Developer interview · Overview, 12 parts
Data2Dao developer interview: a year turning daily movement into a game
Data2Dao is a gamified light-exercise app for iPhone. Its developer, Johnny, was interviewed for an hour by the app's orange cat. This is the overview of the written version: key points, 12 articles split by question, a glossary, feature status and an FAQ.
In one sentence
Data2Dao is a gamified light-exercise app for iPhone. Stand the phone up in front of you and the front camera watches you do the moves; a monster only loses health when you do a rep properly. Data such as sleep and late-night scrolling turns into Aura and Inner Demon (labelled Restlessness in the app's English interface), which decide how much you train today. This series is the written version of a one-hour interview in which the app's orange cat questions the developer, Johnny.
Key points
- What it is: An app that turns exercise, meditation and Apple Health data into a cultivation (xianxia) adventure, with an orange cat as the main character. The developer usually introduces it this way: a phone version of Ring Fit Adventure, dressed in the style of xianxia (cultivation) novels, with a daily check-in that feels a bit like Duolingo.
- How to play: Stand the phone upright and step back until you are in frame from the knees up. The orange cat calls out a Move and you follow along; each rep done properly takes health off the monster, until today's stage is cleared. Recognition runs on the phone itself, and the camera image is not saved or uploaded.
- How long each day: A few minutes. A stage can be set to 3, 5 or 8 minutes.
- How your data is used: Sleep, heart rate and activity become Aura, which is today's body battery; late-night scrolling raises Inner Demon. When Aura is high you train more; when Aura is low the app suggests breathing and an early night.
- Who it is for: People who sit at a computer every day, have a tight neck and shoulders, and want to move for a few minutes a day.
- Who it is not for: People whose goal is weight loss, muscle gain or advanced professional training; people without an iPhone or iPad.
- What it costs: There is no free mode. The annual subscription comes with a 7-day free trial, and there is also a weekly subscription and a lifetime purchase.
- Who made it: Johnny, an independent developer whose previous app is The Great Me. Data2Dao launched on the App Store on September 28, 2026, and supports Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English and Japanese.
12 articles, one question each
The interview is split by question into 12 articles. Each one has a short answer, a key-points table, the interview in the developer's own words, figures from the video's motion graphics, and an FAQ.
How to play
- Is there a motion fitness game for just an iPhone? How to play Data2Dao
- Desk job, only a few minutes a day to move? Who Data2Dao is and isn't for
- How do camera battles feel? Pentatonic hit sounds, a boxing boss, posters
- What Manuals and Moves are in Data2Dao? Baduanjin and how to learn a Move
Data and daily state
- What are Aura and Inner Demon in Data2Dao? Sleep, late nights and training
- What are Dao Years, Realm and Spirit Root in Data2Dao? Why sleep counts
- Too tired to work out after working late? 4-7-8 breathing in Data2Dao
Sticking with it
- Can't stick to a workout plan? Leave days and adaptive plans in Data2Dao
- What do red, yellow and green mean on Data2Dao's body heat map?
