// 04 / Play / lockpick
Lockpicking.
A pin-tumbler lock you pick by feel. Set the tension, find the binding pin, lift until it clicks. Don't push too far.
// pick a pin and lift
← → pick a pin · hold ↑ / space to lift · A / D tension · mouse: hover + hold, wheel for tension · touch: hold a pin
// How it works
Inside a pin tumbler.
- Each chamber holds a key pin (cyan) and a driver pin (orange), pushed down by a spring. The lock opens when every gap between them sits exactly on the shear line.
- Light tension makes the plug turn a hair. Because no lock is machined perfectly, one pin catches first — the binding pin.
- Lift the binding pin to the shear line and its driver catches on the ledge with a click. The next pin starts binding.
- Push a set pin further and its key pin jams above the shear line — an overset. Release tension and start over.
- Spool pins are shaped like a cotton reel. They fake a set and turn the plug backwards; ease off the tension to let them pass.
// Fair play
Only pick what you own.
- Locksport is a legitimate hobby — and a great way to understand why physical security matters as much as digital.
- The usual rules: only pick locks you own or have explicit permission to pick, and never a lock that's in use.
- Real locks feel different from this simulation, but the order of operations is the same: tension, find the binder, set, repeat.