Let’s be honest: backlog grooming is about as exciting as cleaning your garage. It’s necessary, but nobody actually wants to do it. That’s why most task backlogs become digital junkyards—full of outdated tasks, vague ideas, and that “learn Spanish” task from 2019.

At RightNow Tasks, we asked ourselves: what if backlog grooming could actually be… fun?

The Three Games That Changed Everything

Instead of presenting users with a daunting list to manually sort through, we created three focused mini-games. Each game takes just 2-3 minutes and targets a specific aspect of task quality.

1. The Priority Game: “What Matters More?”

The game presents two tasks at a time and asks a simple question: “Which would you rather complete?” Behind the scenes, we’re running an ELO-style ranking algorithm:

void updatePriorities(Task winner, Task loser) {
  const K = 32; // ELO K-factor
  
  final expectedWin = 1 / (1 + pow(10, (loser.priority - winner.priority) / 400));
  final expectedLose = 1 - expectedWin;
  
  winner.priority += K * (1 - expectedWin);
  loser.priority += K * (0 - expectedLose);
}

After 20-30 comparisons, your entire backlog is sorted by what actually matters to you—not what you thought mattered when you created the task.

2. The Duration Game: “Beat the Clock”

A task appears with its estimated duration. You have 5 seconds to decide: is this estimate still accurate? Swipe right for yes, left for no. If no, quickly tap a new duration from our preset options (15m, 30m, 1h).

The genius? The time pressure prevents overthinking. Users report their gut-reaction estimates are actually more accurate than their carefully considered ones.

3. The Clarity Game: “Crystal Clear or Fuzzy?”

Tasks flash by one at a time. Is this task clear enough to start immediately? Swipe right for clear, left for fuzzy. Fuzzy tasks get flagged for quick editing later.

This game revealed something fascinating: about 40% of tasks in typical backlogs are too vague to actually execute. No wonder people procrastinate!

The Psychology Behind the Design

Immediate Feedback

Each swipe provides instant visual and haptic feedback. Your brain’s reward centers light up, creating a micro-dose of satisfaction that keeps you engaged.

Bounded Time Investment

Each game has a clear end point—usually 2-3 minutes. This prevents grooming fatigue and makes it easy to fit into small breaks.

Progress Visualization

Watch your backlog health score improve in real-time. Seeing that number climb from 43% to 87% is surprisingly addictive.

Implementation Challenges

Building smooth, responsive games in Flutter required careful attention to performance:

class SwipeableTaskCard extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Dismissible(
      key: ValueKey(task.id),
      onDismissed: (direction) {
        HapticFeedback.lightImpact();
        handleSwipe(direction);
      },
      background: Container(color: Colors.green),
      secondaryBackground: Container(color: Colors.red),
      child: TaskCard(task: task),
    );
  }
}

The key was pre-loading the next several tasks and keeping animations under 16ms for that crucial 60fps feel.

Real Results

After launching the grooming games, our analytics showed:

• 73% of users groom their backlog at least weekly (vs. 12% before)
• Average backlog health score improved from 41% to 78%
• Task completion rates increased by 34%
• Users report feeling “in control” of their task list for the first time

The Unexpected Side Effect

The most surprising outcome? Users started adding better tasks to their backlog in the first place. Knowing they’d see these tasks in the games later, they naturally began writing clearer, better-scoped tasks from the start.

What’s Next

We’re exploring new game modes:

• The Batch Game: Group similar tasks for efficient execution
• The Energy Game: Match tasks to your energy levels throughout the day
• The Context Game: Organize tasks by location or required tools

Try It Yourself

The gamification features are available in the free tier of RightNow Tasks. No premium subscription required—we believe good backlog hygiene should be accessible to everyone.

Download RightNow Tasks and turn your chaotic task list into a well-oiled productivity machine. Who knew grooming could be this much fun?