'Are You A Human' CAPTCHA Game Brings Fun To Web Security

If you've signed in to almost any website on the Internet, you've probably encountered a dastardly CAPTCHA. A CAPTCHA is a common security tool that asks you to type the words or letters you see in a box to prove you're a human; those words or letters are usually swirled or mangled, difficult for a computer or bot to make out but hypothetically easy for a human to read.

A typical CAPTCHA.

I say "hypothetically easy" because these mangled-text CAPTCHAs can often be frustrating, even impossible, to decipher. (There's a Tumblr dedicated solely to so-called "CAPTCHA Fails".) So thank goodness a new company, Are You A Human, has come up with what seems a much more elegant solution: Instead of attempting to decipher some indecipherable text, you are asked to defeat a simple arcade game to prove that you are real.

For example, let's say you're signing up for a hot new social network. Instead of facing an illegible CAPTCHA, imagine a screen that shows you a pizza without toppings, along with pictures of a pepperoni, a mushroom, and an anchovy floating in space. The "Are You A Human" CAPTCHA asks you to select the pepperoni with your mouse and drag it onto the pizza. By dropping the animated toppings onto the virtual pie, you've shown that you're a human. Access granted: You're into the site, no text CAPTCHA necessary.

That is just one of the gameplay modes on Are You A Human's PlayThru CAPTCHA system, which was unveiled in early May and will begin rolling out on the websites of Fathead and Quicken Loans immediately. Webmasters interested in obtaining a PlayThru for their own site can head to Are You A Human's homepage.

You can try one of the PlayThru games below. Next time you sign up for a website, or enter a credit card, or need to confirm your email address, you might be faced with one of these instead of a traditional CAPTCHA. Praise the heavens!

Click "start" in the animation (below) to it out, and let us know what you think in the comments:

Also on HuffPost:

Check out the funniest CAPTCHA fails in the gallery below:

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• uf**cker

  An unsuspecting man went onto the Coca Cola Website to redeem a prize code, but instead of coming away a winner, he was insulted by the site's unintentionally accusatory security captcha. The randomly generated letters had combined to form 'uf**cker.' <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2767666/Coke-sorry-for-swear-blunder.html" target="_blank">Coke later issued an apology</a> for this one-in-a-million gaffe.

• Humping Grandchildren

  Takes 'bouncing on Grandpa's knee' to a whole other level.

• Flushing Economy

  You know the economy is in the toilets when Facebook's captchas suddenly seem poignant.

• DRTY NGR

  Really, MySpace? Really?

• Plump Ho

  Here's an assortment of winners from a mini ebook called '<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/4964973/Worst-Captchas-of-All-Time" target="_blank">Worst Captchas of All Time</a>.'

• Aass Atkr

  A word of warning to all MySpace users: Guard your 'aasses.'

• Rectal Favoring

  Perhaps they were purchasing <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rektalmukus" target="_blank">Rektal Mukus</a> tickets?

• Coc Ring

  The You Tube Blog keeps it oh-so-classy.

• Puked In

  Better than being puked <i>on</i>?

• Mr Lusty

  On, lusty gentlemen!

• Shot Jews

  Google gets racist. And contrite.

• Firebombed Airplane

  Facebook gets violent.

• Rape Now

  So much for Facebook's security updates. Read the full story behind this gem at <a href="http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Rape-Now-CAPTCHA-Is-Surely-An-Unexpected-Word-Verification-73715.shtml" target="_blank">Softpedia</a>.

• Nibble Abreast

  Hope you brought your appetite.

• Fail

• No Dick

• whitehouse.gov

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/mightyhead"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/profiles/90555-2-tiny.png?20090423131817" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/mightyhead">mightyhead</a>:<br />that's just not right...

• to Mortuary

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/shacko"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://external.ak.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?logo&d=9a2f1c97f464dcd511a393d19c096cec&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprofile.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhprofile-ak-sf2p%2Fhs310.ash1%2F23256_739329791_1748_q.jpg&v=5" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/shacko">shacko</a>:<br />This was the captcha I got while sending an email to the White House on Healthcare Reform. No Kidding.

• Bongs

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/SallyCBA"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/SallyCBA">SallyCBA</a>:<br />Imagine my delight when I got the greatest captcha ever while entering an online contest.

• Or is it too simple?

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/tem2"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/tem2">tem2</a>:<br />Simple English Wikipedia is meant for English learners and children. So is this the simple English way to say "Intellectual Data"?

• Racist Captcha

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/oproski"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/yahoo_profile_img/993826.png" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/oproski">oproski</a>:<br />Interesting to say the least...

• CraigsList is now giving out sex advice.

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/MG2083"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/MG2083">MG2083</a>:<br />Has anything ever been so true?

• f u 2!

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Teri_Jourdan"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://graph.facebook.com/1202584115/picture?type=square" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Teri_Jourdan">Teri Jourdan</a>:<br />

• How did they know???

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Daniel_Aaron_Stimler"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://graph.facebook.com/639307460/picture?type=square" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Daniel_Aaron_Stimler">Daniel Aaron Stimler</a>:<br />Who owns Facebook these days anyway? I think Glen Beck needs to follow the money trail!

• Pay your taxes, sucka!

