Kill some time with these much needed distractions

Constantly being plugged into the news grind is mentally exhausting. Sometimes we just need to take a break, unwind, and do something fun. That’s why we’ve built up a collection of distracting time-wasters for when we need a break from being obsessively online. We figured you might enjoy these harmless rabbit holes, mildly addictive browser games, and internet curiosities, too, so we’ve been writing about them when we find them.

Can you beat our score in I’m Not a Robot or did you find a gem of an academic paper on motherhood and body horror on Horror Lex? Tell us in the comments.

The goal here isn’t to get engrossed in a game that you’ll lose hundreds of hours to, or become an expert on dialectical materialism. It’s to have a little fun on your lunch break, decompress between emails, or give you an interesting repository of art to dig through on a slow Sunday afternoon. So check back often to see the latest light-hearted (well, mostly light-hearted) time waster we’re passing around the office.

  • The Virtual OS Museum lets you relive over 600 operating systems right on your desktop
  • 82-0 is the best basketball game, to hell with NBA 2K
  • Mechanical Pencil is the new cross-section book.
  • I’m beginning to wonder, am I a robot?
  • New Art City is a free virtual gallery filled with beautifully bizarre art.
  • Horror Lex is a free database of academic literature for horror nerds.
  • Spotify Wrapped? No. Welcome to Tax Wrapped.
  • I can’t stop playing this annoyingly hard color memory game.
  • Binary Piano is an addictive way to make algorithmic music in your browser.
  • Relive the glory days when MTV played music videos.
  • A Swedish hot dog with shrimp salad is the most chaotic evil sandwich ever and I will hear no arguments to the contrary.

Read more @ TheVerge

Latest posts

Hoto’s PixelDrive screwdriver is down to $60, matching its best price

If your Prime Day purchases included a new desk, TV stand, bookshelf, or other furniture you still haven’t assembled, Hoto’s PixelDrive cordless screwdriver can...

What’s new in Android’s July 2026 Google System Updates

The monthly “Google System Release Notes” primarily detail what’s new in Play services, Play Store, and Play system update across Android phones/tablets, Wear OS,...

The Sideload 038: Niagara Launcher, ten years in

Welcome to episode 38 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Peter Huber of Niagara Launcher to discuss the origins of...

Former Xbox studios Double Fine and Compulsion will keep games after going indie

Microsoft is spinning off four of its Xbox game studios - Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs - as part...

Five questions for Dr. Rubin, who’s armed with a mic and a bowtie

Dr. Rubin’s feed Bullshit is cheap but truth is expensive. Anyone with half a brain cell can post wild misinformation that goes mega viral, which...

America’s greatest idea is still under threat

The Patrouille de France perform a flyover during the Sail4th 250 Tall Ships Parade along the Hudson River in New York on July 4th,...

Mint Mobile cuts all plans to $15/month as its Google Pixel phones have vanished

Mint Mobile is currently running one of its recurring specials that cuts all of its plans to $15/month, but it comes as the carrier...

Samsung ‘Galaxy Buds On’ surface with more Galaxy Watch 9, Ultra 2 leaks

Ahead of their launch, expected to be later this month, Samsung has accidentally confirmed its Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches, as well...

Introducing 9to5Google Pro

I love reporting the news, and it’s something I’ve been doing day-in and day-out for well over a decade. The entire 9to5Google team is...

Google Maps is restoring the names of locations in Poland that were changed to offensive alternatives

Google Maps is the default way that millions around the world get around and do research on locations, but an apparent attack on the...