Logic Over Luck: A 70-Day Moadly Case Study with Alistair

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I spent forty years as a civil engineer in Melbourne, dealing with structural integrity and complex logistics. When you retire after a career like that, the sudden lack of "problems to solve" is jarring.

I keep busy with woodworking and a bit of consulting, but I noticed that my ability to stay locked into a task for more than twenty minutes was slipping. I didn't like the feeling of my attention drifting, it felt like a loss of discipline.

What made you look for a brain training app?

It wasn't a sudden lapse in memory so much as a decrease in "mental stamina." I’d be reading a technical manual for a new lathe in my workshop and realize I’d read the same paragraph four times without absorbing a word. As an engineer, you're trained to spot inefficiency. My brain was becoming inefficient. I wanted something that functioned like a calibration tool, something to reset my focus levels every morning.

Have you used other memory training apps?

I poked around a few, but they felt like distractions. Too many flashy animations and that didn't mean anything. I don't care about digital trophies. I wanted something that felt like a series of logic puzzles. 

How long have you used Moadly for?

I’ve just hit day 70. I started at the beginning of the year. I’m a big believer in long-term data, so I wanted to see how my performance scaled over two full months rather than just a week or two of novelty.

What’s your favorite game type?

I prefer the ones with a mathematical or structural basis. I spend a lot of time on Divide Grid and Cross Solve. They’re about processing variables simultaneously. That’s where I feel the most benefit.

How many minutes a day are you actually active on the app?

I stick to a strict 15 minutes. I treat it like a morning inspection. I go through five or six game types, check my accuracy, and then move on to my actual work. Anything more than that feels like diminishing returns. It’s a tool, not a pastime.

If the app crashed and deleted your progress today, would you start over or just move on?

I’d start again. The data history is useful for tracking trends, but the utility is in the daily "start-up sequence." If the app vanished, I’d have to find another way to trigger that same level of concentration. 

How do you know that "improvement" isn't just you getting better at the specific games?

I track my "real-world" focus. For example, I’ve been working on a complex joinery project that requires precise measurements and sequential assembly.

Before Moadly, I was making "silly" errors, misreading a rule or forgetting a step in the sequence. In the last month, those errors have dropped to near zero. You can get better at a game by rote, but you can't "rote" your way into better attention to detail on a blueprint. That’s a transfer of skill.

Do you use the app because it’s effective, or just because it’s a habit?

It’s effective, so it became a habit. I don't do things just for the sake of doing them. If I felt my focus plateauing or if the app became too easy, I’d stop. Currently, it’s serving its purpose as a mental "warm-up."

If we removed the "fun" elements, would the core training actually be worth doing?

Absolutely. In fact, I’d probably prefer it. The dice in Dice Merge or the colors in Colors Connect are fine, but the underlying logic is what matters. If it was just black text on a white screen and it provided the same cognitive load, I’d still be using it every morning at 7:00 AM.

Have you noticed any improvements?

A moderate, but very noticeable, boost in daily focus. My "mental fatigue" threshold has moved. I’m no longer hitting that wall at 2:00 PM where I just want to sit on the porch and stare at the birds. I’m sharper for longer. My short-term recall for numbers, measurements, phone numbers, dates, has also seen a slight uptick.

What’s the one thing you’d change?

I’d like to see more "multi-variable" game types. Games where you have to solve a logic puzzle while a secondary, unrelated task. In engineering, you never solve a problem in a vacuum; there's always noise. I want the app to simulate that noise.

How did you find out about Moadly?

Found it via a tech-focused newsletter I subscribe to. It mentioned the Moadly study was looking for users to provide feedback on "practical" memory. 

Something you want to say to the other users?

Treat it with some discipline. If you’re just tapping the screen while watching TV, you’re wasting your time. You have to lean into the difficulty. If a game type like Cross Solve makes you want to put the phone down, that’s the one you should be doing twice. Efficiency comes from friction, not comfort.