# Points, badges and streaks > Points, badges and streaks tend to raise engagement for a short time, and it isn't clear yet that they lead to lasting activity. Use them as a nudge if they help you move, judge them by how much you actually move, and start with the simplest features. - Type: Guide - Topic: Habits & Motivation › Motivation - Reviewed by: Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod, Podiatrist (2026-10-21) - URL: https://twikka.com/learn/points-badges-and-streaks - Updated: 2026-10-21 - **Game features tend to lift engagement for a short time,** and the effect lessens over time [1]. - **High use of an app doesn't reliably mean more movement** [2]. - **It isn't clear yet that points, badges and streaks build lasting activity:** one game's extra boost ended when the game was removed [3]. - **Leaderboards helped people who were sedentary most,** and led some highly active people to walk less [4]. - **Start simple:** seeing your own steps comes first; add challenges or leaderboards only if they feel motivating rather than stressful. ## Do points, badges and challenges make exercise more engaging? Sometimes, mainly at first: game features tend to lift engagement in the short term, and the effect lessens over time [1]. Using an app a lot also doesn't reliably mean you move more. An app that people used heavily made no difference to how active they were, measured with a device, at 3 months or at 9 months [2]. For adults aged 60 and over, app-based game features show potential for increasing activity, and activity monitors showed more daily time in moderate-to-vigorous activity [5]. Most of those programmes weren't followed up afterwards, so how long the effect lasts isn't clear yet [5]. Active video games also gave a small improvement in enjoyment [6]. If a game feature makes you want to get moving, use it. If the novelty wears off after a few weeks, that is common. It doesn't mean you have failed; try a different way to stay motivated. > **Try this:** Pick one game feature, such as a daily step goal or a friendly challenge, and use it for two weeks. At the end of each week, ask yourself whether you moved more, not whether you opened the app. ## Do points, badges and streaks in apps help? They may give a short-term lift in engagement, but it isn't clear yet that they lead to lasting activity. Points, badges and trophies are the most common rewards in apps [7], yet they can feel arbitrary and lack meaning, which may make them less motivating [1]. A step competition and weekly challenge added to a tracker-based programme boosted activity while it was running, but the extra benefit didn't last once the game was removed [3]. Measured with a research-grade device, the gamified group did not gain more daily steps or moderate-to-vigorous minutes than the other group at 12 or 52 weeks [3]. People who keep a daily running streak often describe a strong pull to keep it alive, which gets them out on days they don't feel like it [8]. Those who had streaked for a long time described habit-like behaviour, but streaking is only a possibly promising technique, not a proven one [8]. How streaks work for someone starting a new activity isn't clear yet. If you like badges or streaks, treat them as a nudge, not a rule. Pick a small, easy daily target you can manage on a tired day, and build up gradually. ## Do the game and social features on trackers help? They can lift activity for some people, but the results are mixed. In adults with overweight or obesity, support, collaboration and competition games all raised daily steps over 24 weeks compared with controls, and competition did best: 920 more steps a day, against 689 for support and 637 for collaboration [9]. Leaderboards raised daily steps by 370 on average, but the effect differed by person. People who were sedentary gained about 1,300 steps a day, even on small leaderboards and when they didn't rank first. Highly active people walked about 630 fewer steps a day [4]. Activity trackers in general appear to increase activity across age groups and in people with and without health conditions, though that doesn't single out game features [10]. Complex features, such as virtual identities and social teamwork, may be hard going for some older adults [5]. A family member, carer or health professional as a support partner may make a programme easier to accept, especially if you're interested but lack the skills to use the technology alone [5]. Be careful about what personal or health information you share in apps with social features. Privacy and trust are real concerns, because it can be hard to see how your data is used [7]. Check what an app shares, such as your location or activity, before you join groups or leaderboards. Ask a family member or friend to help you set up the app if you wish. ## When to check with a health professional If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first. Chasing a target isn't worth pushing too hard. Start slowly and build up gradually. If you have heart disease, check with your doctor about how hard to exercise, as very hard exercise may raise risk in people who already have it [11]. For a sore muscle or joint, ease off, and get advice if it persists. For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe. If you feel unusually tired, get it checked by a doctor. ## Quick answers ### What should I do if I break a streak? Missing a day doesn't undo the activity you have already done. Treat a streak as a nudge rather than a rule, and pick up again the next day with a small, easy target you can manage on a tired day. Coming back after a break is normal, and it counts. ### Can small amounts of activity still count? Yes. Some activity is better than none, and activity of any length counts towards the weekly amounts; there's no minimum of 10 minutes at a time. Start with small amounts and build up how often, how hard and how long over time. ## Sources 1. Looyestyn J, Kernot J, Boshoff K, Ryan J, Edney S, Maher C (2017). Does gamification increase engagement with online programs? A systematic review. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0173403 2. Edney SM, Olds TS, Ryan JC, Vandelanotte C, Plotnikoff RC, Curtis RG, Maher CA (2020). A Social Networking and Gamified App to Increase Physical Activity: Cluster RCT. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.09.009 3. Monroe CM, Cai B, Edney S, Jake-Schoffman DE, Brazendale K, Bucko A, Armstrong B, Yang C-H, Turner-McGrievy G (2023). Harnessing technology and gamification to increase adult physical activity: a cluster randomized controlled trial of the Columbia Moves pilot. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01530-1 4. Hydari MZ, Adjerid I, Striegel AD (2023). Health Wearables, Gamification, and Healthful Activity. Management Science. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4581 5. Chen L, Jang F, Li M, Zong W, Yu H (2025). Effectiveness of mHealth-Based Gamified Interventions on Physical Activity in Older Adults: Systematic Review. JMIR Aging. https://doi.org/10.2196/78686 6. Bravo-Aparicio J, Trillo-Charlín I, Avendaño-Coy J, Beltran-Alacreu H (2025). Effectiveness of Gamification on Enjoyment and Satisfaction in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR Aging. https://doi.org/10.2196/72559 7. Zhu Y, Long Y, Wang H, Lee KP, Zhang L, Wang SJ (2024). Digital Behavior Change Intervention Designs for Habit Formation: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://doi.org/10.2196/54375 8. Curran M, Larade N, Özakinci G, Tymowski-Gionet G, Dombrowski SU (2024). Look, over there! A streaker! Qualitative study examining streaking as a behaviour change technique for habit formation in recreational runners. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2024.2416505 9. Patel MS, Small DS, Harrison JD, Fortunato MP, Oon AL, Rareshide CAL, Reh G, Szwartz G, Guszcza J, Steier D, Kalra P, Hilbert V (2019). Effectiveness of Behaviorally Designed Gamification Interventions With Social Incentives for Increasing Physical Activity Among Overweight and Obese Adults Across the United States: The STEP UP Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.3505 10. Ferguson T, Olds T, Curtis R, Blake H, Crozier AJ, Dankiw K, Dumuid D, Kasai D, O'Connor E, Virgara R, Maher C (2022). Effectiveness of wearable activity trackers to increase physical activity and improve health: a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet Digital Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2589-7500(22)00111-x 11. Bereda G (2023). Risks of overtraining and compulsive exercising on human health. https://doi.org/10.54646/bijrdpm.2023.05 --- Source: Twikka (https://twikka.com/learn/points-badges-and-streaks). General information about physical activity, not medical advice.