The points that tell you how close you are to admitting you should've played something else.
means Experience points: the numerical reward for actions in games that accumulates toward leveling up, unlocking abilities, or progressing through content—borrowed now by gamification into real life apps, fitness trackers, and anywhere humans need fake progress bars.
from Originated in tabletop Dungeons & Dragons (1974), where dungeon masters awarded XP for defeating monsters and completing quests. Richard Garriott's Ultima (1981) brought it into digital games, where it became the standard metric for character progression. Now inescapable.
world of warcraft — 25 million players grinding XP across 20-year lifespan
pokemon red version — 1996 Nintendo Game Boy: XP visible per battle, transformed player motivation
duolingo streaks — App uses XP-like points to maintain 500+ million user engagement loops