Worst. CAPTCHAs. Ever.
Play a melody, hunt ducks, scratch a ticket or win at blackjack before logging in. Four deliberately frustrating experiments in how not to design a CAPTCHA.
- Author
- Michael Hsu
- Format
- Four experimental login challenges
- Type
- Joke, interaction design
- Can I install it?
- A personal project, not a CAPTCHA service
- Cost to a visitor
- Extra steps, game time and skills unrelated to logging in
- Use today
- CleanTalk: protect forms without a puzzle
On display
Look only
What it asks
- Piano: read the sheet music and play the correct notes before logging in.
- Duck Hunt: spend time playing the game before reaching the login.
- Scratch ticket: scratch all three boxes to continue.
- Blackjack: win two games before proceeding.
The author's page links to each experiment. The screenshots and descriptions here are for viewing only.
Why it matters
These examples exaggerate a familiar problem: a visitor wants to use a form, but must first complete something unrelated. Musical knowledge, game controls and repeated attempts become barriers to a simple login. The joke makes those barriers visible.
What to use instead
Keep the form focused on the visitor's task. CleanTalk checks submissions without making visitors solve a puzzle. To compare other approaches, try the installable CAPTCHA options.
Fun to look at. Expensive to use.
Protect your forms without an extra challenge. Try CleanTalk free for 7 days, no card.
Source: Worst. CAPTCHAs. Ever. by Michael Hsu. Project and game names belong to their respective owners. Related: DOOM CAPTCHA · Back to Showroom.
