How Brainrot Games Became My Go-To Study Break Entertainment

Back in November, during finals week, I was looking for anything to distract myself from staring at my notes for the tenth hour in a row. My roommate walked in, laughing at something on his laptop, and I asked what was so funny. He turned the screen around to show me this absurd game where you're just clicking a cookie repeatedly. That's it. Just clicking. And somehow we spent the next twenty minutes taking turns trying to beat each other's click count.

That was my introduction to what people call brainrot games - those weird, often ridiculous little games that somehow manage to be completely absorbing despite having no real point. Since then, I've built up a collection of go-to games for when I need to shut my brain off for a bit.

What I like about them is that they don't demand anything from you. You're not learning valuable skills or improving yourself or any of that serious stuff. You're just clicking, or tapping, or watching numbers go up, and that's perfectly fine. Sometimes you need that. Sometimes you've spent three hours writing a paper and your brain feels like it's melting, and the last thing you want is to be challenged or educated. You just want to watch a cartoon character run endlessly while collecting coins.

I've found these games are perfect for those gaps in the day where you're waiting but not doing anything. Waiting for water to boil. Waiting for a friend to show up. Waiting for your phone to charge. I used to scroll through social media during those moments, but honestly, that just made me feel worse - everyone else's life looks so perfect and productive. With these games, there's no comparison. Just me and some silly little activity that passes the time.

The other day my little sister was over and saw me playing this game where you're just stacking blocks. Simplest thing imaginable. She asked if she could try, and suddenly we're both sitting there, intensely focused on stacking these blocks higher and higher. We ended up playing for an hour, competing to see who could get the highest tower. My mom walked in, looked at us like we were crazy, and asked if we were five years old. We didn't care. It was fun.

What's interesting is how these games have become kind of a social thing in my friend group now. Someone will send a link in our group chat with "I dare you to beat my score" and suddenly everyone's playing. We have an ongoing competition in this one incredibly stupid game where you're just launching a chicken across a field. Don't ask me why it's fun. It just is. My friend Sarah holds the record, and we're all trying to figure out how she got that far.

I've also noticed they're great for when I'm stressed about something specific. If I'm anxious about an exam or worrying about money or whatever, I can't just sit there with my thoughts. I need something completely mindless to occupy that part of my brain that wants to spiral. These games work perfectly for that - they require just enough attention to keep me focused, but not enough to add any stress. It's like a mental fidget spinner.

The variety is pretty wild once you start exploring. There are games where you're managing some ridiculous business, games where you're training an army of tiny creatures, games that make no sense whatsoever but you keep playing anyway. I tend to rotate through them depending on my mood. Sometimes I want something with a bit of progression, other times I just want to tap my screen and watch stuff happen.

My dad actually got into them too, which I find hilarious. He's usually so serious about everything - work, news, current events. But I showed him this game where you're merging these little blob creatures, and now he's playing it every night after dinner. He claims it helps him unwind. My mom says it's the most relaxed she's seen him in years. So maybe there's something to this whole brainrot thing.

I think what keeps me coming back is that there's zero pressure. No leaderboards I care about (though they exist), no friends I need to impress, no goals I need to achieve. I can play for five minutes or fifty, stop whenever I want, and pick it up again days later. No guilt about neglecting my virtual farm or whatever. It's casual in the truest sense of the word.

The games have also been unexpectedly helpful during long phone calls. You know those calls where you're mostly listening and occasionally saying "yeah" or "uh-huh"? I used to just pace around the room, but now I'll play one of these games with the sound off. Keeps me from getting restless while still being able to pay attention to the conversation.

Sometimes I wonder if I should be embarrassed about playing such childish games. But then I remember that everyone has their thing - some people watch reality TV, some people do crossword puzzles, some people scroll TikTok for hours. At least with these games, I'm actually engaging with something instead of just consuming content passively. And I'm having genuine fun, which is more than I can say for most time-wasting activities.

I've started sending links to my friends when they're having rough days. "Here, play this incredibly stupid game for ten minutes and tell me if you don't feel better." Usually they message back an hour later like "okay that's weirdly addictive" and we have a good laugh. It's become this little way of looking out for each other - sometimes you don't need deep conversations or advice, you just need to launch a digital chicken as far as possible.

The best part is discovering new ones. Every now and then I'll stumble across something completely bizarre and think "there's no way this can be entertaining," and then suddenly it's two hours later and I'm still playing. That element of surprise keeps it fresh. You never know what ridiculous concept is going to click with you.

If you're looking for something to fill those empty moments in your day, give these games a try. Start with whatever catches your eye - don't overthink it. Maybe you'll find yourself stacking blocks with your sister, or competing with friends over chicken-launching distances, or just decompressing after a long day. Sometimes the most pointless activities are exactly what you need.