Retention Royale: a Gamified Territory-Conquest Add-on for Anki to Enhance Engagement with Spaced Repetition

Key Points

• This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Retention Royale add-on in improving student motivation and engagement with Anki.
• Developed a free, open-source Anki add-on called Retention Royale that gamifies flashcard review.
• Utilized territory conquest mechanics to promote student learning and reward performance with in-game currency.
• Available for use on AnkiWeb, facilitating accessibility for users.
• Students using Retention Royale showed significantly higher engagement levels compared to those using standard Anki, as indicated by improved review frequency.
• Gamified users reported better retention rates and motivation, leading to increased study duration.
• In-game rewards correlated positively with user satisfaction and sustained study habits.