AchieverLife Side Quests: 30 Optional Adventures Worth Taking
The main quest (career, family, money) gets all the attention, but side quests are where the good memories drop. These 30 optional adventures from Achiever's catalog of 700+ are deliberately low-stakes: nothing here advances your career, and that's the point.
Rules of the genre apply: side quests are discovered, not scheduled. Keep the log open, and when a free Saturday spawns, pick a marker and go.
The side quest log
- 🧠Blindfold RecallNavigate your own home and find 5 specific items while wearing a blindfold. Spatial memory maxed.5 pts
- 🔑The Great EscapeParticipate in a themed 'Escape Room' challenge with a party.5 pts
- 👻Specter HunterVisit and explore a location with a documented history of 'haunted' activity or local legends.10 pts
- 🏔️The Back-RoadsExplore a small, off-the-beaten-path town or mountain village.10 pts
- 🚇Transit MasterySuccessfully use 5 different modes of public transport in a single day (e.g., Tuk-tuk, Ferry, Metro, Cable Car, Bus).10 pts
- 🆕Ingredient DiscoveryPurchase and cook a meal with a completely unfamiliar raw ingredient.10 pts
- 🌴Suspended SlumberSpend an entire night sleeping in an outdoor hammock. Stability test passed.10 pts
- 🚪The Polite SentinelSuccessfully hold the door for 10 separate people in a single day. A small gesture of kindness.15 pts
- 🦑Local DelicacyEat a traditional food item that is considered exotic or challenging.15 pts
- 🍽️The Night Market MasteryEat at least 5 different unknown foods from a night market in a single evening.15 pts
- 🎲The Board Game LibraryPlay 10 different board games to master various tabletop mechanics.15 pts
- 👫Hostel LifeStay in a shared dormitory room with at least 4 strangers and make a new friend.15 pts
- 🎤Vocal PerformerSuccessfully perform a song in front of others at a Karaoke event.20 pts
- 🧩Fragment AssemblerComplete a jigsaw puzzle of 1,000+ pieces without losing a single piece.20 pts
- 🏷️Identity DesignerDesign and produce custom stickers using digital or traditional illustration methods.20 pts
- 🛒The HagglerSuccessfully negotiate a price at a local market or bazaar.20 pts
- 👥Small Talk SpecialistKeep a conversation going for 10 minutes with someone you have nothing in common with.20 pts
- 🌿Nature PresserCollect and preserve botanical specimens using traditional pressing and drying methods.25 pts
- 🪵CarverUse manual carving or whittling tools to shape a raw wooden object into a new form.25 pts
- 🌱The Sprout FarmerGrow your own microgreens or sprouts in a jar on your kitchen counter and eat them.25 pts
- 🍪Gingerbread ArchitectDesign and assemble a complete, edible gingerbread house.25 pts
- 📛The Recognition BondLearn the names of 5 service workers you see regularly and greet them by name.25 pts
- 🌐Continental PalateSample traditional dishes from 10 different national cuisines. Expand your culinary horizons.25 pts
- 🐪Exotic Mount: DesertSuccessfully ride a camel through a desert landscape or designated exploration zone.25 pts
- 🧭Paper Map NavigatorIntentionally explore a new city or area without using digital maps or GPS for navigation.30 pts
- 🎲Game MasterHost and run a full tabletop RPG session as the Game Master.30 pts
- 🧊Polar CircleCross the Arctic or Antarctic circle line.40 pts
- 🦁SafariGo on a wildlife safari and see large animals in their natural habitat.45 pts
- 🚶The PilgrimageComplete a multi-day walking pilgrimage or historic trail (e.g., Camino de Santiago, Kumano Kodo).70 pts
- 📘Ink CollectorCompletely fill an entire passport page with international entry and exit stamps.70 pts
Open your quest log
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Get started freeFrequently asked questions
What is a life side quest?
A side quest is an optional, low-stakes adventure with no practical payoff: exploring a village you can't name, learning to whittle, singing at karaoke. The term comes from video games, where side quests are famously more fun than the main story. Real life works the same way.
Why bother with side quests if they're optional?
Because the main quest is a decade-long grind and side quests pay out immediately: novelty, stories, and the sense that your life has more map than the commute. Psychologists call it novelty-seeking; gamers call it hundred-percenting the region.
Is there an app to track life side quests?
Achiever is a free web app built like a quest log for real life: browse 700+ achievements, complete each one once, earn points and share your profile. This page is the side quest section; the rest of the catalog covers the main story too.