Best idle games
Idle games work a little differently than what you’re used to; instead of killing monsters, exploring dungeons, or racing to beat a high score, you simply build up resources. The game generally starts with a few taps where you create some kind of automated resource collection, and then you, well, idle. The games typically run in the background to give you exponentially more resources as time passes. Think of it like the most exciting growing spreadsheet you’ve ever seen. Don’t judge.
These games are great for someone who’s looking to get into playing games, but maybe doesn’t have hours a day to spend on it. The great thing about all of the best idle games on this list is that they’ll still play themselves passively in the background, so you’ll still make some progress even while you’re away.
AdVenture Capitalist
AdVenture Capitalist might be the most popular game on this list. It’s been out for quite a while and has seen a ton of updates and extra bits of content, and is one of the best places to start if you’re new to the genre. The game starts with you tapping to build up some cash from a simple lemonade stand, and afterwards you spend the cash to buy upgrades to expand your business into things like pizza delivery and owning a hockey time, hiring employees and managers, attracting investors, and eventually start raking in cash while you sleep.
The game has gone to the moon (literally) with some of the latest expansions, and you can customize your character with new outfits and accessories, plus participate in some limited time community events. It’s fun and free, why not give it a shot?
Idle Miner Tycoon
Think you’ve got what it takes to manage a mine? Give Idle Miner Tycoon a spin.
I actually played quite a bit of this for Talk Android’s LG G8 ThinQ review, and thought it was pretty fun. You start off with a single mineshaft of low-value materials, which are then transported to the surface and then migrated over to a silo to be sold. You eventually build up to automate everything, pick up unique boosts that increase mining speed, make your materials more valuable, and eventually start unlocking mines in all kinds of places. Before you know it you’re making trillions in profit each night.
Idle Miner Tycoon also features some fun limited-time events, customizable characters, and a really charming art style. I got way more into it than I usually admit.
Video Game Tycoon
Who hasn’t thought about being a video game developer at some point? Video Game Tycoon lets you do just that, starting in a small, empty room building software from scratch.
You’ll do a lot of tapping at first to build up some cash, but afterwards you can begin developing your own games. You name them, pick the genre and setting, and you can even create custom icons for your games to add a little personal touch. Those games passively earn money, and you can continually update them to make even more money.
You spend that money to hire better employees, build better games, and buy custom decorations and things for your development studio. There’s a nifty prestige mode too where you can reset the game after making $1 trillion which resets your progress but gives you a “golden joystick” that allows you to make money faster.
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Egg, Inc.
Want to get weird? Try Egg, Inc.
It’s still your typical idle game, but you’re building up a chicken farm. And really, that’s it. You click to hatch more chickens, fill up hen houses, and those eggs become more valuable over time. You can buy upgrades to increase the rate that your chickens lay eggs, how valuable they are, and how automated the whole process is, all while shooting down drones for extra cash. It’s seriously strange, but fun.
The whole game is set up with a real interface in mind, so there are plenty of images and UI elements to interact with, as opposed to simple text that just turns into bigger numbers. It’s a small little detail, but it does make Egg, Inc. one of the more engaging games on the list.
Medieval: Idle Tycoon
Maybe you want something passive to play, but you still love questing and slaying dragons at heart. That’s okay, and you’ve got Medieval: Idle Tycoon to pass the time.
This game takes the typical idle clicker formula and puts it back into the middle ages, complete with kings and queens, blacksmiths and inns, and all kinds of castles and buildings. It’s fully modeled in 3D, too, making it one of the prettiest idle games on the list.
You’ll also recruit advisors and heroes to help you out while you’re idle, who will complete quests, get loot, and build up your gold reserves even while you’re away. If you’re into fantasy games, give this one a spin.
Idle Theme Park
If you miss playing Roller Coaster Tycoon from years back, you might be interested in taking Idle Theme Park for a spin. It takes the nostalgia of building up a sprawling theme park full of rides and roller coasters and condenses it into a passive game you can play in your pocket.
You start with a small theme park and slowly build up all kinds of new attractions, rides, and shops to bring in more and more park visitors. You can compound that with marketing campaigns, employee training, and fine-tuned management to increase that revenue, even while you’re away from the game.
This one’s going to strike up a bit of nostalgia for a lot of players, and it’s worth checking out just for that alone.
Hotel Empire Tycoon
For a more domestic spin on an idle clicker game, check out Hotel Empire Tycoon. This game takes the genre and sticks it in a highrise hotel, leaving you in charge of managing guests, employees, and other accommodations while trying to rack up as much cash as possible.
You start out with a single small hotel while making bigger rooms, improving the amenities and furniture, and expanding your hotel empire into other resorts and destinations. You’ll have to manage employees, dinners, and other aspects of the hotel to increase your passive revenue, which is the name of the game here.
If you like traveling, you’ll get into the options for offering scuba lessons, spa sessions, and sightseeing tours around your hotel for tourists, and it makes for a pretty fun game, too.
