Simulations With You
Chronos Challenge
How accurate is your internal clock? Close your eyes, count the seconds, and see if you can stop exactly on time.
đź“– Inspired by Real Stories
This tool was created for people looking to reconnect with their own internal rhythm.
How to Use Chronos Challenge
Pick a target time from the dropdown—anywhere from 5 to 60 seconds. Hit "Start" and the timer begins running. By default, the numbers blur out (you'll just see a question mark), forcing you to rely on your internal sense of time rather than watching the clock tick. Close your eyes if you want. Count in your head using whatever method feels natural—"One Mississippi, Two Mississippi" or just gut feeling. When you think the target time has elapsed, hit "Stop." The game reveals your actual time and gives you feedback based on accuracy. If you nail it within 0.1 seconds, you'll get confetti. If you want to cheat (or practice with visual feedback), toggle "Show Timer" on to watch the numbers count up. You can adjust the target anytime and try again.
Why I Built This
I made this after realizing I'd completely lost my sense of time duration. I kept thinking "that task took maybe 5 minutes" when it actually took 20, or feeling like I'd been waiting forever when only 30 seconds had passed. My internal clock had become unmoored from reality—constantly rushing, never present. I wrote about this experience in "Reclaiming Your Internal Rhythm", and this game came out of wanting a playful way to recalibrate.
Most time perception exercises feel like work—serious, formal, designed to "improve productivity." I wanted something lighter. Just you, a timer you can't see, and the question: how accurate is your inner metronome? There's something oddly calming about counting seconds in your head. You notice when your mind wanders. You feel time stretch and compress. It's not a self-help tool. It's not a productivity system. It's just a little focus game for those moments when you want to check in with your own sense of duration—and maybe discover it's not as reliable as you thought.
Tips for the Best Experience
- Start with 10 seconds—it's long enough to be challenging but short enough to stay focused without getting bored.
- Actually close your eyes instead of just looking away from the screen; it helps you tune into your internal rhythm.
- Don't just count numbers—try feeling the rhythm of seconds passing, like a slow heartbeat or metronome.
- If you're consistently off by a predictable amount (always 3 seconds too fast, for example), that tells you something interesting about your internal tempo.
- Try the same target multiple times to see if you get more accurate with practice, or if your mind just speeds up from boredom.
- This works best when you're not busy or rushed—if checking the time feels urgent, your internal clock won't be calibrated properly. No pressure though. If you're not in the mood to count invisible seconds, that's totally fine. Close the tab and come back when the idea sounds amusing instead of annoying.