17 Genius Websites For When You've Got Nothing To Do

Let's waste some time, together.

1. A Good Movie to Watch

A Good Movie To Watch

If you'd like a hand navigating Netflix, this site can help you out. It asks your mood, then gives you a wide selection which you can narrow down further again as you wish.

2. Little Alchemy

Little Alchemy

I'm so sorry for introducing you to this – you will never get any work done again. Little Alchemy is like Minecraft for elements: Combine fire and sand to make glass, combine glass with water to make...well, you'll have to figure that one out.

3. Drinkify

Drinkify

This neat website suggests drinks pairings for your music collection. It's got its own sense of humour too: I typed "Elle King" and it suggested bourbon and Red Bull.

4. Radiooooo

Radiooooo

Radiooooo is strangely absorbing – it allows you to browse music across time and space. You pick a decade (like 1970) and a country (like Brazil), and music from that era begins to stream. It's endlessly fascinating: My favourite thing to do is go through the decades (from 1900) for the same country and listen to the soundtrack change.

5. Pixel Thoughts

Pixelthoughts

This sweet meditation tool makes your worries literally vanish. Just type in what's bothering you, and watch as it shrinks away into nothingness.

6. Forgotify

Forgotify

Forgotify is on a mission to stream all songs on Spotify. "We were so shocked to learn that millions of Spotify songs had been played only partially or never at all", they write. Join in!

7. Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg has over 50,000 free ebooks. Over 50,000! You need never be stuck for something to read again.

8. Mubi

Mubi

If you ever get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choice on Netflix, then Mubi is for you. There are only ever 30 movies, with a new one uploaded each day, and an old one taken away. The coolest thing though, is that you can download the movies to your device – which means that unlike Netflix, you can watch films even when you have no internet.

9. Geoguessr

Geoguesser

Geoguesser is one of my fave browser games: You are dropped into an unknown location on Google Maps and have to work out where you are. On a good day, there'll be a road sign you can work from. On a bad day, you'll find out that fields look broadly similar the world over.

10. Open Puppies

Open Puppies

Just a tab full of widescreen, never-ending puppy GIFs.

11. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the RPG

bbc.co.uk

The most difficult, most bizarre, and most fun, game on the internet.

12. LibriVox

LibriVox

If you'd rather listen to your books than read them, LibriVox is the place for you. It has free audiobooks (ones that are in the public domain). The books on offer are varied (from Shakespeare to Frederick Douglass) and there's plenty of poetry too.

13. Akinator

Akinator

Akinator is like a 20 Questions genius: Whatever you're thinking about, he knows. Seriously. In all my years of playing it, the only thing I have managed to defeat it with is "Wishbone the dog, from the TV series Wishbone."

14. Calming Manatee

Calming Manatee

I look at this website an awful lot. Like, a couple of times a day. It's just endless images of manatees saying calming things. What more could you want?

15. What Should I Read Next

louiseoneillauthor.com

This low-fi and nifty website recommends books based on ones you like. The downside is that there's no filter apart from tags, and no reviews either – so you have to do your own legwork once you get the suggestion.

BTW, here's a good place to start: 34 Young Adult Books Every Feminist Will Love.

16. MyFridgeFood

My Fridge Food

If you want something a bit more practical than What The Fuck Should I Make For Dinner, then try My Fridge Food. Tell the website what you've got in stock, and it will suggest your dinner.

17. ManualsLib

ManualsLib

For anyone who has ever lost the building instructions to their Ikea Billy Bookcase.