A gamified, local-first journaling app with retro/gaming aesthetics — every entry is a "save," every milestone a "checkpoint."
retro journal.
Retro Journal turns daily journaling into a game save file. You write regular entries and drop "checkpoints" on the big moments — first job, marriage, that trip — and the timeline plays back like a pixel-art retrospective, complete with 8-bit sounds. It's local-first (works fully offline), export-friendly (Markdown + JSON, no lock-in), and syncs across devices through a Supabase backend. There's a mobile client (KMP + Compose for Android/iOS/Desktop), a free terminal client for power users (Go + Bubbletea), and a landing site. Monetization is a single $5.99 purchase after a 30-day trial — no ads, no freemium, no subscription tiers.
- ▸Entries + Checkpoints — two tiers of memory, one retro timeline
- ▸Local-first — everything works offline; cloud sync is optional
- ▸Cross-device sync with version-based conflict detection (Postgres RPC on Supabase)
- ▸Multi-platform: Android, iOS, Desktop, plus a free terminal client
- ▸Export to Markdown + JSON (Obsidian-compatible YAML frontmatter)
- ▸Pixel-art UI and 8-bit interaction sounds
- ▸30-day free trial → $5.99 one-time purchase (no ads, no freemium)