A SHARED EXPERIMENT
THE BUTTON
Loading season…
One clock. Everyone's nerve.
Checking who's here…
PATIENCE IS THE GAME
How long can
we keep this going?
A single countdown, shared by everyone. Wait for more points, or press to keep the game alive.
Choose a section above to join in, compare scores, or say hello.
KEEP THE EXPERIMENT WELCOMING
AdministratorControl room.
Manage player access and keep the conversation on track. Every action is recorded.
Players
Role changes and bans revoke the player's sessions. You cannot remove your own access or the last active administrator. Delete account removes credentials and anonymizes the player; historical scores stay.
Recent chat
Latest 100 visible messages, including automatic announcements. Removal is permanent; it does not undo presses or milestone unlocks.
Recent admin actions
Most recent 50 actions. IDs are internal account/message identifiers; no passwords or tokens are recorded.
A NEW CHAPTER, FOUR TIMES A YEAR
The seasonal leaderboard.
New scores. Familiar faces. Every equinox and solstice brings a fresh start.
Season champions
Starts at 00:00 UTC on the astronomical equinox/solstice date. Joint top scorers share the win. Only players who pressed can win, including zero-point presses.
Loading seasons…
WAIT ON YOUR TERMS
Don't miss your moment.
Choose a zone. We'll give you a nudge when the clock gets there.
Alerts are off by default.
A heads-up, not a guarantee
Keep this page open. Alerts follow server updates, usually every five seconds. Background tabs may be delayed or suspended, and very short zones can be missed. Alerts do not work after the page is closed.
Opening the page, saving settings, or someone resetting the clock won't trigger an alert. Each selected zone alerts once per countdown. Preferences stay in this browser; no account is required.
Sound may need a click on Test chime after reopening the page. Browser notifications require permission and a supported secure browser (HTTPS or localhost).
YOUR NEXT MOVE
Take your place.
Choose a name. Trust your timing. Every press is part of the story.
Already playing? Log in with the same name and password to pick up where you left off.
YOUR PART IN THE EXPERIMENT
Good things come to those who wait. Sometimes.
You're on the mailing list. Thanks!
On by default. Uncheck to hide your online status and chat presence. Only visible tabs count; no activity history is saved.
Your personal bests
YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE
Finding your place…
Positions follow the leaderboard: total points, then player name for ties. Any positive points gain puts you ahead of an equal score.
Your achievements
Loading badges…Earned through timing, not volume. Your existing history counts. No bonus points.
Your scoring zones
Your press history
THE LONG GAME
Updates every 5sLeaderboard
This season's scores. A little patience. A little nerve. See who's making every second count.
Loading scores…
THE PLAYER LOUNGE
A little company
while you wait.
Talk strategy. Share a close call. Say hello.
Who's in the lounge
Loading messages…
Pull up a seat. Log in or join the game to say hello.
Type : to find an emoji. Use ↑/↓ to choose, Enter or Tab to insert, Esc to dismiss. 200 characters max · 2 seconds between messages.
THE FINAL CHAPTER
Every second had a story.
This season's clock has stopped. Here's how we got here. A new game starts next season.
Presses per zone
Leaderboard
Full press log
SIMPLE RULES. DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
It's all in the timing.
Everyone shares the same clock. What you do with it is up to you.
Keep the clock alive
Every press resets the countdown for everyone.
Wait for your moment
The lower the countdown, the more you score. Each zone awards a fixed number of points per press.
Don't wait too long
If the countdown reaches zero, this season's game ends. The next equinox or solstice starts a new countdown and resets scores. Accounts and chat stay.
Six zones. Increasing stakes.
Player scores are always public. Detailed global stats are revealed when the game ends.
Inspired by the original Reddit "The Button" experiment.
BEYOND THE BUTTON
Stay a little longer.
Small experiments, open-source projects, and the person behind them.
Visit Eric's homepage for contact information, social media, and links to his other projects.
Meet the makerMore projects, ideas, and ways to get in touch.Mailing list
Join the mailing list to receive updates on Eric's projects:
FUEL THE NEXT EXPERIMENT
Help keep ideas alive.
Independent projects, made for everyone. A little support goes a long way.
Help support my free and open source projects by making a donation through Stripe:
Thank you for supporting independent, open-source work.