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Curlie

The volunteer-edited web directory that outlived DMOZ, still organising the internet into a category tree by hand.

Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.

How to get the most from it

Curlie sits in Portals & Directories under Weird, filed as coffee break.

  • Set aside five to fifteen minutes and give it your proper attention.
  • It works on a phone or a desktop, so open it on whatever is nearest.
  • It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
  • No account needed — you can start without signing up.
  • Go in expecting something nostalgic and useful.

About this category: The other directories, random buttons and curated indexes. We are one of these; it would be dishonest to pretend the others are not worth your time.

Good for

  • Filling a coffee break properly
  • A trip back to the older internet
  • Getting something practical done
  • A quiet break at your desk
  • Killing time on your phone
  • Trying it with zero commitment

Curlie: quick answers

Is Curlie free?

Yes. Curlie is free to use and needs no account.

Do I need an account to use Curlie?

No. You can use Curlie without signing up for anything.

Does Curlie work on a phone?

Yes. Curlie works on phones as well as desktop browsers.

Is Curlie safe for work?

Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.

How long does Curlie take?

We file it as "Coffee break": Five to fifteen minutes of proper attention.

More in Portals & Directories

All 27 in Portals & Directories

Same mood: nostalgic

All nostalgic sites
  • Space MMO from 2006 still full of people mining, shooting and complaining about the economy, all inside one browser tab.

    • 1 hr+
    • Desktop
  • Field reports and photographs of American shopping centres in decline, written by people who cared about this long before it was an aesthetic.

  • The 2007 original that turned maze building into a genre, played across a desktop with the icons still sitting on it.

    • 10 min
    • Desktop
  • The original single-player dice conquest game: no accounts, no sound, no explanation, and still a perfect twenty minutes.

Keep exploring

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