The Email Game was a gamified way to clear out a full Inbox quickly and efficiently. From 2010-2019, it helped over a million people get their email back under control. However, in order to focus our efforts on our core products, Boomerang for Gmail and Boomerang for Outlook, we are sunsetting the Email Game effective February 7th, 2019.
Why is this happening?

When we started building Boomerang and the Email Game simultaneously back in 2010, we weren't sure if building productivity tools into Gmail or if building a rapid-fire gamified workflow for clearing out a full Inbox would be more valuable. Eight years later, Boomerang has been successful beyond our imagination, and the Email Game has um... proven that a rapid-fire gamified workflow is probably not what most people want to use to process their email.

We've kept the Email Game running over the years, but it's reaching the age where it needs a pretty significant rewrite. We'll get a lot more bang for the buck if we invest that effort into Boomerang instead.

What should I use instead of the Email Game?

We know there's nothing else quite like the Email Game out there, but with help from our core product Boomerang and a few settings changes, you can get an experience inside Gmail that's pretty close to it. Here are our recommendations:

  • Turn on auto-advance and turn off the preview pane in Gmail. With auto-advance enabled, each time you take action on a conversation, like by archiving it, Gmail will automatically move to the next conversation. Just like the Email Game.
  • Install our Boomerang extension to enable some of the key features that were in the Email Game, such as response tracking and Send Later.
  • After you've installed Boomerang, use the Inbox Pause feature to stop incoming messages while you clear out everything that's already in your Inbox.
  • Enable the Canned Responses lab in Gmail to replace the Email Game's quick replies.
  • If you found the timer and smileys helpful, you can get a standalone version here.
What will happen with messages I've scheduled to send later or Boomeranged through the Email Game?

They will continue to be delivered for at least several months, though you won't be able to play the Email Game with new messages. If you have messages scheduled further out than that, we'll email you with instructions on how to handle them.

I loved the Email Game. Is there anything I can do to say thank you for it?

Thank you for playing! If you want a memento of the Email Game, feel free to buy one of these snazzy mugs! Or you can buy a Boomerang subscription, which is how we keep this place running.

I'm fabulously wealthy, and rather than upgrade my private jet or get a new set of platinum plates for my yacht this year, I'd like to spend a couple million dollars and buy the Email Game. What say you?

Email us at support@baydin.com, and we'll talk. Especially if it's aboard your yacht. We'll tactfully pretend to not notice your so-2017 rose gold plates.

Still feeling nostalgic? Read more about The Email Game in Fast Company's eulogy here.