Usually when you engage in a Video Game you need a constant input. In Action games you keep clicking, in strategy games you keep strategizing and in puzzle games you keep thinking. What of Idle Games then? Why does a game that is all about not playing the game so fun? Sometimes it’s the design, other times it’s the idea alone that appeals to us. There are many different Idle Games, and while I cannot honestly tell you which one was the first, or which of them are the best I do have a few titles for you that you should try.
Sometimes the world revolves around one massive cookie.
5 Idle Games You Should Try
Godville
RPG games are all about the grind. What if you weren’t the adventurer and instead just an entity, gazing down upon your little follower, observing how he begun his life as a low-grade adventurer and turned into a legend? You, as God, have very little influence over the life of your little adventurer, however you are not completely helpless. You may offer him a few boons (or curses) and through a number of tools you could slowly shift your adventurer in the right direction. This is more of a Comedy-Fantasy setting, so do not expect any Tolkien-esque Fantasy here.
Godville is now also available on the iPhone, if you want to keep your hero close by your side, at all times.
Deep State
Deep State caught my attention for its setting. You are the head of an National Security Bureau and you have to keep your nation safe from the many dangers within and without your country! Of course, like in any good conspiracy novel, you are not exactly the good guy in this story, and you have to ensure that your country realises that you are needed for their continued security.
A flash game that may be played on Newgrounds for free!
Diamond Hunt
While it is not the most appealing game visually it is certainly plenty of fun, and a good time killer. You are the head of a mining operation and aside from purchasing more and more mining equipment you also have to take some time to create your own town. While it is still in development you can tell that from one day to the next it is slowly changing.
The only personal issue I have with Diamond Hunt is that it does not appear to continue “clicking” while you are tabbed out, which means it has to be turned on, and you have to keep viewing it for it to continue playing on its own.
Cookie Clicker
When I was first introduced to Idle Games Cookie Clicker was the one that I remembered the most. Not only does it have clear and easy controls and great visuals but also the sort of humor that greatly appealed to me. Like in any Idle Game your first couple of minutes will call for a lot of clicking but even now I can look at my Cookie Clicker tab and see how steadily my cookie count is increasing on its own.
If you wish to try your first idle game then I would say Cookie Clicker is a good start. It’s simple, fun and funny. All you could possibly ask for. And if you are an achievement hunter there are more than enough of them here to keep you busy for days.
Adventure Quest: Dragons
A game for your phone only, be it iPhone or Android (no PC support just yet). This is an Idle Game where you hatch and train your dragon (sort of). Created by both the creators of Cookie Clicker and Adventure Quest, it has plenty of humor, references and since it’s a free Phone App you can download it and play it whenever you like. It will even collect the gems when you are out of the game (amount dependant on your upgrades) for up to six hours. In order to unlock new dragons and purchase some upgrades you need dragon keys that may be obtained in the game either through watching advertisements, paying with gems (in-game currency) or real money.
Special Mension: Exoptable Money
If you are familiar with Presentable Liberty then you also might had heard of Exoptable Money, both made by the same creator. It is an Idle Game where your sole purpose is to make money, but it has its own twisted story and humor (if we may call it that) that is a good introduction to Presentable Liberty. However, it is hard to tell which game is better to play first (as both follow along the same story) so pick at your own leisure!
Read more: 5 Idle Games You Should Try