Quick answer
In Respite you earn 20 acorns for each day you keep within all your limits, 2 acorns for each walk-away at the pause (up to 10 a day), 10 to 30 for each of three daily quests, bonuses at 3, 7, 14, 30 and 100-day streaks, and a weekly chest of 30 to 80. A streak freeze costs 150 acorns, and you get 3 free each month.
- A kept day pays 20 acorns; each walk-away pays 2, capped at 10 acorns a day.
- Streak milestones pay 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 acorns at 3, 7, 14, 30 and 100 days.
- A streak freeze covers one app for one day, costs 150 acorns, and 3 are free each month.
- XP equals acorns earned, so spending acorns never lowers your level.
Respite’s game layer is small on purpose, but it has a few rules worth knowing. This page is the reference: every number below comes from the app’s game rules, so it is what you will actually see. If you want the why before the how, start with introducing acorns, quests and leagues.
How do I earn acorns in Respite?
| You do this | You get |
|---|---|
| Keep a day within all your limits | 20 acorns |
| Walk away at the pause | 2 acorns each, up to 10 a day |
| Finish a daily quest | 10 to 30 acorns |
| Reach a 3-day streak | 25 acorns |
| Reach a 7-day streak | 50 acorns |
| Reach a 14-day streak | 100 acorns |
| Reach a 30-day streak | 200 acorns |
| Reach a 100-day streak | 500 acorns |
| Open the weekly chest after 4 or more kept days | 30 to 80 acorns |
| Accept a friend’s invite (both of you) | 50 acorns |
| Place in the top three of a weekly league | 100, 60 or 40 acorns |
Acorns are also XP. Every acorn you earn counts toward your level, and spending acorns does not take XP away.
What counts as a kept day?
A day is kept when your total time on each app or site you have a limit for stays within that limit. Three details matter:
- It is combined across devices. If you have set a limit on an app or site and use it on two devices, both count toward one total.
- You need a limit. With no limits set there is nothing to keep, so no day is counted. Set one in the app, then see how to reduce screen time for picking a sensible number.
- It settles when the day closes. Today’s acorns arrive after midnight, once there is a full picture. Respite looks back over the last week when it settles, so a day you missed opening the app is still paid.
What is a walk-away?
At the pause, you can leave instead of continuing. Each time you do, that is a walk-away, worth 2 acorns. The cap is 10 acorns a day (five walk-aways), so it rewards the habit without turning into a farm. Walk-aways also feed one of the daily quests.
How do daily quests work?
You get three quests a day, picked for you from these types:
| Quest | Reward |
|---|---|
| Walk away 3 times | 10 acorns |
| Walk away 5 times | 20 acorns |
| Open your insights | 10 acorns |
| Stay under 75% of one app’s daily limit (at least 5 minutes) | 20 acorns |
| Keep all your limits today | 30 acorns |
The two limit-based quests only appear once you have a limit, and they complete only when the day ends, since only the end of the day proves you stayed under. Quests from the last two days stay claimable.
How does the streak work?
Your streak is the number of days in a row you have kept, counting back from yesterday. Today joins it once today closes. Milestone bonuses pay once per streak, at 3, 7, 14, 30 and 100 days. A day that is not kept ends the streak unless a freeze covers it.
How do streak freezes work?
A freeze is a safety net for a day that went over.
- Go over a limit. When an app is over its limit today and you have a freeze, the Journey tab offers “Use a freeze on” that app.
- Tap it. That app no longer breaks today.
- Cover a recent day if you need to. The game accepts a freeze for today or any of the last three days.
A few rules:
- A freeze covers one app for one day. If two apps went over, you need two freezes.
- A frozen day keeps your streak going but pays no acorns for that day.
- You cannot freeze a day that was already kept.
- You get 3 free freezes each month. More cost 150 acorns each, and you can buy as many as you like.
What is the weekly chest?
Keep at least four days in a week and the chest opens on Sunday for 30 to 80 acorns, a number that is set for you for that week. You can claim it from Sunday onward.
How do levels work?
Level 2 starts at 100 XP, level 3 at 250, level 4 at 450 and level 5 at 700. After that each level asks a little more than the last: 300 XP for level 6, then 350, 400 and so on. Levels are for bragging rights and for your Biscuit; nothing is locked behind them.
What can I buy in the shop?
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Streak freeze | 150 acorns (repeatable) |
| Garden: bench | 100 |
| Garden: lantern | 150 |
| Garden: pond | 250 |
| Garden: treehouse | 400 |
| Outfit: scarf | 300 |
| Outfit: glasses | 350 |
| Outfit: cap | 400 |
| Outfit: backpack | 500 |
| Outfit: cape | 650 |
| Outfit: crown | 800 |
Two app themes are listed in the shop but are not on sale yet. Outfits can be worn by Biscuit and, in leagues, appear next to your name.
Tips for getting more from the game
- Use a free freeze on the day you know will be rough. It is there to be used.
- Check quests in the morning; the two limit quests are the ones worth planning around.
- Do not set limits so tight you hate them. A kept day is worth the same 20 acorns whether the limit was generous or strict. See gamified screen time apps for why modest, achievable limits work best.
- Join a league only if it motivates you. Details are in Respite leagues and friends.
Next step
Open the Journey tab in Respite. If you do not have the app yet, download it, set a limit, and your first quests will be waiting.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
How do I earn acorns in Respite?
You earn 20 acorns for each day you stay within every one of your limits, 2 acorns each time you choose to walk away at the pause (up to 10 a day), 10 to 30 acorns for finishing a daily quest, bonuses when your streak reaches 3, 7, 14, 30 and 100 days, and a weekly chest worth 30 to 80 acorns.
What counts as a kept day in Respite?
A day is kept when your combined usage of every app and site you have a limit on, across all your devices, is within its daily limit, and at least one of your devices reported usage that day. You need at least one limit set. Days settle after they close, so acorns for today arrive tomorrow.
How do streak freezes work?
A streak freeze covers one app on one day so that an overrun does not break your streak. You can use it for today or any of the last three days. A frozen day keeps the streak alive but pays no acorns. You get 3 free freezes every month, and you can buy more for 150 acorns each.
What do levels do in Respite?
Your level is a measure of how many acorns you have earned in total, which Respite calls XP. Level 2 starts at 100 XP, level 3 at 250, level 4 at 450 and level 5 at 700, with each later level needing a few hundred more. Spending acorns in the shop never lowers your level.
What can I buy with acorns?
Streak freezes at 150 acorns, garden items from 100 to 400 acorns, and outfits for Biscuit the mascot from 300 to 800 acorns. App themes are listed but are not on sale yet. Freezes can be bought again and again; garden items and outfits are bought once.
Keep Reading
