Luxia Le

Ever since Tamagotchis went out of style, I’ve been searching for a virtual pet that scratched the itch of taking care of an adorable creature with no real world consequences. Do I love my cat? Yes. Do I love being woken up by a tiny, hungry demon? Less so. So a virtual pet is a great way for me to expand my horizons without activating too much real world responsibility. The idea of tying this to my health and well-being is also very attractive to me as someone who struggles with productivity, poor mental health, and inadequate self-care. It took me a while to actually try downloading the Finch app. I saw it all over my FYP on TikTok but for some reason I didn’t download it. However, I finally got around to downloading it and I have to say, good shit, devs. Good shit. Let’s get into it.

At A Glance

App	Finch: Self-Care Pet
Platform	Android, iOS
Free?	Freemium. Free to use, some features locked behind a paywall.
App Type	Virtual Pet, Habit Builder, To-Do List
Subscription	Finch Plus ($69.99 USD)

My Experience with Finch

So, at first, Finch felt a little forced. I struggled a bit to remember to log in when I first downloaded it. However, I set an alarm to check the app every night before bed and that has helped me stay on task. I’ve currently got a streak of over 130 days and I plan on keeping that! One thing that helped me a lot more than I expected it to was setting a time of day to do things. Let’s look at my favourite things from my four months with Finch.

Remembering Things

One of the biggest self-care issues I have is that I have the memory of a squirrel. I’m basically rawdogging the present and the future is a scam perpetuated by the government. I am fairly good at taking my pills because if I don’t I get migraines. However, I also have a shot that I take once a week and honestly, I never know what day it is. So, I would sometimes go months without my shot because I just could not remember and then I got into the habit of not doing it.

I am proud to say that I have not missed a shot in 130 days! There have been a few shots that were a day late, but none that were missed! This might be new information to some of you (joking) but taking your meds will make you feel better. So, I do feel much better.

I’m also more engaged in my hobbies. I’m actually getting up and doing my hobbies instead of bed rotting. Not to say that I am not still a champion bed rotter, but I’m at least doing my hobbies and working during the weekdays and enforcing weekends for myself instead of just working and sleeping like some kind of robot. Since I play a lot of freemium games that require me to farm resources, it’s also helping me move forward with progressing in my games!

Virtual Petification is a Great Incentive

I’m gonna be totally honest, I’ve tried tonnes of different game-ified self-care and habit building apps. None of them worked with the same incentives as Finch’s virtual pet system. This is, too, without the negative penalties imposed by most virtual pet games (pet death).

Though there are no punishments for not logging in, the incentive of rewards and the pseudosocial encouragement of both your Finch and any friends in your group who also use the app can be a great dopamine booster. Plus, I often open the app just to respond to friends who have used the “Send Good Vibes” feature, which then in turn reminds me to do things that are on my to-do list. It’s a very nifty incentive-based habit builder that manages to make itself feel important without imposing negative consequences.

Do I Recommend the Finch: Self-Care Pet App?

YES! This app has truly changed the game when it comes to what we can do with smartphone apps to improve our real-world circumstances. While there are tons of apps to help you build habits that include game-ified content to satisfy your dopamine cravings, none of them have worked for me the way Finch does. The way it balances positive reinforcement to incentivise me to do the things on my to-do list is both creative and effective.

The designs are adorable and there’s no end to the amount of fun content for you and your Finch to explore. I’m enjoying collecting clothing items, exploring destinations to learn more about the world and grow your Finch’s stats and personality. I love that each different Finch has a unique personality and likes and dislikes. Some of the things my Finch likes my friends’ Finches don’t like and I think that makes it feel very personal.

Is Finch Plus Worth It?

If you enjoy the base Finch experience, the Plus addition might be for you. I wouldn’t task it as strictly necessary for enjoying the core functions of the app, which is an important selling point. Finch also has the Guardians system which allows low-income users to enter a raffle to win a free month of Finch Plus. If I have extra money, I think I will become a Guardian myself so I can sponsor someone else’s mental health journey!