Despite all the time we spend in front of a screen — be it staring at insipid spreadsheets all day or scrolling aimlessly on Social Media for hours — the content that is presented in front of us is often repetitive, if not even numbing.
And if you, like me, sometimes struggle to fight your screen addiction, you might as well replace the boring content with some interactive and engaging one.
Here is a list of websites that can help you overcome boredom. Get get ready to save some links!
1. Emupedia EmuOS
Emupedia is a non profit meta-resource for video game preservation. It makes games and software available online with a user-friendly UI that simulates several retro operating systems. It collects content from a wide variety of systems that are no longer in production, but also abandonware, shareware or freeware games websites, open source ports of old games that work in modern web browsers, and new games developed with modern web technologies using retro-style graphics. You can play an emulator of all windows operating systems and play different games from that time period, such as Zelda, Tomb Raider, Wolfenstein 3D, etc.
2. Geo FS
If you’ve always wanted to pilot a plane in a fun and easy way, Geo fs is the website for you. You can pick the aeroplane, select the airport or location you want to fly from, choose your favorite camera view, and even set the time and weather conditions you want to fly in. The website also has a multiplayer funcionality that allows you to fly alongside other players over Google Maps.
3. Mecabricks.com
Rekindle your nostalgic memories of childhood LEGO construction projects on Meca Bricks. On this website you can build, and even design, your lego model within the browser. Just select a design, click on Editor, and have fun! When you’re done, you can also make a 3D rendering of your design so that you can 3D print it later.
4. City Guesser
You are dropped in a city and have to guess where you are; the game is as simple as this. Go to Virtual Vacation, select the location and the difficulty level, and begin the guessing game! When you feel ready to guess the location, click on Start Guessing and drop your pin on the map. There is also a multiplayer mode to challenge other players.
5. Truesize.com
The flat maps we normally use don’t show the true size of countries. The True Size allows you to see how a country compares to the rest of the world. You can compare more than one country simultaneously and come to the shocking realisation that Greenland is actually smaller than India.
6. Nvidia GauGAN Beta
Have you always been at drawing? Don’t you worry anymore! Make a simple drawing using the brushes in the browser tool on Nvidia GauGAN and an AI will recreate your picture using a realistic image.
7. Play Phrase Me
Search for a phrase and Play Phrase will show you scenes from differnet movies where the phrase you input is said. If you are a meme creator this can definitely come in handy.
8. How Normal Am I
Did you know that AI can tell you how “normal” and good looking you are?This website does it, but it also teaches you how facial recognition is used throughout the world. It calculates how beautiful it thinks you are based on an algorithm. Using your camera, it also guesses your BMI and when it expects you to die.
9. Hotpot
With Hotpot you can restore old photos in just a couple of minutes. Upload a photo and remove marks and scratches or colorise black and white pictures — directly from the browser.
10. Worn On TV
Have you always dreamt of dressing like the characters from your favourite TV show? Check out Worn On TV, if you’ve always wanted to find a dress, a t-shirt, or any other piece of clothing you’ve seen on TV. Just type the TV show or the character in the search bar and start scrolling — you can also select the the exact episode you are looking for.
11. Habitica
Motivate yourself to achieve your goals by gamifying your life with Habitica. First you need to sign up and set up tasks that you want to do in your everyday life. Then, as you complete the tasks in real life and check them off, you’ll earn Experience and Gold, which allow you to buy some items, level up, and unlock extra content.
12. Roomstyler
If you need to design a room in your house or office, check Roomstyler out! On this website you can create 2D and 3D designs for your dream home at a button’s click. This simple-to-use floor planner and designing tool is indeed suitable for non-professionals. You can find thousands of built-in templates and decorations — such as lamps, paintings, mats, etc — as well as a list of furniture options from well-known brands. With Roomstyler you can design and adjust every space according to your needs. The website also offers inspiration by featuring thousands of 3D rooms created by the community.
For a more professional home design software, Homestyler is a great alternative too.
