Breaking Plateaus by first mastering previous level faster + new free webapp

[Konstantin Rokossovski]

Hey everyone,

I've been practicing Dual N-Back (and Quad N-Back) for years, and like many of you, I noticed a fundamental flaw in how most apps handle progression: the difficulty gap between levels keeps widening. Going from N=2 to N=3 felt way easier compared to the massive jump from N=6 to N=7 (and up) (particularly if you use rehearsal).

The problem is that mastering a level isn't just about getting 80% correct but it's also about building automaticity and speed. If you use the rehearsal technique, you know that faster processing is crucial for higher N-levels.

The Breakthrough
What finally worked for me was this approach:
-Master N=5 at increasingly faster speeds (down to 2 seconds)
-Only then move to N=6, but starting slower (3 seconds)
-Repeat the speed-building process at each level
-This made the transitions between levels much smoother and more manageable. But no existing apps supported this methodology.

No apps did this automatically; some had manual mode but only allowed 0.5 second steps
So I created a web app that implements speed-based progression: reservid.com/nback.html

What it does:

• Speed Mastery: Instead of just hitting 80% accuracy, you must achieve faster response times (0.1s increments) before leveling up
• Smoother Transitions: New levels start slower, then speed up as you master them
• Progressive Overload: Like weight training - increase speed before increasing complexity

Why This Works Better (in my opinion)

• Eliminates the "wall" between higher N-levels
• Progressive Overload: Like weight lifting: move up in reps, then move down in reps but up the weight: in weight lifting this is proven to lead to better results than just moving up in weight.
• Mimics real cognitive skill acquisition (speed matters!

I'd love for you guys to try it and share feedback. Has anyone else found the traditional progression system limiting? What strategies have worked for you in bridging the gap between higher N-levels? Let me know if you want extra features; in the future I may build it to an apk/ios app.

You can try it here (no ads & completely free): reservid.com/nback.html

Cheers!

[Michael Taylor]

Can you make it with no limits on the N.levels? I read a blog by a phenom from Japan.who played Dual N.Back.everyday for.4 years straight, and.ended up at N=49 at his last blogging about it! I hope he didn't die or.get.offed by somebody, because.thats.unheard of, but when he.maxed out the app he was using, he had to create.a new.one.without.limits,.and just.kept growing and growing until his last post (at September of last year) was at N=49! (Wow!)

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[Konstantin Rokossovski]

Done!

[Michael Taylor]

Thanks bro!

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