The creator of The Password Game has returned with another maddening browser game that threatens to break your brain in the worst way possible. Neal Agarwal’s Stimulation Clicker does what it says on the tin. You start by clicking a button to increase your stimulation, which is the game’s currency. It doesn’t take long before you start buying bouncing DVD logo animations, a news ticker, Subway Surfers gameplay and chill beats from Lofi Girl.
From there, you can toss in the likes of loot boxes, a true crime podcast and a meditation story (which, hilariously, you can double the speed of to turbocharge your stimulation). There’s an item shop that you can use to turn the clicker button into a Captcha prompt or Sign in with Google button, or convert your cursor into a cat’s paw. Mukbang videos, Duolingo language questions, a Twitch chat and reactions from famed streamer Ludwig add to the chaotic but oh-so-captivating sensory overload. As 80 Level points out, your progress won’t be saved, so if you close the tab you’ll have to start all over again.
Clickholding, another clicking game, was the most nightmare-inducing thing I played in 2024 but Stimulation Clicker has absolutely surpassed that. It’s a funny, bruising commentary on how practically every app, website and game is constantly trying to lock in your attention to boost engagement by making you momentarily and artificially happy. It’s a reminder for us to maybe leave the devices behind and touch grass (or, I suppose, snow for many of us in the northern hemisphere right now) once in a while.
I’ve long suspected that my mind started to fry when I first switched to Firefox to use tabbed browsing. Stimulation Clicker is a harsh reminder of how the constant dopamine hits of notifications, video game trophies and tiny increases in my investment portfolio have only made things worse.
