project · october 2026 · self-discovery game

the utility function game

a playable version of the essay. you answer one card at a time, and your utility function builds itself next to you as you go.

play it →read the essay
chapters
7
one per section of the essay, from values to second-order desires.
cards
~80
portraits, this-or-that choices, money rounds, sliders and short reflections.
minutes
15
progress saves itself. answers never leave the browser.
a card asking how much a portrait sounds like you, with six dots growing in size
portraits: how much is this person like you?
two tilted cards: work that clearly matters, or a year of savings in the bank
this or that, picked to separate close values
a chapter reveal showing the top three variables with an unlocked stamp
fig. 3each chapter ends with a reveal. guess first, then see how well you know yourself.

how it works

every answer moves a weight in your function. you see it change in the margin: 0.32·ln(1+F) for what you chase, −0.11/(1+S) for what you escape. at the end you get one of four types, a few honest observations, and your own reflections quoted back.

  • researchschwartz values, self-determination theory, the dualistic model of passion, regulatory focus, maximizing, delay discounting, sunk costs
  • built withthe margin design system, motion, canvas-confetti. one offline html file.
  • privacyno server. answers stay in local storage.
  • caveatoriginal items, not a validated test. a mirror, not a diagnosis.