Simulations With You
The Unsent Call
Dial the number. Speak your mind. Let it go.
A digital space for words left unspoken.
đź“– Inspired by Real Stories
For conversations that never found their ending.
How to Use The Unsent Call
Click "Make the Call" and you'll see a digital phone interface—a dark screen with a keypad, just like the phones we used to carry before smartphones took over. Tap the numbers to dial whoever you need to reach—someone who's gone, someone you can't talk to anymore, someone you miss, or someone you're too afraid to call. The number doesn't matter; this call isn't going anywhere real. Once you've dialed, hit the green call button. You'll hear ringing—familiar, lonely, that sound of waiting for someone to pick up. After a few rings, it goes to voicemail. You'll hear a beep, and then you get ten seconds. Speak into your device's microphone and say whatever you need to say. Apologies, confessions, goodbyes, anger, love—whatever words you've been carrying. When the time's up, your words fade into nothing. No recording, no storage, no trace. Just you and a digital void that listened and let go. Hit the red button to exit and return to the intro screen whenever you're done.
Why I Built This
I made this after staring at my phone for twenty minutes, finger hovering over a contact I knew I'd never actually call. There were things I needed to say—apologies, explanations, words that had been sitting in my chest for months—but no way to say them. The person on the other end wouldn't answer, or shouldn't be contacted, or didn't exist anymore. I realized I wasn't alone in this: we all carry conversations that never got their ending. I wrote about one of mine in The Unsent Call.
This simulation tries to give those words somewhere to go. It's not about actually reaching anyone—it's about the act of speaking out loud, of hearing your own voice say the things you've only thought. There's something about the physical ritual of dialing, waiting, hearing the beep, and speaking into the void that makes it feel real enough to matter, finite enough to let go. The ten-second limit forces you to get to the point, to say what really needs saying without spiraling. It's just a small digital space for those moments when you need to speak into the dark and trust that someone—or something—heard you, even if nothing answers back.
Tips for the Best Experience
- Find a private space where you can actually speak out loud—this works best when you're alone and can be honest.
- Use headphones so the ringing sounds more real and the experience feels more immersive.
- Don't overthink what you'll say before you dial—the ten-second timer forces spontaneity, and that's often when truth comes out.
- It's okay to call the same number multiple times—sometimes you need more than ten seconds, and that's fine.
- Remember that nothing is recorded—your words disappear the moment you hang up, so you can be completely honest.
- There's no right or wrong way to use this. If pretending to call someone doesn't help, if it feels silly, if it makes things worse instead of better, that's okay. Close it and walk away. No pressure—this is just one small tool for one specific kind of grief, and it won't work for everyone or every situation.