when the vehicle makes it to the new campsite it is in the target location. Just an idea. This was super fun to watch. I thought about using GODOT to make simple applications but I never really knew if it was possible until I seen your video. So thank you for giving me this opportunity to see that process in action.

[@Muphet]

i love this desk setup with plansts and stuff. i've been looking for setup like that but couldn't find inspiration of placement and stuff but this is definitely what i will change into

[@nomodifyy]

Really Cool project, Well Done!

[@Warpgatez]

Love the Pomodoro technique. Helped me rank up in the military.

[@antonkonig8820]

really nice keep up ! you really inspired me

[@maxmoser9531]

Just checked out the app. I really like it. I think adding the option of sounds would be awsome.

[@jusatin]

Love the app! I'd love to see the camp screen without the car though. Maybe have a tent there, or something more "relaxing" than the car. (Maybe that could be a level upgrade?) This is probably something that's part of the upcoming improvements, I'd think.

[@Skeffles]

Super neat pomodoro app idea! It was cool seeing how it came together.

[@narlock]

Very cool Ben! I've been watching your videos for a long time and I've personally been using pomodoro apps similar to this one. This one is really neat! Thanks for sharing this🦆😎

[@DevDuck]

Hey thank you! I'm curious, based on other comments I'm reading - how long are your working sessions? Do you use pomodoro for coding tasks, and if so, do you find that it can impact your "flow state"?

[@narlock]

I do pomodoros around 50/60 minutes or work with 10 minutes of break (usually I do this twice for 2 hours or up to 8 hours), at the same time trying to structure tasks to do that would only take roughly an hour. I've used it for quite a few things but lately just around coding. I've been doing this kind of technique for years, so I am guessing that the consistency has allowed me to get used to it, so I would say it doesn't impact my flow state as much as it may have when I started.

[@fotographyves]

Very nice video ! Maybe during the break time, we can have a character and his dog exiting the van, lighting up a fire and just chilling.

[@Mcuello17]

This is amazing! Would be nice to also have a stats menu to see how much time was spent camping vs driving. Also a way to stop the driving and some kind of way to punish the user when done, similar to how in Forest your tree dies

[@cadamstech1658]

Awesome job man! 👏 I checked it out, and it ran great on my MBP M2 on Chrome btw!

[@ZooHair]

The idea of the app is great

[@pokepoke1889]

This sounds useful! Especially for someone like me who has time management struggles haha

[@bounzerus4676]

Possibly, as a small motivational booster for the player to really stick to his task and to stop him from being distracted by other apps on his phone, you could implement the following function: if the player leaves the app several times while the car is driving, the car could suffer an engine failure that needs to be fixed. This then costs money, for which you normaly would be able to buy other vehicles. I think this would be a fun way to keep the player engaged :)

[@Spirit9ty]

Looks nice :)

[@MrHeavyXD]

Amazing! I always try to have a timer so I know how long I work and when I need to take a brake, making that into a game with xp is a great idea! It Would be great to have a download version for windows, its runs great in the browser but having an offline version would be awesome :)

[@colineckert]

Cool app! Maine is beautiful btw. my family visits Ogunquit every year

[@PlatinumTales]

RIP MegaHombre. Also, if you ever continue development of range, I think adding a system to allow the user to create a couple "speed dial" sort of buttons for the time so that they can setup their most commonly used work times.

[@Selrisitai]

That's some dang-fine skeet shootin'!

[@SkylerLinux]

I actually got an Indi Dev to implement something along these lines. You could actively play the game, or you could have it open where you could see it and it would slowly auto progress.

[@MercyShrimp]

I've always dream of becoming a video game developer (mainly using Godot). But I finally want to make that dream come true especially when I just finished high school and have A LOT of free time. You motivate me into trying to achieve that goal, you also inspired me to have a well organized and healthy daily routine, I know that's a lot but it's true! I hope one day I'll be as successful and amazing as you are :) and I hope that you'll reach all your goals or dreams that you are passionate about.

