How SCLPTR works — from first open to done for today

SCLPTR works in five steps: pick your language, choose life domains, face one situation card, read wisdom plus one reflection question, then tap Done for today — no account, no streak, about three minutes total.

The app is intentionally slow. Here's exactly what happens when you use it for the first time — and what we deliberately left out.

1. Landing and language

You land on a short explanation of the ritual: situation → choice → reflection. Pick English, German, Spanish, or French for the interface.

Card content for The Mirror (free pack) is translated in all four languages. Paid pack card text is English-first for now; the UI still localizes.

No email gate. No "create your profile." You begin.

2. Pick life domains (or explore all)

You'll see eight areas: time, money, relationships, health, career, spirituality, family, identity.

Select up to two that feel most alive — or skip straight to everything. We recommend honesty over virtue: pick where you're already avoiding something, not what sounds impressive.

Your daily card is drawn from these domains when your active pack includes matching cards. Change domains anytime via reset in Settings.

3. Card 1 of 2 — the situation

A short scene in second person. Specific enough to feel real:

You're in a meeting. Your phone buzzes. You glance at it without thinking.

You choose left or right — or swipe. Both options are honest human responses. We don't moralize one side as "correct." That design choice matters: if reflection feels like a quiz, people lie to the app.

The situation comes from your selected domains and active pack. Same card all day (local midnight) — not a new card every time you open the app.

4. Card 2 of 2 — wisdom + reflection

A quote from a named thinker appears in smaller italic type — Seneca, Morgan Housel, Brené Brown, Jung, Naval, and others. The quote matches your choice, not a generic fortune cookie.

Below it: a large serif reflection question — the one you're meant to sit with after you close the app.

Tap Done for today. That's your ritual. The footer counter showed 1/2 then 2/2. There is no third "focus" card.

5. Browse packs by category

Tap Categories at the bottom of the card screen to browse by life area:

• Category grid first — then packs within a domain
• Search topics across packs and card text
• Pack detail — all 15 cards in an owned pack; today's card highlighted

Set a pack as active to drive your daily card. The Mirror is free; paid packs unlock via purchase or code when payments are live.

What happens after "Done for today"

First-time users see a short categories intro — where to find more packs, optional reminder suggestion. Then you see the category grid.

You can return tomorrow for a new daily card, replay any owned card, or switch active pack. No streak counter. No guilt.

What SCLPTR does not do

• No account required for daily use
• No recording swipe direction in analytics (completion only, if you consent to cookies)
• No push notifications unless you opt in
• No social feed, no "share your reflection" prompts on every card
• No streaks, XP, or badges

Local storage only: onboarding flag, domains, active pack, unlocked packs, language, notification prefs.

Evening vs. morning use

There's no wrong time. Many people use SCLPTR:

• Morning — filter before the inbox owns the day (Stoic morning filter)
• Evening — audit the day you actually lived
• After a trigger — argument, purchase urge, meeting dread

Two to three minutes fits any of these. Full practice guide.

Walkthrough: Maria's Tuesday evening

Maria opens SCLPTR after dinner. She's used it four days this month — no streak, no guilt about the gaps.

Landing: She already onboarded. The app remembers her language (Spanish UI) and domains (Family, Relationships).

Card 1/2: A situation about saying "in five minutes" to a child while finishing email. She swipes left — she'd keep typing. Honest.

Card 2/2: A quote about attention, matched to her choice. Reflection question in large serif: What were you afraid would happen if you stopped for one minute?

She reads it twice. Taps Done for today.

Categories intro (first time only): brief pointer to category grid. She dismisses.

Tomorrow: Different card, same pack, same domains filter. Same card all day if she reopens — deterministic until local midnight.

That's the full loop. No account. No recording which way she swiped.

In practice: your first week inside the app

Session 1 — Onboarding: Pick language. Choose one or two domains where you're avoiding something — not what sounds virtuous.

Session 2 — First card: Complete both steps. Sit with the question five minutes after closing the app.

Session 3 — Categories: Tap Categories at the bottom of the card screen. Browse category grid → Mirror pack → see all fifteen cards listed. Today's card highlighted.

Session 4 — Settings check: Language, domains, notification opt-in. Reset onboarding only if your focus shifted.

Session 5 — Active pack: If you unlock a paid pack later, set it active to drive daily cards. Mirror alone is complete.

Session 6 — Replay: Open an owned pack; tap any card to replay situation → choice → reflection. Daily ritual still one card.

Session 7 — Pair with essay: Read what SCLPTR is or reflection vs. meditation if you're comparing tools.

What "deterministic daily card" means

Same inputs → same card for the day: active pack, locale, domain filter, calendar date in your timezone. Not random each open. Not infinite scroll.

Why: reflection isn't a slot machine. Returning at lunch shouldn't show a new situation that lets you avoid yesterday's question. Midnight resets. Tomorrow is a new fork.

Extended FAQ

Do I need internet? Yes for first load (PWA). Offline improvements are planned.

Can I do more than one card per day? The daily ritual is one card. In Categories, you can replay owned pack cards anytime.

Is my swipe data sold? No. We don't store which choice you made.

How is the daily card chosen? Deterministic per day, pack, locale, and your domain filter — same card all day, resets at local midnight.

Why only two cards? Situation, then wisdom plus question. A third "focus" card felt like homework in testing.

Can I change domains without losing packs? Yes — Settings reset onboarding or browse categories. Unlocked packs stay unlocked.

What if the card doesn't match my life today? Domains narrow the pool; Mirror samples all eight over time. Rotation monthly helps.

Notifications? Opt-in only. No guilt pushes for missed days.

Checkout and codes? When payments are enabled, purchase or enter unlock code on pack screen. Mirror always free.

Privacy in one sentence? Preferences on your device; we don't log which way you swiped; no account required for the daily ritual.

Open SCLPTR and walk through once. Done for today is a complete session.

Related: What is SCLPTR? · Eight life domains · Daily reflection vs. meditation