Why it works this way
Video timeline
| Video time | Chapter | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Opening | The orange cat appears; this time it asks the questions |
| 00:20 | Starting point | The earliest idea, a half-year pause in the middle, and the turning point that came from a push-up alarm clock |
| 07:18 | I am that person myself | The developer's own neck and shoulder problems, why it became an app, where to practice |
| 12:18 | Why a cat and cultivation | The orange cat's identity and personality; cultivation is only a visual style |
| 16:50 | A phone version of Ring Fit Adventure | How it differs from console motion games, how long to practice each day, who it is not for |
| 21:27 | Every rep has to feel responsive | Hit sounds on the Chinese pentatonic scale, left and right counted separately, the boss battle is boxing |
| 25:51 | Moves and Manuals | Moves that were dropped, Manuals split by body part, what counts as learning a Move |
| 26:33 | Halftime break | The orange cat leads three moves, about one minute |
| 30:34 | Aura, Inner Demon and Spirit Root | What each of the four core stats stands for |
| 38:08 | What to do when you are tired | Why Dao Years depend on that night's sleep, 4-7-8 breathing, eyes-closed meditation |
| 41:31 | A plan has to be able to loosen its grip | Leave, coming back after a break, how check-ins work, the Training Plan, the body heat map |
| 49:17 | Share posters | Share images generated with code |
| 50:25 | Pricing and what comes next | Why it is paid, the three plans, what is planned for the next month |
A few terms to know first
| Term | What it means | Original (pinyin) |
|---|---|---|
| Aura | Today's body battery, 0 to 100. Enough sleep and meditation bring it back up | lingqi |
| Inner Demon | The inverse indicator of Aura. Late-night scrolling pushes it up | xinmo |
| Dao Years | The long-term total of your practice. Clearing a stage, meditating and sleeping well all add to it | daohang |
| Realm | The level you move up to once you have enough Dao Years | jingjie |
| Spirit Root | A profile of your constitution and behavior tendencies that forms over about a month, in five types: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth | linggen |
| Manual | A training course; in the app it is a book | gongfa |
| Move | A single exercise, such as Squat or Side Stretch | zhaoshi |
| Monster | The creature standing opposite you in battle | yaoshou |
| Path | The timeline that records every practice session | daotu |
Where the features mentioned in the interview stand now
Checked against app version 1.6 (released October 11, 2026). For later versions, the in-app release notes are authoritative.
| Mentioned in the interview | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The camera watches you do the moves; the monster only loses health when a rep is done properly | Shipped | Recognized on the device; the camera image is not saved or uploaded |
| Hit sounds follow the Chinese pentatonic scale; the monster changes every five hits | Shipped | Turning the sound on or wearing headphones is recommended |
| The boss battle is boxing | Shipped | Dodge left and right, squat to duck flying kicks, left and right hooks |
| Manuals split by body part: Roc Wings, Lean Muscle Art, Wave Treading | Shipped | Since 1.6; there are also Baduanjin and Broadcast Exercise 8 follow-along sessions |
| Set your own pace for learning new Moves | Shipped | Since 1.6 |
| Moves with a left and a right side are practiced separately, with feedback on every rep | Shipped | Since 1.6 |
| After a session, give feedback on next time's intensity and length | Shipped | Since 1.6 |
| Aura and Inner Demon | Shipped | Both health data and Screen Time need permission |
| 30% of Dao Years are credited on the spot; 70% depend on that night's sleep | Shipped | Full amount with 7 hours of sleep; it dissipates with under 5 hours |
| 4-7-8 breathing meditation, wooden fish (a temple block) and singing bowl, eyes-closed detection | Shipped | 1 to 5 minutes, written to Apple Health |
| Spirit Root | Shipped | Unlocks after about a month |
| Leave | Shipped | 2 leave days in every 7 days |
| Exercise outside the app counts toward today's progress | Shipped | Data comes from Apple Health |
| Body heat map; a body part that hurts is marked red and then avoided | Shipped | You can also manually set a body part not to be trained |
| Share posters and the Path timeline | Shipped | Posters are generated with code |
| Automatically avoiding the matching body parts based on outside exercise | Not built | The developer says it is not noticeable yet |
| A boss you cannot beat gets easier with each attempt | In development | |
| Meditation and Custom Cultivation also count as a check-in | Being adjusted | The rules in the app are authoritative |
| A welcome-back pack, and an automatic step down after a long break | Planned | |
| Trends and attribution in reviews and weekly reports | In development | The home screen already has a Factors card |
| Posters in multiple aspect ratios, animated posters and Live Photos | In development | |
| Body age | Not included | The developer considered it and left it out |
FAQ
What kind of app is Data2Dao?
Data2Dao is a gamified light-exercise app for iPhone and iPad. It turns exercise, meditation and Apple Health data into a cultivation adventure: the front camera recognizes moves such as Squat and Side Stretch on the phone itself, and every rep done properly is one attack. You defeat monsters, build up Dao Years and raise your Realm. An orange cat leads you through the whole thing.
How is Data2Dao different from Ring Fit Adventure?
The developer's own description is "a phone version of Ring Fit Adventure." The main differences are equipment and intensity. Data2Dao needs only an iPhone or iPad: stand it up in front of you and you can start, with no console, TV or accessories. The intensity is lower, a stage takes 3 to 8 minutes, and it is meant for loosening up your body every day. It also reads data such as sleep and heart rate from Apple Health to decide how much you train today. It has no connection with Nintendo.
