rtdsx - links

links

links to websites and resources i find to be neat

inspired by ribo's links page

showing all links

old-web discovery

melonland.net — handmade web community and old-web revival hub.
ytoo.org — personal-site discovery directory.
ooh.directory — directory of personal sites and indie-web projects.
oldavista.com — retro web directory/search vibes.
wiby.me — search engine for lightweight, classic-web pages.
href.cool — a curated directory of interesting and weird corners of the web.
curlie.org — modern successor to the DMOZ open directory project.
neocities.org — a service that provides free web hosting for static sites, fostering a community of personal and creative websites reminiscent of the old web.
telehack.com — a simulation of a 1980s-era ARPANET/USENET, complete with text-based games and historical files.
nekoweb.org — free personal-site hosting focused on creative, handmade web pages.
art.teleportacia.org — classic net art archive by olia lialina.
yesterweb.org — community and resources for old-web aesthetics.
oldweb.today — browse archived websites in emulated old browsers.
blogscroll.com — open directory of personal sites and blogs.
nownownow.com — directory of personal /now pages.
geocities.restorativland.org — an archive of classic geocities pages (note: some archived pages may contain NSFW content).

retro + experiments

ericexperiment.com — retro tech experiments and old-browser-friendly pages.
f2.org — classic link collection of freeware, references, and oddities.
theoldnet.com — browse the web through a historical-web lens.
cameronsworld.net — chaotic GeoCities-era web art collage.
neal.fun — interactive web experiments and visualizations.
copy.sh/v86 — run classic operating systems in your browser via x86 emulation.
windows93.net — fake OS like Windows 95 with a bunch of games and stuff.
cyber.dabamos.de/88x31 — the largest 88x31 button collection as of 2026.
pointlesssites.com — directory of the most pointless websites on the internet.
nyan.cat — the classic nyan cat site.
bored.com — links and activities for when you have nothing to do.
infinitemac.org — an incredibly smooth browser-based emulator that lets you run classic Macintosh operating systems from System 1.0 up to Mac OS X 10.4.
demozoo.org — archive and database of demoscene productions worldwide.
pouet.net — community hub for demoscene releases, oldschool digital art and music.
theuselessweb.com — sends you to a random pointless website.
mavericksforever.com — a guide and resource for running OS X 10.9 Mavericks in the modern day.
are.na — a platform for connecting ideas and building knowledge through collections of links, images, and text.
68k.news — a text-only news aggregator designed for old computers.
frutigeraeroarchive.org — the archive of frutiger aero wallpapers, icons, and much more.
zoomquilt.org — the infinitely zooming image.
earth — a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions.
littlealchemy.com — a simple game where you combine elements to create new ones.
twinery.org — an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories.
mapcrunch.com — random street view.
planet — a procedural planet generator.
decisionproblem.com/paperclips — an addictive incremental game about making paperclips.
directory.weirdnet.org — ...it's a wild, wild web.
gifcities.org — The Internet Archive's GeoCities animated GIF search engine, preserving the flashing, chaotic imagery of the early web.
98.js.org — an interactive web-based recreation of Windows 98, complete with classic tools and games like Minesweeper.
noclip.website — an interactive level viewer providing a free-flying camera to explore behind the scenes and under the hood of iconic 3D video game worlds.
bryanbraun.com/after-dark-css — a smooth, CSS-animated tribute to the iconic 90s After Dark screensavers, featuring the legendary flying toasters and fish tanks.
16colo.rs — an online archive dedicated to ANSI and ASCII text-mode artpacks from the BBS era.

status + social

status.cafe — minimal status posting.
imood.com — simple mood tracking and display.
letterboxd.com — social film diary and movie tracking.
serializd.com — a social network for tracking tv shows, similar to letterboxd for movies.
trakt.tv — track tv shows and movies with social features.
spacehey.com — modern social network inspired by myspace, bringing back profile customization and old-web culture.

fediverse

mastodon.social — the largest fediverse/mastodon instance.
bookwyrm.social — federated book-tracking social platform on the fediverse.
fediverse.party — a visual guide website for exploring and comparing decentralized fediverse platforms and apps.
pixelfed.social — federated photo sharing in the fediverse.
lemmy.world — a large Lemmy instance for federated link discussions.

