When I first came across Spirit City: Lofi Sessions I was intrigued: A focusing tool with game elements and lo-fi music? I have gamified my to-do listing with other focusing tools before, like Habitica. In fact, Habitica got me through college with undiagnosed ADHD. Eventually, though, focusing tools stop working for me after a period of time, and I have to switch to new tools in order to stay organized. So it's good to have an array of focusing tools in my back pocket for switching up anytime my brain decides it wants a new one.
Lately, I've been sticking to our work available tools for to-do listing. For focusing, I've got a couple of playlists on repeat via Tidal. Then, some alarms and reminders are set up to let me know when it's time to stop or do the next thing. However, I've known for a while now that it's going to stop working, and eventually, I'll have to try something else. I've already started forgetting to take my meds. That's the fun of life with ADHD.
After getting the review code for Spirit City, I downloaded it with plans to start using it the very next day. So that I did. I woke up for work, did our daily morning meeting, scheduled some posts, and then loaded Spirit City up. One of the first things I noticed: It takes a minute to load up. But that's most stuff, so I highly recommend anyone using this tool to take a quick bathroom break or prep your morning refreshments after getting it started.
Cute, Cozy, Lofi Aesthetics
If you love cozy aesthetics, you will love the look of Spirit City. The colors are lovely, almost muted, but bold, heavy tones. You can customize your character. Nothing is gender-locked, which gets an automatic stamp of approval from me. Your character can have all kinds of creative looks involving odd skin colors, horns, pointy ears, or just normal human looks. The overall clothing choices aren't bad and offer plenty to customize until you are satisfied. The room your character occupies can be customized with colors and preset accessories. Items can be purchased with Spirit Credits, gained over time as you use the focusing tool. Spirit companions can also be customized, but I ended up sticking to a basic white cat with orange markings because it reminded me of my old cat, Lightning. New companions can be 'earned' so to speak via doing certain activities and playing certain sounds for a period of time as the focus tool as well, encouraging users to try different sounds and tools.
While decorating is fun, it can be a distraction. I had to limit myself to the basics, to begin with, or I would have been there all day playing around with combinations. I put on a basic Lo-fi playlist and messed around with some of the sound options, landing on birds singing and soft vinyl noises. The noises play regularly and sound pretty close to the real stuff, which I really like. Spirit City includes other sounds like Smooth Rain, Cozy Fireplace, and White Noise, among a list of other great sounds to be customized to your mood.
Focus those Tools
Spirit City also includes a To-Do list tool. I didn't end up using this because I already have a To-Do list tool I use elsewhere that also keeps me accountable for my work-from-home job. However, I did make use of the Timer tool. The Timer tool allowed me to set up a pattern of work/rest/work/rest periods and let me know when to take a break. I have a bad habit of getting hyperfocused and forgetting to move around and stretch when working, so having timers allows me to get work done without pushing too hard.
I mentioned earlier that I've been forgetting to take my meds. Well, Spirit City has a Habits tool. I threw "Take Meds" on my habits list. It kinda worked? I only forgot to take my meds three times in the two-and-a-half weeks since getting the review code. I don't particularly care about journaling, so I didn't take advantage of that with this tool. But I'm sure this would be great for those who like that kind of stuff.
Now, there's one major thing I haven't talked about yet: What about the music? It is called Spirit City: Lofi Sessions, after all. Lofi isn't something I normally listen to. It makes me a little too sleepy, and I need something more upbeat to concentrate, which is why I normally listen to a much more upbeat playlist. However, I checked out a couple of the Homework Radio Lofi playlists available in Spirit City. Verdict? Not bad. The initial playlist puts me to sleep, but the more upbeat "Uplifting Spirit Infusion" is more my jam. Spirit City Lofi Sessions does allow you to browse music via YouTube. I played around with that some and found Skyrim, Witcher, and Lord of the Rings Lofi streams and found those to be much more my speed. Lord of the Rings Lofi is particularly good, so I think I've found what I'll be listening to while working.
Overall, I think I've found my next focusing tool. Whether that sticks is up to the whims of my ADHD-laden brain, but we'll find out how long it lasts. So far, though, I'm pretty happy with Spirit City: Lofi Sessions. If you're looking for a new focusing tool that's just a bit cozier with plenty of options all in one place for helping you work, study, or whatever activity pleases you, I highly recommend this one.
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is out now on Steam from developer Mooncube Games.