[@IAmTheZombieGirl]

Yeah....so.....I need this.

[@JhonCarp]

Looks awesome! It would be nice to have a stat to record the total estimated distance travelled by the vehicle. That way maybe you can look back at the end of 2024 and see how far you've come!

[@matthew_jw1318]

I have been using this technique to learn Java. Nice timing

[@marche4ever]

gamified productivity app, what a brilliant idea!

[@neon_Nomad]

Its great to take breaks

[@_gamma.]

I’ve always wanted to visit Maine!! Maybe today I’ll work on a pomodoro app today

[@avapidgurl]

Maine is lovely! :)

[@alexanderhuliakov6012]

I hope you will return to this project in the besr future, would be cool to see see this improvements, because right now it's just custom built pomodoro timer(a very cool one). Also maybe you xan share the project files in the future?

[@CushionSapp]

I should try that Pomodoro technique

[@sadfoxgg]

Can you share that notion template you're using for planning for Range? It looks awesome :)

[@heylazar]

This looks amazing! I would love to try this, will you make it public once you are done with building and testing it?

[@VoylinsGamedevJourney]

You make a working app in 2 weeks ... I envy your skills hahaha

[@pambuk]

Cool video, as always. Have you thought about open-sourcing Range?

[@kuoyulu6714]

that looks really great, it it has a web version it will be so cool!

[@undergroundindy]

This looks great! Can't wait to try it but right now it won't load in browser, just says there was an error with your request

[@shaneworld6752]

Hello Ben, nice work and useful! I like your dog. What kind of race is he?

[@matiaslomeli3443]

Nice! A few questions though. How do you do your art? Do you download it from some free pixel art website on the internet, or do you make it yourself? If you make it yourself, how do you make such good art and what is your process behind making art for your Indie developments? For my projects, I just download some free pixel art and I would love to know how to make my own pixel art

[@j_coding]

Just out of curiosity, do you split your long drive with someone or do it all yourself. Love the videos keep it up!

[@eswarnichtsmehrfrei]

I used Godot 3 to make GUIs for my Raspberry Pi touchscreen. There is the option to run low processor mode (low_processor_usage_mode). Not sure how it is in Godot 4.

[@neon_Nomad]

Modified Pomodoro is best , ie work as long as possible before getting tired then take a break for x*5 mins , justin sung is a great teacher to look into

[@EndlesslyNoc]

Would it be possible to get a template of your notion board it looks very organized and clean.

[@JustAGameDeveloper]

I'm the first comment! And I really enjoy your devlogs.

[@DevDuck]

You are indeed! Appreciate the support!

[@Chevifier]

Just watching this made me realize why I have difficulty finishing projects. I'm here thinking of features you could add but realize there arguably not necessary. (Feature creeping)😂 Other than that's this is a very Cool App. Ill definitely try it out.

[@bluemond100]

What's the keyboard and headset you have there with your desktop gear? Also, what do you do on your pomodoro breaks? It seems like a very short break slot and I'm also wondering if it's meant more just for taking your mind away from that particular task, or if it is recommended to relax your mind as well as you can.

[@kahlief]

This is awesome! If/when you want to continue development on it and want a person to partner with the pixel art, let me know! I've been looking for a new pomodoro timer and it'd be so cool to work with you!

[@Jean-sj1xw]

Ben, thank you for the video :) You are an inspiration. I would like to ask you about other games. I haven't seen you playing anything else. Do you play games or is it too distracting from your activities? I would like to learn more about a game dev which is not playing games, for example. I would like to build this for myself as well, and since you have mentioned before, I'm using the pomodoro on my daily routines to be more motivated on doing stuffs. I would like to get rid of the gaming addiction, so that's why I'm asking :) thanks a lot and sorry if anything.

[@MrKristian12]

Unrelated to your main topic of the video but the WRX gauge caught my eye. How you liking it? Is it an STI?

