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Ask HN: Is building a calm, non-gamified learning app a mistake?

86 points hussein-khalil | 1 comments | 15 Dec 25 15:48 UTC | HN request time: 0.201s | source

I’ve been working on a small language learning app as a solo developer.

I intentionally avoided gamification, streaks, subscriptions, and engagement tricks. The goal was calm learning — fewer distractions, more focus.

I’m starting to wonder if this approach is fundamentally at odds with today’s market.

For those who’ve built or used learning tools: – Does “calm” resonate, or is it too niche? – What trade-offs have you seen when avoiding gamification?

Not here to promote — genuinely looking for perspective.

1. muzani ◴[15 Dec 25 22:46 UTC] No.46281915[source]▶
There's an amazing, gamified app out there that uses standard learning optimization patterns. It's called Duolingo. Unfortunately, you can have a multi-year streak on it and still not speak the language. It is effectively a language-themed quiz game, and not a language-learning game.

What you're doing is fundamentally at odds with the market, but perhaps there are people who want to use an app where they learn language.