The playful Playdate gets serious as a personal organizer

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

One of the best things about the Playdate is that it only really does one thing: play video games. It's easy to stay focused on the game when you're playing something like Crankin's Time Travel Adventure. I found the idea of using the little yellow console as a personal organizer to be intriguing. It is definitely not an option for everyone, but I have been doing that for the past week and it is both simple and straightforward.

There are a few notes for context. I have yet to find a to-do list app that I like more than a paper notebook. I was testing out the likes of Evernote and Fantastical, but they were too complicated to use. For the last few years, my process has been simple: at the end of each work day, I write down everything I have to do the next day so I can log on in the morning. It's basic and fast, and the act of writing things down helps me remember them.

The app I have been using, called Pocket Planner, is still in an early stage of development. A to-do list, a calendar, and voice memos are some of the features. You can't add events to the calendar and voice memos haven't been implemented yet. The features are expected in a future update. I have only been using the to-do list tool for the time being.

The small screen of the Playdate is great for this kind of thing, even though it is a dedicated gaming machine. The low-fi, black-and-white display is reminiscent of a Kindle, which is meant to replicate the experience of reading on paper. The Playdate can be used for paper-like experiences. That's part of the reason why I enjoy so many puzzle games on the handheld and why I want someone to make a sudoku app for it. It works well for replicating a physical organizer.

The to-do portion of the app is very easy to do. You can make a number of different lists and add multiple items to each one, all of which have a little check next to them. There are items that can be renamed, deleted, or moved. That is about it. I made five lists, one for each day of the week, and at the end of each day I added items to accomplish the next day. I simply move to the next day if I don't finish anything.

It has worked well enough, and using the Playdate has a few nice bonuses, including that it is incredibly tiny and comfortable to carry around. I almost forgot about it when I put it in my pocket. It is a very clean process of checking off items or shifting them around for different days. Having my Playdate around for work meant I had to water my virtual flowers more often. Speed is the downside. One of the things I love about a physical notebook is how quickly it can be used. The process of typing on a Playdate is very slow. I have been using abbreviations to speed things up.

The Playdate won't be an organization solution for everyone. It has a barebones list of features and doesn't connect to other tools. It's a pretty good substitute if you're looking for something simple, like I am, and it costs $1 right now. I don't recommend buying a Playdate with plans of turning it into a PalmPilot. If you were able to get your hands on one, it's a good option for staying on top of your to-do list. Your flowers will be appreciated.