[@cadea7578]

any chance after the break you would be able to have the car honk and half pack as if the car was ready to go and you were being waited on? just my first thought for the integration into the aesthetic of a road trip

[@cosmicquake8648]

great idea you just need to add a pause button incase you need to stop working unexpectedly

[@ilozeet]

Oh, man, I was you were so close You've kind of missed the point about put down my entire time in But using go dot as an environment outside of operating system to gamify Productivity is an excellent idea. I theorized this in my university degree in 2011 I'd love to give you some pointers because I can't code like you can so We also might think me a bigger and you have your own thing So at the same time great video love to watch it, but also I'd love to see what I theorized come to life as well It is the future of operating systems and executive function as a whole. I assure you

[@SimGunther]

Flowmodoro = highly underrated!

[@elliothills8040]

Just an idea, it'd be pretty cool if the app could sync with local time & weather

[@AliceMadTeaParty]

Hey man can you tell us about your development equipment?

[@vibewithryan]

At first I thought you said rage not range 🤣

[@zappl1437]

How is it to program on an OLED. Dont you have burn ins?

[@jaumesinglavalls5486]

maybe you can publish the sourcecode of the app, and that will allow other people to improve it?

[@awyeagames]

It's a cool idea, but the problem is people will get distracted looking at the vehicle scrolling on the app instead of focusing on working.

[@pichers5528]

maybe make this a vscode extension... would be crazy good

[@WiseNoodleOfficial]

Is that a monitor or tv? I need that for productivity 0.o (totally not gaming)

[@unspi554]

Hi nice work, if you dont intend to continue this project you could put it in the open source side of world ! ^^

[@juanmacias5922]

I was thinking the same, I'm sure it could get some cool contributions.

[@Courage_the_Cowordly_Dog]

Rich guy but still doing struggle!!

[@K0WAL]

Do you ever get those down moments? Maybe video about other side of being productive will be interesting?

[@idlekrisp]

I have not seen the entire video yet, but I want to know how this can be implemented on a traditional "life/work" style. Having a job where you need to be there from 11AM - 7PM for example. I love the idea and the premise but I don't think that I could implement this into my lifestyle. If I was a full time developer with financial backing, maybe...but I gotta go places and do things that don't allow breaks like he has presented in the video. And theres no hate, I want to be there and maybe I can one day!

[@TYNEPUNK]

why not use the truck in the game could be loading screen when ur travelling

[@snokalo208]

I also want to develop a pomodoro app 😅

[@gaker19sc]

Fun Fact: If you cover up only your left eye with a pair of sunglasses and look at Range, it will turn 3D. Sounds silly, but try it. I promise it will work.

[@Shywizz]

Sad to see this dosen't seem to work on firefox, but oh well, cool project nevertheless !

[@HermanRas]

Ctrl + Add Time Btn = 1 min interval Shift + Add Time Btn = 10 min interval

[@Kasperbjerby]

I mean good job and all, but if we look past the art, then you could throw this together in just html and JavaScript within a few hours, don't know how that took you two weeks (of course not full working weeks, but still)

[@SpiffenSpiffy]

PomoRoadtrip

[@MoreCognition]

Did you go to college for software development?

[@joelv4495]

Is it me, or is the audio/video out of sync in the first minute or so?

[@IcoKirov]

personal take: i don't see the benefits of those apps. i used similar app for water drinking. you drink a cup of water, tab a button, a flower is watered in the app. you unlock more flowers and gardens and things like that. so pretty similar to this. it worked at the start. after a week i was just clicking the water button just to continue with the app progress, not that i didn't drink water, but the two were no longer connected. i was just "playing" the game on the side. a week later the app felt like another chore, so i stopped using it altogether. p.s. i'm not saying it's not useful for everyone, just for me

[@sunrise.northsea]

its a battery drain and distraction

[@a_a0911]

i did it first