1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the RPG
bbc.co.uk
This text-based role-playing game based on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is really hard. Like really hard. I have been playing this game on and off for a couple of years, and have yet to get past the first spaceship.
Despite how tricky it is, it’s tremendously funny, seldom literal, and a must for all towel-remembers.
Play it here.
Despite how tricky it is, it’s tremendously funny, seldom literal, and a must for all towel-remembers.
Play it here.
Wikigame
Wikigame
Essentially 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but for Wikipedia. Hopscotch between Wikipedia articles to find a path from say, Ashley Tisdale to HTML (Ashley Tisdale was born in California – Silicon Valley – Internet – HTML).
You can choose from a time trial, or to limit the amount of clicks you can use. Make it really hard by eliminating “the United States” as a pathway.
Play it here.
You can choose from a time trial, or to limit the amount of clicks you can use. Make it really hard by eliminating “the United States” as a pathway.
Play it here.
3. Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia
Jump! Climb! Kill the baddies! Save the princess! Play this classic game online for free, but remember to turn off the sound, or put headphones in. Not only is the soundtrack a little bit tinny, the sword swipes make a lot of noise.
Play it here.
Play it here.
4. Geoguessr
Geoguessr is a guessing game using Google Maps. You’re dropped into a random location (left) and you have to guess where you are. You can use clues (what language are the street signs in?) or you can just go with your gut. If you sign up, you can play in challenge mode against another player.
Play it here.
Play it here.
5. Magic Pen
Magic Pen
This physics-based doodle game is fiercely addictive. You have to push a red ball across the screen, using only shapes you draw. You can add in hinges and pins, and erase some poor choices if you must. One note: This is best suited to playing on graphics tablets (or even touchscreens) – with a mouse it’s a bit tricky.
Play it here.
Play it here.
6. Excit
Excit
Excit is a very simple navigation/maze game that gets more fiendish with each level. But the brilliant thing about Excit is that is looks like an Excel spreadsheet. Not that we’re saying you should play this at work, but if you *did* then it would look like you were very absorbed in finessing your formulas.
Play it here.
Play it here.
8. Find your dream home, no budget.
themodernhouse.net
Click on to your fave property website (like Rightmove, The Modern House (for architecture buffs), Waterside Properties, (for, you guessed it, those seeking a waterside property) and slide that pricing scale right up. Money is no object. What will you choose?
9. Spy on the weather, worldwide.
Forecast
“Weather?” you say. “Zzzzzz.” Let us prove you wrong with forecast.io. Super accurate, and helpful for your local area, but also weirdly absorbing for guessing temperatures around the world.
10. Browse music across time and space with Radiooooo.
Radiooooo
Radiooooo is a really neat concept. Click on an era and a location, and listen to the music that was popular there and then. So, if you click 1950 + United Kingdomn, you’ll get a swing track. But 1930 + Australia digs up a folk song. Easy to while away a whole afternoon.
11. Browse some useless items at The Worst Things for Sale.
theworstthingsforsale.com
Created by the author Married to the Sea (more on that later), TWTFS is updated daily with the worst things for sale on Amazon. Check in and see if anything takes your fancy (like perhaps these ~unisex~ Chewbacca Crocs).
12. Lose yourself in Letters of Note.
Letters of Note/ Shaun Usher / Via julienslive.com
This gem of a website curates famous historical letters – including those from celebrities, poets, writers, politicians, scientists, and more. It’s easy to do a deep dive and only come up for air 30 minutes later, having read Marie Curie’s letter of recommendation for Albert Einstein.
The author also runs Lists of Note, which focuses on lists, and Letterheady, which focuses on beautiful stationary.
The author also runs Lists of Note, which focuses on lists, and Letterheady, which focuses on beautiful stationary.
13. Go to town on e-books with Project Gutenberg.
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg has over 49,000 e-books for free, with more being added regularly. You can download them to your phone or Kindle – or just keep one open in a tab to dip in and out of. All the books featured are out of copyright, so you can expect plenty of Sherlock Holmes, as well as The Call of the Wild, Wuthering Heights, and more.
14. Find your new favourite comic.
XKCD / Via xkcd.com
Here are some to get you started: SMBC, Dinosaur Comics, XKCD, Hark! A Vagrant, Married to the Sea, and QuestionableContent (my personal favourite).
15. Travel into a Wiki-hole.
Wikipedia/ Creative Commons
Just keep clicking, man. If you need some direction, here’s a good place to start.
16. Never be bored again with Open Puppies.
Open Puppies
Keep it open in a tab all day long for a paw-some energy boost.
17. And when all else fails, OMFG DOGS.
Just click here.