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Brett_VanBenschoten"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/google_profile_img/1492660.png" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Brett_VanBenschoten">Brett VanBenschoten</a>:<br />Seems the LA County tax collector has a sense of humor.

• Sucka!

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Brett_VanBenschoten"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/google_profile_img/1492660.png" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Brett_VanBenschoten">Brett VanBenschoten</a>:<br />Seems the LA County tax collector has a sense of humor.

• CAPTCHA fail

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/kcarney11"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/kcarney11">kcarney11</a>:<br />CAPTCHA from craigslist.

• was stoning?

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/jackuuu"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/jackuuu">jackuuu</a>:<br />

• Hebrew?

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Matthew_Bodner"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://graph.facebook.com/1253975342/picture?type=square" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Matthew_Bodner">Matthew Bodner</a>:<br />

• Captcha that Virginity

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Gary_J_Seevers"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://graph.facebook.com/525464782/picture?type=square" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Gary_J_Seevers">Gary J Seevers</a>:<br />Let me google that for you...

• well Said!

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Rob_Craig"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://graph.facebook.com/738421082/picture?type=square" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Rob_Craig">Rob Craig</a>:<br />Pay-Pal don't think highly of forgetting password

• niggers raidem

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/tattoovillan"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/tattoovillan">tattoovillan</a>:<br />niggers

• "Butholing"

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/wyattmarkr"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/wyattmarkr">wyattmarkr</a>:<br />Speaks for itself!

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Comments

[pichinkogreg]

07:00 PM on 06/02/2012

these guys got hacked so badly--they outsourced their dev on elance--hahah http://spamtech.co.uk/software/bots/cracking-the-areyouhuman-captcha/#comment-46

[Spamtech]

04:43 AM on 05/25/2012

Cracked already? http://spamtech.co.uk/software/cracking-the-areyouhuman-captcha/

[Mauiloa]

01:50 PM on 05/24/2012

I like it, but it would eliminate a lot of Fox News viewers, wouldn't it?

[VirgoLinnea]

12:25 PM on 05/24/2012

This would be great for everything except needing to pass the CAPTCHA to post on a forum with a high activity level.

[WhirledPeasGame]

04:13 PM on 05/23/2012

#Gamification of "Captcha" I Love it!

[Ppenguinator]

03:43 PM on 05/23/2012

Even if there is the occasional captcha that you can't solve, there's always a button to get a new one. I'm more concerned about the computers managing to solve them.

[Grace Engler]

01:55 AM on 05/24/2012

I have vision problems, and I have fought with Captcha for sometimes 10 times in a row. The audio version isn't much better. They need something simpler, for the rest of us humans.

[chloe4455]

01:11 AM on 05/23/2012

my robot loves captcha's

[firewired]

08:00 PM on 05/22/2012

That slide show would draw immediate attention by moderators, if those words were used in this forum! Are there any more stupid CAPCHA's you can think of? Disgusting!

[sfurr]

05:47 PM on 05/22/2012

Captcha - might as well be chickenscratchings.com -- doubles as an aptitude test:

If you can decipher these chicken scratchings, you may be qualified for a career as a pharmacist. Nice affinity marketing program opportunity with Everest or US Career Institute.

Beyond that = useless.

[Moritz Unmann]

05:22 PM on 05/22/2012

firstly: recaptcha helps to digitalize books: one of the words is the actual security question, the other one is from a scanned book. So support this project which helps to achieve something which wouldn't be possible without investing billions otherwise

secondly: i prefer safety questions like: what's the cardinality of the set of platonic solids? (although it poses the danger that people can't answer although programms might be able to)

[Valerio della Porta]

07:03 PM on 05/22/2012

In three dimensions it would be five but the game is more fun.

[Neitherpartieslapdog]

07:43 PM on 05/22/2012

How about this. Whats the max. dissipation of a 6V6 with a 350vdc plate voltage in class AB operation, unbypassed. Calculate for both 12 and 14 watt dissipation. Ultra linear and non-direct coupling not withstanding. Extra credit: Calculate the same for class A operation. Got to go for your target audience.

[luxo199]

04:33 PM on 05/22/2012

Ok, it's fun and easy...but I intentionally made some mistakes, the "app" automatically puts the things back with the rest, so what if a machine or computer attemps to access and fails? It'll have a second, tird and fouth opportunity to acess...I don't like that :(

[Left on Red]

04:21 PM on 05/22/2012

Well, so far they have managed to avoid calculus....

[jkkFL]

07:08 PM on 05/22/2012

f/f
For your micro-bio, And your comment!

[Left on Red]

07:40 PM on 05/22/2012

Thanks, and fanned back!

[collamore]

03:37 PM on 05/22/2012

Can't wait to have to conquer a 12-level game of Pac Man to sign into my bank account.

[jkkFL]

07:09 PM on 05/22/2012

shhhh!!!

[VirgoLinnea]

12:25 PM on 05/24/2012

Or Tetris, except it never gives you the long piece.

[drumz]

02:57 PM on 05/22/2012

The site won't load for me...

[YouDontWantMeHere]

02:34 PM on 05/22/2012

Game Complete
does that mean
i'm allowed back onta
Twitter?