Gamify Your Life Kit: 6 Picks to Turn Days Into Quests
Decision dice, a build-your-own quest deck, and timers that turn ordinary days into playable ones. Real Amazon prices and ratings.
Every quest on this site runs on the same trick: give an ordinary day rules, stakes, and a finish line, and it stops being ordinary. Apps can do that, but apps also come with notifications, streak guilt, and a phone in your hand. This is the analog version — dice you can roll at the kitchen table, a deck you write yourself, and a clock that makes "one hour, go" feel official.
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Start with one randomizer and something to write on: the decision dice and a pack of blank cards land under $15 total. The chess clock and visual timer are for when your challenges pick up a competitive streak — or when a quest needs a hard stop before it eats the afternoon.
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The Kit at a Glance
| Category | Top Pick | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Quest Generator | Two Tumbleweeds Writing Dice — Story Prompt Set | $19.95 | 4.8 |
| Best Custom Pick | Custom Stainless Steel Decision Dice | $5.99 | 4.7 |
| Best DIY Quest Deck | IMAGAME Blank Playing Cards (180 Cards, Poker Size) | $8.99 | 4.6 |
| Best Quest Log | Quests Journal: Adventure Tracking System | $8.99 | 5.0 |
| Best for Head-to-Head | LEAP Digital Chess Clock | $19.99 | 4.5 |
| Best Timeboxer | TIME TIMER 8" Visual Countdown Timer | $22.99 | 4.4 |
| Complete kit | ≈ $87 | ||
Roll for It
Randomness is the engine of a good side quest — the moment the dice decide, you are off the hook for choosing and on the hook for doing. One set generates stories; the other ends debates.
Two Tumbleweeds Writing Dice — Story Prompt Set
Roll a character, a setting, and a complication — then go live it instead of writing it. The fastest way to generate a side quest when nobody can decide what to do.
Custom Stainless Steel Decision Dice
Engraved with YOUR six options — six neighborhoods, six challenges, six restaurants you keep not trying. A $6 piece of steel that permanently ends "I don't know, what do you want to do?"
Build Your Own Deck
The quest decks we love most are the ones people make themselves. Blank cards plus ten minutes of writing beats any pre-made deck — the challenges are yours, so you actually want to draw them.
IMAGAME Blank Playing Cards (180 Cards, Poker Size)
One-hundred-eighty blank poker-size cards: write a challenge on each, shuffle, and draw one every morning. Enough spares to build a deck for your friend group and burn a few drafts.
Quests Journal: Adventure Tracking System
A gamified planner built for exactly this: log the quest, the XP, the story. A completed page beats a screenshot — your year becomes a campaign record instead of a camera roll.
On the Clock
A time limit is what separates a challenge from a chore. Timeboxing a quest makes starting easy; a shared clock makes it a competition.
LEAP Digital Chess Clock
Count-up and count-down modes turn any two-player challenge into a proper duel — cooking races, sketch-offs, alternating-turn scavenger hunts. Slapping the clock never stops being satisfying.
TIME TIMER 8" Visual Countdown Timer
The shrinking red disk makes the remaining time visible from across the room — no phone required. Set 60 minutes, start the quest, and let the disk apply the pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I gamify my life without an app?
Three analog pieces do it: a randomizer (dice) to pick the challenge, a deck or journal to hold your quests, and a timer to give each one stakes. A decision die plus a pack of blank cards costs under $15 — no notifications, no streak guilt, no phone.
How do I make my own quest or challenge cards?
Buy blank poker-size cards (180 for $8.99), write one challenge per card — "talk to a stranger", "photograph three red doors", "cook something you cannot pronounce" — and shuffle. Draw one card a day or deal five to friends. Homemade decks work better than store-bought because the challenges fit your actual life.
What is a real-life side quest?
A small, optional, self-contained adventure — usually 30 minutes to a few hours — with a clear goal and finish line, done purely to make an ordinary day memorable. This kit is the hardware; the generator and quest library on this site are the software.
Do timers really help with challenges and habits?
Yes — a time limit converts "someday" into "the next 60 minutes", which is the whole battle. A visual timer (~$23) makes the countdown physical, and a chess clock (~$20) turns any two-person task into a game you can win.
Ready to put it to use?
Now that you have the gear, try one of our matching quests.
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As an Amazon Associate, IRL Sidequests earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and ratings shown are from Amazon and may change. Last updated September 2026.