10 Best User Engaging Websites to Visit When You Just Need a Break

We have all come to discover that the internet is filled with some pretty cool, interesting, and even weird websites.

Some are useful, others are just for passing time, but whatever their purpose, we can all agree that many are nothing short of enjoyable.

But beneath the colors and images we see on the surface lies deeper interactions that were developed to not only give you the best experience, but to also to facilitate a lasting impression and allow you to create emotional connections.

So whether you’re looking for a little inspiration of your own, or just a break from work, here are ten websites you should check out to explore some of the more creative experiences the internet offers.

Emoji Mosaic

Emoji Mosaic is a neat website that allows you to upload a photo that it recreates as a mosaic of emojis.

The website was created by Eric Andrew Lewis, who works at the New York Times as a web developer.

To see it in action, take a look at the lovely image of fruits below on the left. When uploaded through the site, the image comes out with a multitude of emojis (seen on the right) ranging from cat icons to babies (a lot of babies). Take a gander at it for yourself and see what types of icons your image is made out of!

PlayJudgey

So they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case that’s an exception.

PlayJudgey is a creative website I stumbled across on Reddit that displays an interactive game in which you rate 10 separate books on a scale of one to five that gets compared against what the GoodReads rating is of the book.

After you complete the game, it gives you a score in the upper left hand corner and a small personality rating. I find this site an interesting way to discover new books that might be worth a read (while also learning about how judgey I am when rating book covers…)

Codedoodl.es

Codedoodl.es showcases a variety of simple interactive sketches that aim to engage the user for a short period of time.

To achieve this, the creators chose to avoid using a graphic user interface (GUI), loading bars, 3D models, or audio files to create an optimal load time for the projects.

The creators are also hoping the website scales to the point where it can be used as a “resource for visual based web experiments”.

The site is always accepting submissions through GitHub if you know anyone who might have something to contribute. Otherwise, take the more relaxing route and play around with the sketches they have on display.

RandomUsefulWebsites

Don’t you just wish you had an easier way to find random websites that you may find useful at one point in time? Well that’s where RandomUsefulWebsites comes in! 

Similar to StumbleUpon, the website sends you to random website that may or may not be something you’d use.

The website also gives you an option to subscribe so you can get a list of useful websites to your inbox every week.  

Happen to know some websites yourself? You can submit them through a link on the homepage as well.

Experience Curiosity

Created by the California Institute of Technology, Experience Curiosity gives you the opportunity to control a virtual curiosity rover as you explore the Pahrump Hills Region on the planet Mars.

In the simulation, your are able to maneuver around the area and view it through any of the rover’s cameras. Your can also use the navigation on the left side to view more information about the rover’s structure and what it has discovered at the locations it has visited.

While it might not be the real deal, the simulation still gives you a chance to feel like you're one of the NASA Engineers navigating the rover around and learning about the planet and rover technology without the possibility of  disturbing or breaking anything.

Kuku-kube

If you’re like me, and you are always looking for some sort of challenge that tests your senses, then I suggest checking out Kuku-kube.

Kuku-kube is a interactive color test that shows you several boxes that are all the same color except for one that you need to find. As you continue through the game, the amount of boxes gradually increases and the color of the box that’s different becomes harder and harder to differentiate.

By the time you get to seven or eight rows, the game begins to get pretty challenging and your brain may start to get confused! Try the game for yourself and see how skilled your eyes are.

A Soft Murmur

Maybe you're like many of us and just don't have time to spend playing on any of these sites thus far, you’re stressed, your work is piling up, and can’t spend one second doing anything else.

If that’s the case, I would at least recommend taking a look at A Soft Murmur, a website that simply plays ambient sounds to help keep you relaxed and focused.

The site gives you the option to adjust the sounds as you please based upon what you want to hear. You can even select the ‘Meander’ option at the top which automatically and gradually adjusts the settings at random to keep the sounds you are listening to constantly varying.

Beatbox Academy

Unfortunately, we can’t all be beatbox experts, as beatboxing is a skill that takes lots of time, practice, and patience to master. Fortunately, we can pretend we can using Beatbox Academy.

Beatbox Academy lets you create beats using the drum icons they display on their homepage. While you unfortunately can’t record, save, or export any of the rhythms you create, it does serve as a delightful way to create your own rhythm without totally making a fool out of yourself using your own mouth.

Bond

James Bond’s career and amazing cars have always been a life that many of us wish we could live, even if just for a day, but sadly, that just doesn’t seem possible.

To help fill part of that void, Evan Halshaw has created a beautifully organized parallax scrolling website of James Bond’s cars he has used throughout all of the movies.

If you happen to find a little number that you like, you can download the image you’re on as a wallpaper in a variety of sizes.

Tiii

With so many shows we are all constantly watching these days, one should wonder how much time we have used watching some of our favorite shows.

Well look no further than Tiii to figure that out. Tiii manages to calculate the time it takes to watch whatever series you enter into with the option to filter by the seasons.

So next time you're wondering if you have the time to start binge watching Breaking Bad, try checking out how long it’s going to take before you sit down and get wrapped up into it!