Summary
Staring at spreadsheets and emails all day is a mind-numbingly dull experience that a lot of gamers can relate to. Some have probably lost count of the number of times they’ve begun tracing applications on their desktop with their mouse, all in a bid to ease some of the boredom of the daily grind.
There is, blessedly, a way to beat back this perpetual struggle in the form ofidle simulation games.These games often require minimal input from the player, running in the background of whatever else they’re doing. Idlers serve as a nice five-minute break for gamers and, in some instances, are even a way to keep them focused on their work.
AdVenture Capitalist,as the name implies, is a capitalist simulation game where players buildtheir businessfrom a lemonade stand all the way up to owning an oil rig—just like in real life!
The gameplay is simplistic; players click on their various businesses to generate money, buying the next one once they have enough cash. It even has a feature that allows players to hire managers who will click businesses for them, removing the need for any real input from the player and allowing the game to truly sit idle.
Genre
Idle, Simulation, Fantasy
Clicker Heroesisa fantasy adventurecondensed into clicks. Players fight enemies by rapidly clicking on them, ending each multi-level stage with a timed boss fight. It is a little more intense than other idlers, if only for the fact it requires so much clicking.
However, players can spend their accumulated gold to upgrade the damage of their clicks and hire some helping hands. These party members will continuously damage enemies over time, allowing players to get back to their work if the watchful eye of a supervisor is ever pointed their way.
Idle, Simulation, Strategy
Fantasy Map Simulatoris for thosegrand strategy nutswho don’t have the time to command armies or manage empires. The game allows players to create and customize their own fantasy map before letting it run wild.
Players can simulate diplomacy and wars on their maps, watching how countries rise and fall over time.Fantasy Map Simulatorcomes baked in with features designed in mind for players who want to do other things at the same time, allowing them to run the game as a desktop wallpaper when necessary.
WithTiny Pasture,players are accompanied by a cute selection of animals while they work. The game allows players to place their own pastures anywhere on their screen and gradually fill them up with different species.
Players can feed and play with their buddies or leave them to their own devices, where they’ll bound about or lounge in the pasture. When gamers have a chance to focus their attention on the pasture, there are additional features to interact with, like magic facilities andbreeding new pets.
Cookie Clicker’ssimple premise, click to make cookies, is a dangerously addictive one. With every click, players will see their numbers grow, pumping their brains with a dopamine hit that rivals that of the flashing damage counters of looter shooters.
Players can spend their accumulated cookies on various items that will buff their clicking abilities, grandma baking aids, or a variety of industries—ranging from farms to wizard towers—to grow their cooking clicking empire.
Idle, Simulation, Farming
Unlike other idlers,Garden Galaxydoes not fully play itself in the background. In the game, players have access to a garden that they can arrange and customize however they want. The items used to do so are randomized and are given to players by a sentient pot in exchange for coins.
The coins are whereGarden Galaxy’s idle elements come into play. While players are working, visitors to the garden will leave behind coins that, depending on their type, will change the category of items players get.With a soothing soundtrackto boot,Garden Galaxyis a delightful game to have on in the background ready for when a player is looking for a break.
Idle, Simulation, Builder
Ropuka’s Idle Islandplaces a small island on players' desktops where the titular sole inhabitant of the island tends to his home. Ropuka is always either sleeping or cutting the grass on his island, acting as a chill companion for players working on a project or looking for some extra background noise while they do other things.
Players can also upgrade Ropuka’s stats and unlock items using the coins he kicks up while mowing, spending them on things like plants and fences to decorate his island however they want.
Developers Moczan, Little Chmura, and Begoña Pereda are working on a 3D adventure game that will also feature Ropuka, aptly titledRopuka.
Spirit City: Lofi Sessionsis an idler focused on getting players to focus. The game involves the customization of a player’s own virtual avatar, paired with an equally customizable room, that will complete tasks alongside the player.
Like many idlers,Spirit Cityis intended to be a companion to players while they get on with other tasks. What sets this game apart from others, however, are features designed to aid a player’s organization, allowing them to set pomodoro timers or to-do lists. As an added bonus, players can also collectcute spirit petsto accompany their virtual selves.
Charming pixel graphics, adorable robotsand farming—Rusty’s Retirementhas everything fans of cozy games likeStardew Valleymight be looking for in an idler. Placing Rusty’s farm above their taskbar or at the side of their monitor, players help the little robot clear out debris to start his farm.
Players are responsible for purchasing crops and placing buildings, but Rusty, and the various companions that can be unlocked along the way, do the rest of the work.Rusty’s Retirementeven comes packed with a ‘Focus Mode’ which will lengthen the time it takes for crops to grow, allowing players to focus on other tasks if they feel they’re becoming too distracted.