Do I need an Apple Watch or a fitness band?
No. Move recognition uses only the phone's front camera. With a watch, sleep, heart rate and HRV data are more complete and Aura is calculated more accurately; without one the app still works, just less accurately. People who use only an iPhone and wear no watch may have no sleep data, so their Aura will read low.
How long do I practice each day, and where?
A few minutes a day. A stage can be set to 3, 5 or 8 minutes. The developer recommends doing it after you get home from work, or before your midday break or after a meal. Stand the phone upright and stand 1.5 to 2.5 meters away, in frame from the knees up. Most moves can be done standing, with no running or jumping needed; the app has no seated mode.
Can it help me lose weight or build muscle?
That is not what it aims for. The developer says plainly in the interview that it is not a good fit for people whose goal is weight loss, muscle gain or advanced professional training. It is light exercise, meant to get people who sit all day to loosen up their bodies every day. It is also not a medical product and does not diagnose or treat anything.
Does the camera record me?
No. Move recognition happens on the phone itself, and the camera image is not saved or uploaded.
What are Aura, Inner Demon, Dao Years and Spirit Root?
Aura is today's body battery. It comes from data such as sleep, heart rate and activity, and enough sleep and meditation bring it back up. Inner Demon is the inverse indicator of Aura; late-night scrolling pushes it up. Dao Years are the long-term total of your practice, and once you have enough Dao Years your Realm goes up. Spirit Root takes about a month of use to form; it is a profile of your constitution and behavior tendencies, in five types: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth.
Why aren't all the Dao Years credited right after a session?
Because the developer believes that how well you sleep the night after a session is also part of that session. The rule: 30% is credited when you finish, and the remaining 70% depends on that night's sleep. With 7 hours of sleep the full amount is credited; with under 5 hours it dissipates.
What if I am too tired today, or have no time?
You can take a leave day, up to 2 in every 7 days. When Aura is very low, the app suggests that you skip practice and do a round of 4-7-8 breathing instead, or go to bed early. 4-7-8 breathing is inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 7 seconds and exhaling for 8 seconds; four rounds take 1 minute 16 seconds.
Does Data2Dao cost money? Is there a free version?
There is no free version, and without subscribing you cannot use the full app. The annual subscription comes with a 7-day free trial, and there is also a weekly subscription and a lifetime purchase. For exact prices, go by what the paywall in the app shows. The developer recommends the annual subscription; he hopes you can finish one chapter during the 7 days of the trial.
Can I use it if I don't like the cultivation theme?
You can give it a try. The app does not have a heavy cultivation storyline; cultivation is mainly a visual style plus a small sense of progress from moving up through Realms. The developer also says that if you find this style really gets in the way, it may not be for you.
Does it support Android? Which languages does it support?
Android is not supported. For now there are only iPhone and iPad versions, which require iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. The app supports Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English and Japanese, and the orange cat is voiced.
Is the orange cat in the interview really asking the questions?
The orange cat is the app's mascot. In the interview its questions were written in advance and its voice is synthesized. All the answers are spoken by the developer, Johnny, himself.
How the motion graphics in the video were made
The full version of this interview contains 60 motion graphics in total, and every figure used in the articles comes from them.
- App screens, 27 clips. Most were recorded frame by frame from a web replica of the app. The interface matches versions around 1.5 and may differ slightly from the latest version on your phone. The Squat clip and the ten-hit combo clip are screen recordings from a real device.
- Concept cards, 33. The main visuals use orange cat and monster animations that already exist in the app, such as rubbing its shoulders, staying up late, meditating, striking the wooden fish and the boxing boss. The text is condensed from Johnny's own words and timed to appear when he says that word. Four visuals had no existing material in the app and were generated with AI to match the same orange cat character.
- Halftime break, 1 segment. The orange cat leads Standing Jump Clap, Wood Chop and Side Stretch, about one minute.
- The concept cards in the articles were laid out again for reading: the content matches the video, they appear at a somewhat faster pace, and the background was changed to a light color. A few cards had individual words changed to match the app as it is today.
Related links
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.