I get more work done!
Great app!
Ingenious idea!
Fantastic utility
Updated to four stars after hearing from the devs
I honestly thought that I was going to be coming here to write a five star review. Because I love this app. But before I decided to come and write my review I did one more focus session and I got an Easter egg apparition for Mr. Rogers, except that it was a description of being in the fighting in Vietnam. It was written as though Fred Rogers was a soldier in Vietnam and was sharing his experience. The problem with this is that Fred Rogers never served in the military. I did see that the apparition was marked as an Easter egg and I thought maybe that meant that it wasn’t true, but I couldn’t find anything marked anywhere that it was not true. So I went ahead and unlocked all of the rest of the apparitions for Mr. Rogers. There is still nothing to indicate that the Easter egg apparition is not true. I have no idea where this whole “Mr. Rogers in Vietnam" diary entry came from, but it is pure fiction and very misleading not to have it labeled as such. It baffles me that a thirty second Google could have prevented this.
Response from developer
The apparition that you caught was an Easter Egg that was a wink and a nod to a decades long urban legend about Fred Rogers being a former Navy Seal or Marine Recon Sniper. We have an “About Apparition” feature for version 1.3.1 that was delayed which would have explained via an info button ℹ️ that this quote was a joke based on that urban legend. Many of our Easter Eggs contain jokes. We also communicated this in a response to your email to us yesterday. We hope you understand and update your review accordingly. Ironically, as I write this, Apple is reviewing our version 1.3.1 which contains the “About Apparition” feature.
It pains me to do this but there is patently false information in this app
I did see that the apparition was marked as an Easter egg and I thought maybe that meant that it wasn’t true, but I couldn’t find anything marked anywhere that it was not true. So I went ahead and unlocked all of the rest of the apparitions for Mr. Rogers. There is still nothing to indicate that the Easter egg apparition is not true.
I have no idea where this whole “Mr. Rogers in Vietnam" diary entry came from, but it is pure fiction and very misleading not to have it labeled as such. It baffles me that a thirty second Google could have prevented this.
Amazing App!
One UX improvement: The app doesn’t provide an incentive for focus periods of longer lengths: the coins allocated for 4 30-min sessions is more than 1 2-hour session, despite them being the same amount of time. This incentives users to use these lesser focus times, making them use their phones more to set up these shorter sessions - which is counter-intuitive to the purpose of the app.
As a solution, a coin multiplier for longer periods (contra: equal amount of coins by cutting longer periods of time to smaller sections) would enable users to focus for longer periods of time - and enhance the purported functionality of the app.
Otherwise, great job! Love it.
Response from developer
Thanks for your feedback! As of version 1.3, we award 4x the coins for one 120-minute timer (36 coins) as we do for one 30-minute timer (9 coins). What you were describing was 1.2.2 behavior where they were the same. Please try again on 1.3 and if that isn't working for you, let us know at aeeiee.com/support. The only incentive difference now is that running four 30-minute timers gets you four apparitions, while running one 120-minute timer just gets you one apparition. This is how we incentivize several shorter timers with breaks in-between instead of one long timer. We use gamification techniques like this to promote productivity best practices and brain well-being that help our users avoid mental fatigue and burnout.
Didn’t work
Response from developer
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This is the first we're hearing of this and it's surprising since on the day you reported this we saw people successfully signing up and using the app all day, before then, and since then. This might be an isolated issue with your device. We'd be happy to help you resolve this issue, so please contact us directly for support at aeeiee.com/support.
Not bad
Have to have all constantly running
Response from developer
Thank you for your feedback and your appreciation of the concept behind Catch the Ghost™! Our app is designed with a core philosophy of helping users rewire their brains to focus for longer periods and reduce time spent on distracting apps. Requiring the app to be active during a focus session ensures that you stay committed and receive rewards for genuine focus. We understand that having the screen on can increase screen time, but it's important to note that this is purposeful and beneficial screen time. Our app functions as a digital hourglass, keeping you away from distractions during your focus sessions. For users who find this too intense, we offer a Normal Mode that can be unlocked with 750 coins, allowing you to pause the timer and return without penalty. We also offer Extended Grace Periods which can be purchased for only 200 coins and allow you to leave the app for up to 5 minutes at a time with the timer running in the background. Thus, we've allowed several ways to accommodate users who do need to leave the app, but at its core, it's a bad habit to context switch using the most addictive object in your possession: your phone. Catching ghosts is a reward for staying off your phone for 30 minutes, reinforcing positive focus habits. Research shows that maintaining focus on a single task without switching between apps is crucial for productivity, and we believe that if you need a computer, then a secondary device like a laptop, a tablet, or a Kindle is where work, reading, and learning should be done if you desire to maintain focus and productivity. We appreciate your insights and as we release new features, we hope we can grow into a more full featured app that can meet your needs.
