Developer interview · Part 1 of 12How to play
Is there a motion fitness game for just an iPhone? How to play Data2Dao
Data2Dao needs only an iPhone or iPad: stand the phone up in front of you, the front camera recognizes your movements on the device, and the monster loses health only when you complete a movement fully. This post covers the devices, the setup, how long a stage takes, what counts as a hit, and why the developer calls it a phone version of Ring Fit Adventure.
Short answer
Yes. Data2Dao needs only an iPhone or iPad: stand the phone upright in front of you, the front camera recognizes your movements on the device, the orange cat calls out a Move, and the monster loses health only when you complete it fully. The developer calls it a phone version of Ring Fit Adventure. A stage takes 3 to 8 minutes, with no console, TV or accessories of any kind.
Key points
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Devices | iPhone or iPad, iOS / iPadOS 18 or later; there is no Android version |
| Accessories | No console, fitness band, watch or other accessory is needed |
| Placement | Stand the phone upright, stay 1.5 to 2.5 meters away, and keep everything above your knees in frame |
| Recognition | Apple's Vision framework, done on the phone itself; the camera image is not saved or uploaded |
| Stage length | 3, 5 or 8 minutes, your choice; intensity is Light, Standard or High Intensity |
| What counts as a hit | Only a fully completed movement counts; tapping the screen does not |
| Skipping a movement | Hold an OK sign toward the camera for 1.2 seconds |
| Chapter finale | The boss fight is a boxing match |
| Optional features | During a battle you can put a cutout of yourself into the battlefield in place of the orange cat's back view; when you wear an Apple Watch, your live heart rate is shown |
How the developer describes it
When you describe it to people, do you compare it to Ring Fit Adventure?
I do. I usually say: it's a phone version of Ring Fit Adventure, you practice with it for a few minutes a day, it's dressed in the style of xianxia (cultivation) novels, and the daily check-in feels a bit like Duolingo.
Then why not just play a motion game on a console?
For me, that setup has a few too many steps: turn on the console, you need a TV, attach the accessories and strap them on, and sometimes you have to charge them first.
Mine only needs a phone, and an iPad works too. Stand it up in front of you, do a few reps and you've started. The intensity is definitely lower than a console motion game; the upside is that it fits into smaller pockets of time. It can also connect to your health data, so it gives you more feedback.
For a fuller comparison, the official website has a guide: Working out at home with an iPhone: how to choose.
How the battle was designed
If you could keep only one feature, which would it be?
That's an interesting question. I'd like to put it into the app's feedback: if everything were deleted, what would you want to keep?
My answer is the battle. In its most minimal form: you open it, a monster appears, the orange cat calls out the name of a Move, say "Squat", you do squats, five reps take it down, and then the next one appears.
Everything else was added only so that it has depth and can be used for the long term. I'll keep iterating so that it's easy to pick up and still worth digging into over time.
After you came across that video, what was the first thing you did?
First I checked how efficient recognition is on a phone. I had seen skeleton tracking at work before, used in exam settings such as jump rope and sit-ups, so I knew it was technically feasible. What I needed to see was whether it ran smoothly and whether slightly more complex movements would work. When I tried it, it was simpler than I expected.
The second thing was to see whether the orange cat could follow my movements in real time. It can be done; it just takes a lot of effort.
While you're learning a movement, the orange cat faces you, so you can see it clearly. Once you've learned it, your attention should be on "which movement do I do now". At that point a monster takes the front-facing spot and the orange cat turns around and is seen from behind, which is the over-the-shoulder view in games. That way, the orange cat becomes you. The cost is that every movement has to be made in two sets, front and back, and reviewed set by set, which took a huge amount of time.
FAQ
Do I need an Apple Watch, a fitness band or a game console?
None of them. Movement recognition uses only the phone's front camera. When you wear an Apple Watch, the battle also shows your live heart rate, and you can play the whole thing without one.
Does the camera record me?
No. Movement recognition is done on the phone itself, and the camera image is not saved or uploaded.
How is it related to Ring Fit Adventure?
It's only an analogy. The developer uses "a phone version of Ring Fit Adventure" to describe it. The two are not related in any way, and Data2Dao has no connection with Nintendo either. It needs only a phone, the intensity is lower, and a stage takes 3 to 8 minutes.
Does it support Android?
No. For now there are only iPhone and iPad versions, which require iOS or iPadOS 18 or later.
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Done reading? Stand up for three minutes
Prop your iPhone up and follow the cat for a few moves. Free to download; the annual plan includes a 7-day free trial.