Show HN: Boing

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reception & nostalgia

  • Widely praised as “so satisfying,” comforting, and strangely hypnotic.
  • Evokes nostalgia for early iPhone single-mechanic apps and random Flash toys.
  • Several users compare it to real doorstop springs and childhood memories of playing with them.
  • Appreciated for being a simple, single-purpose web toy with no login or monetization clutter.

Physics & realism

  • Users note the spring feels realistic precisely because it’s not perfectly physical: extra wobble and slower damping read as “weight” and “squishiness.”
  • Discussion clarifies that simple Hooke’s law is an idealization; real springs involve damping, friction, spring mass, and complex interactions.
  • Some remark that “real physics” often feels bad in games; tuned, “sloppy” physics is more fun.
  • Feedback leads to improvements like better rotational motion and fixes for wild, unstable starting positions.

Audio behavior & modeling

  • People notice pitch changes with pull strength and ask if the audio is physics-based.
  • It’s sample-based, not physically modeled; a number of bugs are reported (e.g., sound continuing after grabbing mid-boing, audio and motion out of sync) and promptly fixed.
  • A DSP-focused subthread explains that a fully physical boing synth would be difficult but possible; recommends improving sample handling and offers detailed resources on physical modeling and DSP.
  • Some users express interest in a deeply accurate, engine-sim-style version.

Hacks, clones & implementation details

  • Multiple users share JavaScript snippets to auto-boing, generate melodies (e.g., Imperial March), and even script HTTP boing requests (hitting rate limits).
  • A 3D three.js version with generated audio is built and shared; others make simplified clones for kids.
  • Original code is later published unminified on GitHub.
  • Author describes backend for global boing counter: Flask + SQLite (WAL), in-memory IP rate limiting, handling ~120 req/s.
  • Physics and drawing code were largely generated by an LLM, which some find impressive and others “sad.”

Features, bugs & platform quirks

  • Reported bugs include motion resuming after tab switches, wild motion from certain pulls, and audio behavior issues; these are iteratively fixed.
  • Requests lead to added features: dark mode, slow-motion mode, global boing counter, and coordinate-based heatmap.
  • Desired but constrained features: accelerometer control and haptics (especially limited on iOS).
  • Some users have sound issues on Firefox/iOS tied to device silent mode or security settings; others are startled by unexpectedly loud boings.

Counters, addiction & meta

  • Many confess to high personal boing counts and difficulty stopping; compare it to idle/clicker games.
  • Global boing counter is welcomed; users speculate about average boings per person (not tracked).
  • Jokes about premium tiers, social “share my boing,” and exaggerated startup/AI narratives round out the thread.