developer

github.com — the largest home for open-source collaboration, code review, and project coordination.
gitlab.com — an all-in-one platform for git hosting, ci/cd, and devops workflows.
dev.to — a social network for software developers to share ideas and collaborate.
developer.mozilla.org — one of the best places to learn web development properly.
web.dev — modern guides for web performance, accessibility, and best practices.
caniuse.com — browser support tables for web platform features.
javascript.info — in-depth modern JavaScript tutorials and references.
css-tricks.com — practical front-end tricks, patterns, and references.
a11yproject.com — approachable accessibility patterns and checklists.
devdocs.io — an all-in-one API documentation reader with a fast, organized interface.
htmlcheatsheet.com — quick reference when you need syntax fast.
freecodecamp.org — free coding courses and certifications.
w3schools.com — a popular resource for learning web technologies, with tutorials and references.
learnxinyminutes.com — quick, community-driven tours of programming languages.
rosettacode.org — a chrestomathy of programming tasks in many different languages.
p5js.org — creative coding library with lots of examples.
shadertoy.com — a platform for creating and sharing real-time graphics with code.
lobste.rs — tech and programming discussions with a small-community feel.
news.ycombinator.com — tech news and programming discussions.

privacy-respecting browsers

firefox.com — open-source browser focused on privacy and web standards.
librewolf.net — firefox-based browser with stronger privacy defaults.
vivaldi.com — highly customizable browser with power-user features and a focus on privacy, made in norway.
helium.computer — a lightweight, open-source chromium browser that removes ads, tracking, and google telemetry for a fast, private, no-distractions web experience.

privacy-respecting search engines

duckduckgo.com — search engine that doesn't track you or personalize results.
startpage.com — privacy-focused search engine that uses google results without tracking.
kagi.com — privacy-first paid search engine with personalized results without tracking.
search.brave.com — independent index that doesn’t profile users or track search history.
searxng.org — self-hostable privacy meta-search engine that aggregates results from many engines without tracking users.

privacy-respecting email

protonmail.com — encrypted email service based in switzerland with end-to-end encryption.
tuta.com — open-source, encrypted email service with zero-knowledge architecture.

privacy-respecting messaging + ai

signal.org — end-to-end encrypted messaging app with strong privacy and security.
element.io — open-source messenger using the decentralized matrix protocol.
chat.mistral.ai — mistral ai’s open-source, customizable, and privacy-focused ai chat assistant.
lumo.proton.me — proton’s privacy-focused, zero-access encrypted ai chat assistant.
lmstudio.ai — GUI-based local model host with offline inference capabilities.
ollama.com — a free and open-source tool for running large language models locally on your own computer with a simple command-line interface and API.
briarproject.org — a free and open-source peer-to-peer messenger that can work over Tor, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth without central servers.

music + radio

somafm.com — independent, ad-free internet radio channels.
radio.garden — spin the globe and listen to live radio worldwide.
listen.moe — community-run anime, J-pop and K-pop radio streams.
radioparadise.com — listener-powered radio station with diverse, eclectic music.
radio-browser.info — community-driven directory of global radio streams.
bandcamp.com — discover and support independent music directly.
musicforprogramming.net — curated mixes designed for focus and coding.
poolsuite.net — retro-themed internet radio.
lofi.cafe — a collection of lofi hip hop radio streams for studying, relaxing, or coding.
modarchive.org — massive archive of tracker music (.mod, .xm, .it and more) from the demoscene.
last.fm — music tracking and discovery with a long history.
nts.live — an online radio station with a diverse range of underground music.
wfmu.org — longest running freeform station in the USA.
radiooooo.com — the so called "music time machine"
foobar2000.org — lightweight, high-performance music player.
rateyourmusic.com — community-driven database for rating, reviewing, and discovering music.
discogs.com — comprehensive music database and marketplace for cataloging, buying, and selling physical releases.
everynoise.com — explore every music genre in an interactive map.
gnoosic.com — simple music discovery engine: enter a few artists you like and get recommendations for new bands and musicians with no account required.
albumoftheyear.org — community-driven reviews, ratings, and rankings of albums old and new.
acclaimedmusic.net — aggregates critics' lists to rank the most acclaimed albums and songs of all time.
radio.erb.pw — a 24/7 online radio station streaming chiptune and tracker music and demoscene stuff.

art + design

krita.org — free and open-source digital painting application.
blender.org — professional-grade, open-source 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software.

anime

crunchyroll.com — the largest legal anime streaming platform.
myanimelist.net — the classic anime and manga database, with tracking, reviews, and a large community.
anilist.co — a popular alternative to MyAnimeList for tracking anime and manga, with a modern interface.
animenewsnetwork.com — a comprehensive source for the latest news, reviews, and in-depth articles about anime, manga, and Japanese culture.
anidb.net — a non-profit, community-driven anime database that provides detailed information on a vast number of series.
livechart.me — an excellent resource for keeping up with currently airing anime, providing seasonal charts and broadcast schedules.

