Tightrope a stick figure crossing a canyon on a rope
An ink stick figure walks a rope strung across a watercolour canyon, with a river far below. He wobbles, hesitates, bounces, sits down for a rest, and when he is feeling sure of himself tries a backflip. Sometimes he slips and catches the rope. He never falls.
Free to install. Tightrope unlocks with Pro, $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year. Cancel anytime.
What you see on every new tab
Tightrope strings a rope right across the New Tab page, high over a painted canyon: sandstone walls on either side, hazy ridges, fields and a winding river below, and clouds drifting at three depths. One small brush-drawn figure walks it, back and forth, for as long as the tab is open.
The walk: about a step a second, with a wobble for balance, the odd mid-step hesitation, and a bigger teeter every few seconds. The rope sags under him and springs back.
Four tricks: bouncing on the rope, an arabesque on one foot, sitting down on the rope, and a double hop with half-turns. There is always one near the middle.
Confidence: it builds with every step and trick. When it is high enough he tries the big one: trampoline bounces that end in a tucked backflip. A slip knocks it right back down.
Nothing is a video. The figure is animated live in your browser, and his tricks, slips and nerves are decided at random.
What it reacts to
Mouse: move your cursor onto him and you knock him off. He catches the rope, hangs for a moment, sometimes by one hand, and climbs back up.
Night: the page dims after dusk.
Free or Pro?Pro
Ambient New Tab is free to install, with three free themes. Tightrope is a Pro theme. Pro is $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year, cancel anytime, and it unlocks every Pro theme, music sync, and every new theme as we release it. You can preview Tightrope full screen before you buy: open the Themes panel and rest your mouse on it. Changed your mind? 14-day refund, no questions.
Open a new tab and click the Themes pill in the bottom-right corner.
Pick Tightrope. Done.
Tightrope on a 1280×800 New Tab page.
Questions
Does he ever fall?
No. He slips, and you can knock him off, but he always catches the rope and climbs back.
Is Tightrope free?
It is a Pro theme. Pro is $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year. It unlocks every Pro theme, music sync, and every new theme as it is released. Cancel anytime.
Is it the same routine every time?
No. Which tricks he tries, whether they go cleanly and when he loses his nerve are different in every tab.
Does it work on my phone?
No. It's a desktop browser extension for Chrome and Edge on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS. If you're reading this on a phone, send yourself the link.
