Some might say that the completion of worthwhile chores is a reward unto itself, but now there’s an app that offers something more. Children of the Nintendo era: get your smartphones ready now.

The so-called “Epic Win,” developed by Rexbox and SuperMono for the iPhone, gamifies the mundane tasks of day-to-day life, and as ridiculous as that may sound, it’s surprisingly addictive and effective. Users select an avatar to represent themselves (I’m a level 3 “stocky dwarven roister-doister”), plug in their to-do list, and go about clearing it out. The twist, though, is that you assign each task a point value along with a category (“Strength,” “stamina,” “intellect,” “social,” or “spirit”). As you scratch things off your list, you gain experience points—as you would in, say, World of Warcraft—acquire treasure, and level up.

Progress in “Epic Win” is all about personal gratification, sure, but since downloading it, I’ve felt more inclined toward getting things done at home just to see what I unlock in the app. Here’s hoping a willpower boost is next.

View Epic Win in iTunes »