open-source linux operating systems

zorin.com/os — an ubuntu-based linux distribution made to be familiar for windows and macos users.
fedoraproject.org — a free and open-source linux distribution that emphasizes innovation and the latest technologies.
linuxmint.com (rtdsx's favorite) — an ubuntu-based linux distribution designed for ease of use and a traditional desktop experience.
nixos.org — a linux distribution built around declarative system configuration and the nix package manager, offering reproducible builds, atomic upgrades, and reliable rollbacks.
gentoo.org — a source-based linux distribution that gives users extensive control over software compilation and system customization.
debian.org — a widely used linux distribution known for its stability and extensive software repository.
mxlinux.org — a midweight debian-based distro focused on stability, performance, and practical desktop tools.

webcomics

xkcd.com — a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.
homestuck.com — "a story about some kids who are friends over the internet. they decide to play a game together. there are major consequences."
questionablecontent.net — long-running slice-of-life webcomic with indie music and sci-fi themes.
smbc-comics.com — science, math, and nerd humor with sharp punchlines.
girlgeniusonline.com — long-running steampunk adventure webcomic.
exocomics.com — sci-fi webcomic with long-running story arcs.
sluggy.com — classic long-running webcomic with humor and sci-fi.
pbfcomics.com — offbeat comic strip with dark, sharp humor.
awkwardzombie.com — video-game webcomic full of gag strips and game jokes.
ashleyappletree.com — a completed slice-of-life webcomic (2012–2015) following the daily adventures of Ashley and Apple Tree.

books + archives

gutenberg.org — massive public-domain ebook library.
archive.org — books, software, recordings, and web history.
publicdomainreview.org — curated historical oddities and artifacts.
standardebooks.org — a project that produces high-quality, carefully formatted, and open-source ebooks from the public domain.
textfiles.com — massive archive of old BBS text files and early internet culture.
openlibrary.org — borrowable digital books, part of the Internet Archive.
librivox.org — a platform for free public domain audiobooks, read by volunteers.
calibre-ebook.com — free, open-source ebook manager and converter.

