Pranx

What it is

Pranx is the home of the computer pranks: around twenty-five fake screens and simulators that turn a borrowed browser into a broken, hacked or possessed machine. Cracked screens, fake system updates, fake desktops of several familiar operating systems, a fake virus, a fake police lock screen, a hacker-typer terminal, a beer you can pour, a sound board, a scare maze, and old screensavers for the nostalgic. Many of the individual pranks are already on Bored. This is the menu.

How to play

The site's own instructions are the whole method. Open a prank on the victim's unattended computer, press the full-screen key so the browser frame and address bar disappear, and walk away. Wait for them to come back. The site also suggests the other way round: call a colleague over to help with your suddenly broken machine while you sit at the keyboard.

What makes it different

Completeness and polish. Where a single prank page does one gag, this collection has a fake for nearly every screen a person has ever been scared by, and the simulators go further than a static picture, because you can interact with the programs inside them. The site says it started under another name and moved to this domain in 2021.

Why it is on Bored

Pointless portals collects directories devoted entirely to pointless websites, and this one is a directory of mischief. One warning we would rather give than not: the homepage carries a block of paid sponsor links that have nothing to do with pranks, so stick to the menu.

Tips

• Full screen is the whole trick, do not skip it
• Works best on a desktop or tablet, most phone browsers cannot go full screen
• Explore inside the simulators, the fake desktops are clickable
• Have the real screen back within a minute, pranks have a short half-life

FAQ