Chore Wars: Making Housework Fun

These aren't pixels which are being chased around a computer screen. The tasks are being undertaken in real life. That's an actual duster in my flesh and blood hand earning me 25xp.

All Chore Wars really does is log these happenings and assigns virtual rewards. It's up to those playing whether that translates into something more tangible, than bragging rights and a clean house.

For example, does the kid with the highest weekly score get an extra cookie?  If your partner has amassed the greatest amount of virtual coins, can they trade them in? Maybe 100 Chore Wars coins buys the right to choose what movie your family is watching tonight.

Things like this inspire the will to do housework. It makes the whole necessary ordeal a lot more co-operative, as everyone is encouraged to pull their weight.

It is very easy to create a Chore Wars gaming party, and to edit the fine detail of the available adventures.

Everyone makes their avatar. A click of a button opens up a self-explanatory area for hosting your housework party.  Invite all in your home with the link supplied, and watch their avatars join the game.

You could even take this further afield. Nothing is preventing you pitting your household against your neighbors, or each friend - in their own real world citadels - taking up their dusters for the epic Battle of the Spring Cleaners.

The beauty of this is how well the game can be customized to fit your family and friends. The adventures (formerly known as household chores) can all be created from scratch, or you could opt to fill the board with the most common tasks.

As a good way to begin, I recommend the latter. The adventures produced are fairly universal (washing up, emptying the bins etc). Plus it can be edited. You simply delete or add chores, until the board is a perfect fit.

Don't overlook your ability to edit the rewards! Chore Wars becomes fabulously personal and much more fun with a few choice additions there.

Chore Wars rewards are randomly assigned. They maintain an element of surprise, which is great when what pops up has been tailored to amuse or delight the adventurer.

Look at the Adventure Board above. The sitting room is my domain. I will be the only person reasonably expected to ever tidy it up. What thrills me most of all?  A Glastonbury Festival ticket in my hand!

Ok, it's not real.  But if that popped up after I claimed my adventure (did my chores), then it would inspire lovely day-dreams about past festivals. A worthy reward indeed.

Check out the potential treasure hiding in the bathroom.  There's a family in-joke there. A thorough sort out in there once produced a hoard of twelve hair removal spatulas and fourteen contact lens cases.

If either of those popped up, then it would amuse the player. Plus it actually could be real treasure found in our bathroom! The precedent is there.

Completing your chores with the giggles, or musing on a fond memory, isn't a bad result.