games and such

museumofzzt.com — preserving and cataloging ZZT worlds, a classic DOS game creation system.
flashpointarchive.org — massive archive of Flash, Shockwave, HTML5, and Unity games.
flatgrass.net — an archival and restoration project focused on garry's mod 10, 11, 12, and beta versions of 13.
newgrounds.com — the original home of Flash games and animations.
mudlet.org — a cross-platform, open source, and super fast MUD client
mudhalla.net/mudlist — a MUD list and directory for finding text-based multiplayer worlds.
veloren.net — open-source voxel RPG in active development.
tcrf.net — The Cutting Room Floor, unused and hidden content in games.
itch.io — indie game platform with tons of small, weird, and free games.
itch.io/randomizer — itch.io with a randomizer.
jazz2online.com — the largest Jazz Jackrabbit fan site, with thousands of levels, downloads, forums, and community news, online since 1999.
deat.tk/jazz2 — a reimplementation of Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (1998), supporting multiple versions including the Shareware Demo, Holiday Hare '98, The Secret Files, and Christmas Chronicles.
archive.org/details/internetarcade — a collection of thousands of classic arcade games from the 1970s to the 1990s, playable in your browser.
play0ad.com — open-source historical real-time strategy game.
xonotic.org — open-source arena-style first-person shooter.
supertux.org — open-source platformer inspired by super mario bros.
osu.ppy.sh — rhythm game community and open-source game client.
scummvm.org — open-source program to run classic point-and-click adventure games.
openra.net — openra is an open source project that recreates and modernizes classic real time strategy games, like red alert, command & conquer, and dune 2000.
flightgear.org — open-source flight simulator.
teeworlds.com — open-source online multiplayer platformer.
powdertoy.co.uk — the powder toy, a free physics sandbox game.
lichess.org — free, open-source online chess platform.
chess.com — the world's largest online chess site, with games, puzzles, and lessons.
rigsofrods.org — open-source soft-body physics vehicle simulator, similar to beamng.drive.
simutrans.com — open-source train game.
openrct2.io — open-source re-implementation of rollercoaster Tycoon 2.
openttd.org — open-source simulation game based on Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
marapets.com — adopt magical pets, join guilds, and go on epic quests in the fantasy realm of marapets.
neopets.com — the og: adopt pets, play games, and explore neopia’s vast, quirky world.
mindustrygame.github.io — a factory-building tower defense game mixing automation, logistics, and real-time combat.
endless-sky.github.io — a 2d space trading and combat game with exploration, missions, and ship upgrades.
freeciv.org — an open-source civilization-style strategy game where you build and lead a society through history.
wz2100.net — a real-time strategy game focused on research, base-building, and unit design.
supertuxkart.net — a fast and colorful kart racing game featuring open-source mascots and arcade tracks.
freeorion.org — a turn-based space empire and exploration game inspired by master of orion.
pioneerspacesim.net — a space exploration and trading simulation inspired by frontier: elite 2.
github.com/yvt/openspades — an open-source voxel fps inspired by ace of spades with building and destruction gameplay.
openclonk.org — a physics-based sandbox/action game about digging, building, and chaotic automation.
cxong.github.io/cdogs-sdl — a top-down run-and-gun shooter with mission editor and co-op chaos.
pingus.seul.org — a Lemmings-style puzzle game featuring penguins instead of lemmings.
torcs.sourceforge.net — a modular open-source racing simulator with AI opponents and tuning.
vdrift.net — a realistic open-source drifting and racing simulator focused on physics.
crawl.develz.org — a brutally deep roguelike with endless builds and deaths.
angband.github.io — a classic Tolkien-inspired dungeon roguelike with massive depth.
nethack.org — NetHack, one of the most legendary and unforgiving roguelikes ever made.
megaglest.org — a real-time strategy game with fantasy factions and large battles.
redeclipse.net — a fast arena FPS with parkour movement and moddable maps.
stepmania.com — an open-source rhythm game engine used for DDR-style charts and custom songs.
odamex.net — a multiplayer-focused open-source Doom engine port.
eduke32.com — eduke32, a modern open-source engine for Duke Nukem 3D with modding and high-res support.
zdoom.org — uzdoom, a powerful Doom engine port supporting mods, shaders, and total conversions. (GZDoom isnt recommended anymore)
wesnoth.org — an open-source turn-based fantasy strategy game.
cataclysmdda.org — deep open-source survival roguelike.
freecol.org — a turn-based strategy game inspired by colonization.
luanti.org — an open-source voxel game-creation platform, inspired by minecraft.
openmw.org — open-source open-world rpg engine for morrowind.
corsixth.com — an open-source clone of the classic theme hospital engine that adds modern resolution and operating system support.
solarus-games.org — a free and open-source action-rpg game engine tailored for creating classic 2D top-down Zelda-like games.
pokemonshowdown.com — a comprehensive, web-based pokémon battle simulator for custom and competitive matchmaking.
isle.pizza — a faithful, browser-based port of the classic 1997 lego island pc game running via webassembly.
dosbox.com — open-source x86 emulator that allows you to run classic ms-dos games and software on modern operating systems like windows, macos, and linux.
worldofpadman.net — a free and open-source multiplayer first-person shooter based on the ioquake3 engine.
q3rally.com — a free and open-source rally game built on the ioquake3 engine.
toontownrewritten.com — a revival of Toontown Online, an online multiplayer game where players create cartoon characters (“Toons”) and battle robotic “Cogs” in a persistent, community-driven world.
totaljerkface.com/happy_wheels.tjf — happy wheels. need i say more?
coolmathgames.com — the classic since 1997.

forums

forum.melonland.net — community forum for the old-web and indie web enthusiasts.
forum.agoraroad.com — niche internet culture forum with retro-web energy.
forum.spacehey.com — retro social forum with old-school internet energy.
discourse.32bit.cafe — indie web forum for webcraft and accessibility talk.

minecraft servers i recommend

minecraftonline.com — classic minecraft survival, java 1.12.2, since 2010.
hypixel.net — one of the largest and most popular minecraft servers, featuring a wide variety of minigames.
wynncraft.com — massive minecraft mmorpg with quests and classes.

misc

32bit.cafe — indie web community and guides.
tilde.town — shared community space for personal web publishing.
indieweb.org — principles and tools for owning your web presence.
search.marginalia.nu — search engine focused on indieweb sites.
clew.se — search engine centered on independent writing.
gossipsweb.net — directory and community celebrating the handmade web.
jdd.freeshell.org/links — a long list of links made by jdd.
tilde.club — the original shared unix server for personal web publishing.
ctrl-c.club — small public-access unix system for personal pages.
yourworldoftext.com — shared infinite canvas for tiny text doodles.
suckless.org — software that sucks less.
ribo.zone — a quiet digital garden full of biology, indie music, art, and handmade web.
alternativeto.net — find FOSS alternatives to proprietary software.
switching.software — ethical alternatives to popular tech.
100r.co — a two-person art collective building low-tech open-source tools and games aboard a sailboat, guided by permacomputing.
peelopaalu.neocities.org — an unmaintained directory full of neat and cool websites.
atlasobscura.com — a guide to the world's hidden wonders and curious places.
kickscondor.com — a blog and collection of web experiments with a strong focus on the indie web and digital preservation.
lowtechmagazine.com — a solar-powered website that explores sustainable technology and critiques the modern web's high energy consumption.
webdesignmuseum.org — a gallery that showcases the evolution of web design, featuring screenshots of websites from 1991 to now.
cloudhiker.net — random website discovery, spiritual successor to StumbleUpon.
spore.ribo.zone — ribo's portal for discovering random websites.
cat-v.org — essays and software links around unix philosophy and simplicity.
freesourc.es/ — Freesources is a curated list of free(ish) resources for the design(ish) world, curated by Lizzie Callen.

