Sisyphus
Windows focus software for the moments that usually win.
Sisyphus blocks apps and websites, instead showing your checklist and goals. Go from distraction to major tasks with zero friction.
Free download. Windows 10/11, x64 only. macOS support is underway.
In university, League of Legends was my default — before leetcode, before extracurriculars, before anything that mattered. One game became an all-nighter. My circadian rhythm broke. Other blockers were either too rigid or too easy to bypass. I didn't need a prison. I needed a pause.
So I built Sisyphus for myself and I use it every day. Every feature — the launch gate, the analytics, the AI coach — exists because I needed it. When something doesn't work well, I feel it immediately. There's no gap between the developer and the person relying on it.
Core features
Each feature shown here mirrors the real Sisyphus interface.
Every blocked app shows the checklist first. Launch only after completion.
Pre-set your music playlist, duration, and the exact file, folder, or website to open. One click and you're working — zero setup, zero distraction.
See exactly where your active screen time goes. Day, week, month, or year.
Get graded on your focus. Receive coaching and auto-generated plans.
Configurable break intervals with guided exercises.
Full interface and AI responses in your language.
One click turns your day into a clean image — top apps, a category ring, your streak, plus playful book and salary projections. Copied to the clipboard and saved to Pictures.
Eight color themes (incl. light), adjustable text and timer size, font, and a guided first-run setup. Pick it in onboarding with a live preview or anytime in Settings.
A multi-tab scratchpad that opens anywhere with Ctrl+Alt+N. Jot ideas, then run a note through the AI to turn it into to-dos or get coaching.
Switch any note to Draw for a zoomable black board. Place ready-made structures like stacks, trees, and flowcharts, let Tidy (Ctrl+T) clean up shapes and turn handwriting into text, and export the drawing as an image.
Link any mix of apps, websites, files, and folders to a todo, and Go now opens them all at once. Give a todo its own hotkey, like Ctrl+Alt+1, to start it from anywhere.
Close the lid, lock the screen, or let the PC sleep, and Sisyphus goes quiet until you're back. Idle gaps and the lock screen are left out of your records automatically.
AI-powered focus coaching
Sisyphus doesn't just track your time — it understands your patterns. The built-in AI coach evaluates your day, suggests improvements, and can auto-generate your next plan.
Use cases
Sisyphus is for the moment when you open a game or distracting app before you even notice the decision was made.
Finish the reading, submit the assignment, then unlock the game.
Route terminal, editor, and browser sessions into cleaner analytics so deep work is visible.
Start client work from a todo, launch the right folder, and track the focused session.
Keep gaming available, but place the smallest useful commitment in front of it.
Download
Download the Windows installer. Accept the EULA, approve the admin prompt, and Sisyphus is running. macOS support is underway.
Windows 10/11 x64. Launch from the Start Menu or optional desktop shortcut after install.
Download installer8D8B4A5DDDB37D6B64A9FF40D038F8538B1A52CA41AB21CAF87FE4FC624FB1BA
Full documentation included
The documentation covers install, blocks, todos, analytics, AI coaching, compact overlay, uninstalling, and manual recovery.
Open documentationInstallation guide
Windows SmartScreen is a reputation-based system. When you run a new application that hasn't been downloaded thousands of times or hasn't been signed with an expensive code signing certificate ($300–$500/year), Windows assumes it could be risky and shows a blue warning screen.
This is not a virus detection. Windows Defender and SmartScreen are different systems. SmartScreen is purely about reputation — a brand new app from an independent developer will always trigger it until it builds enough download history or gets a certificate.
Most indie software you've ever installed (from small developers on GitHub, itch.io, or personal websites) triggers this same warning. It's the cost of being new, not the sign of being dangerous.
On the blue SmartScreen popup, the text says "Windows protected your PC." Click the small "More info" link below the message.
After clicking "More info," a "Run anyway" button appears at the bottom. Click it to proceed with the installer.
Accept the EULA, approve the administrator prompt (required for IFEO registry access), and choose your install location. Sisyphus will be ready in the Start Menu.