Glossary

Every term and mechanic in SideQuest, defined plainly. The whole system is intentionally small — if it isn't here, it probably isn't a thing.

Quest

A small, do-able real-world mission rolled by the dice — visit a place, try a food, send a text, ask a question. Always completed in physical reality with your buddy.

Side Quest

Lowercase version of the same idea — anything that isn't your main life arc but moves it forward. The product is named after it.

Buddy

The one person you're paired with. SideQuest is a two-player game; XP and rewards are shared by the pair.

Invite Code

A 6-character code used to pair with a buddy on the pair screen. Each code links exactly two accounts.

Intensity

A 1–5 scale you set per roll. 1 = cozy, 5 = legendary. Higher intensities trigger safety-plan prompts.

Budget

The real-world cost ceiling for a quest: Free, $1–10, $10–30, or $30+. SideQuest itself is always free.

XP (Experience Points)

Awarded on quest completion based on intensity: 35 XP (intensity 1) up to 400 XP (intensity 5). Shared between the pair.

Level

Earned by accumulating XP. SideQuest has nine levels: Wanderer → Pathfinder → Drifter → Catalyst → Sentinel → Voyager → Realm Walker → Mythmaker → Reality Legend.

Cosmetic

A non-gameplay reward — color tweaks, icons, badges — dropped on quest completion. Cosmetic only. No pay-to-win, no pay-at-all.

Aesthetic Mode

A full reskin of the interface. Five+ modes available (neon-punk, soft sanctuary, retro gaming, luxury minimal, dreamscape, more). Switchable any time. See aesthetic modes.

Streak

A count of consecutive active days. SideQuest streaks respect rest days and never reset punitively — missing a day does not erase progress.

PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance)

An autism profile where demand language triggers automatic refusal. SideQuest is PDA-aware: quests are invitations, never demands.

Safety Plan

An escape phrase, time limit, and code word automatically prompted on intensity 4 and 5 quests.

Roll

The act of asking the dice for a new quest. Pick budget and intensity, tap roll, receive a mission.