cari.institute — internet aesthetics research and archives.
kottke.org — long-running link blog with great web finds.
theforest.link — a directory of indie web and personal sites.
enclose.horse — enclose.horse is a simple puzzle game about enclosing the maximum area with a limited number of walls.
saturn.town — hermit's personal site.
floor796.com — a giant animated cross-section packed with hundreds of characters and references to games, movies, anime, and internet culture.
willyoupressthebutton.com — to press or not to press? you decide.
procatinator.com — random cat gifs with music.
intertapes.net — intertapes is an updating collection of found cassette tapes from around the world.
bunnies.io — bunny gifs!
9gag.com — "9GAG is the largest meme community on the internet."
imgur.com — image and meme sharing platform with a strong, creative community.
reddit.com — “the front page of the internet”, a community-driven platform where users share news, memes, and discussions across thousands of subreddits.
tumblr.com — “come for what you love, stay for what you discover”, a microblogging platform known for fandoms, art, and creative communities.
doomwiki.org — comprehensive wiki for Doom.
getindie.wiki — independent wiki directory: a curated index helping you discover community-run, independent wikis across various fandoms and topics.
pcgamingwiki.com — a community-driven wiki dedicated to fixing PC games, providing straightforward guides on how to fix bugs, optimize performance, and get old games running on modern systems.
niwanetwork.org — Nintendo Independent Wiki Alliance: a network of collaborative, fan-run, independent wikis escaping corporate platform dominance.
strategywiki.org — a collaborative, open-concept video game strategy guide wiki that anyone can edit, free of corporate clutter.
tldr.sh — a community-driven project providing simplified, practical, example-focused cheat sheets for command-line tools.
elgoog.im — a collection of google easter eggs.
webdesignmuseum.org — a curated digital timeline showcasing the visual evolution of popular websites and online trends from 1991 to the mid-2000s.
myretrotvs.com — a nostalgic simulator that lets you channel surf through actual television broadcasts, commercials, and music videos from the 1950s through the 2000s.
homestarrunner.com — the legendary Flash-era cartoon and gaming portal, fully preserved and converted to run seamlessly on the modern web.
getshijima.app — cross-platform shimeji simulation for desktop pets on any device, including ios, ipados, android, windows, macos, linux, wii, and switch.
getsharex.com — free and open-source screen capture, recording, and sharing tool for windows, with extensive customization and productivity features.
paint.net — free, lightweight raster graphics editor for windows, with layers, effects, and plugin support.
qbittorrent.org — free, open-source BitTorrent client with a clean interface.
arcade-museum.com — arcade history, machine info, and classic game data.
ipdb.org — a comprehensive resource for information on thousands of pinball machines.
backloggd.com — track your video game backlog.
gamehistory.org — a non-profit dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and teaching the history of video games.
mobygames.com — an extensive and detailed database of video games, from the earliest titles to modern releases.
legacyupdate.net — community-run service that restores access to Windows Update on older versions of Windows by using a compatibility proxy that fixes broken connections, missing components, and TLS/certificate issues, allowing Windows Update to function again and retrieve official Microsoft updates for supported legacy systems.
packagepicker.co — a web tool that lets you quickly generate installation commands for your favorite software using package managers like Winget, Chocolatey, Scoop, Homebrew, APT, Flatpak, and yay.
fosstorrents.com — an independent torrent index focused on free and open-source software, including Linux distributions, games, and other FOSS projects, often providing torrent bundles and release tracking.
crosstalk.im — a revival of Yahoo Messenger and MSN, connecting users across multiple legacy and modern chat protocols.
pidgin.im — a free and open-source universal chat client that supports multiple protocols like IRC, XMPP, and others.
geminiquickst.art — a guide to the Gemini protocol, explaining what it is and how to get started using Gemini clients and browsing Geminispace.
webneko.net — browser cats that wander around your screen.