This "gamified focus tool" lets you construct your own lofi girl/boy to chill/study with

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions released on Steam yesterday

I've worked from home for most of the past decade, but it was during the pandemic lockdowns that I was finally indoctrinated into the world of co-working streams, pomodoro timers and lofi beats to chill/study to. I'm better now, but I absolutely see the appeal of Spirit City: Lofi Sessions, a "gamified focus tool" that just launched on Steam.

Spirit City contains much of what I just mentioned above, allowing you to create your own lofi girl and/or boy, customise their appearance, and decorate the swank studio apartment they're working within. It's then got built-in lofi music playlists; sound effect loops of rain, wind, a fireplace and more; a pomodoro timer; and a todo list.

The vibes are immaculate, as some other hack might say. I booted Spirit City up last night and it does absolutely nail the atmosphere, particularly when tweaking the sound effects can (optionally) also change the visuals. Who doesn't want to imagine themselves sat in a window nook, overlooking a city, with rain pattering against the glass?

Gamifying all of this is where the "spirit" part comes in. Your study buddy's study buddy is a fantasy creature called Lenny, who looks like a cat with a third eye. Lenny can be replaced with other similarly cute creatures, unlocked in your Spiritdex as you level up by completing todo list items or fiddling with customisation options.

If I'm honest, I can't imagine Spirit City fitting into my life. My todo lists live within Obsidian and sync across devices, and I too often shirk lofi beats in favour of other music genres to chill/study to. I admire it a lot, though, as a neat idea that seems to nail exactly what it sets out to do.

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions costs £8/€9.43/$9.59 from Steam.

Now someone make a similar tool which is actually a horror game or murder mystery in disguise. Email me when it's done.