EpicWin
Gamified task tracker is fun to-do list but easily fudged.
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EpicWin
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that EpicWin is designed to gamify to-do lists and routines. Kids choose avatars who level up by completing user-created tasks with associated points and skill categories. The many features may work for some and distract other kids who have trouble with busy screens. Nothing within the app checks to make sure they have actually completed the quest, so it's best used with adult oversight. Also, some parents may not love the one female avatar who has large breasts and wears revealing clothes. For older kids it's a great alternative to the traditional handwritten to-do list, but may not be appropriate for younger users due to its complexity, characters' outfits, and social media links. Note that there's no privacy policy available at the time of review. The app stores also state that there are in-app purchases, but the purchase price includes all the avatar choices.
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What’s It About?
Kids begin using EPICWIN by selecting an avatar. They can select a Dwarf, Warrior Priestess, Skelly (a skeleton), Warrior, or Treeman. Once selected, users can create their own name, or they can use the computer-generated version. The screen then moves to allow kids to create a quest by clicking the pencil at the top left. They can create a description of the quest (task), connect it with a single date, or have it repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Kids can also choose the number of points associated with the task (50 to 300) and what category the task fits into (strength, stamina, intellect, social, or spirit). As kids complete tasks, they click and hold the task entry for three to five seconds, while a mini version of their avatar attacks it. Finishing tasks also earns loot and levels up an avatar. And EpicWin records completed tasks with detailed data (date completed, points earned, etc).
Is It Any Good?
The video-game look and actions likely will draw in tweens, but it's very easy to cheat. The visual progress may also help kids who find it difficult to see what they've completed and what they have left to do. For kids motivated by external rewards, EpicWin might do the trick. The biggest concern is accountability, since kids can rack up loot just by "completing" tasks in the app without any proof they did them in real life. For this reason, it's best if an adult checks on progress. Also, though its appeal is that it looks like a video game, the choice to show the only female in a short skirt and with big breasts takes away from its overall quality, especially for tweens.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to break down long-term projects into smaller pieces. Use EpicWin to write down small tasks as a part of a larger goal. For example, if kids have a research project due in three weeks, help them create smaller quests to accomplish the larger goal. Discuss which category you'd associate each task with and which ones were more important than others. Kids might connect a higher point value to those.
Talk about reflecting on accomplished goals. Ask kids what was easy or difficult about each quest they completed. Discuss whether they completed each task on time, late, or early. Reflect on what they could do better next time and talk to kids about what task management looks like as an adult (paying bills on time, remembering to update information, and so on).
Discuss the one female avatar choice. Why is she shown that way? What effect does it have on the app? How else could they draw her?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Skills: Self-Direction: goal-setting, time management
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: October 26, 2015
- Category: Productivity
- Topics: Adventures
- Publisher: supermono limited
- Version: 1.73
- Minimum software requirements: 5.1.1
- Last updated: June 20, 2020
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