Idle games are defined by their hands-off strategy. In order to play an idle game, very little player interaction is needed. The player just has to set up the means to success, and the game mechanics handle it all! They tend to run in the background, so players can come and go as they choose.
Idle mobile games can be more useful than they look. For gamers with ADHD, idle mobile games can provide light stimulation while attention is focussed elsewhere - on work, school, even conversation! They can also be useful for people with busy lives that still enjoy the thrill of gaming - they only require set-up and incremental play to manage. These idle mobile games do all the work for the gamer with too much to do (or perhaps not enough!).
8 Bee Factory
Developer | Green Panda Games |
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Available on |
Bee Factory is a spin on the idle game genre that has the player control bees in a hive. The player controls the game through upgrading the bees and the belt, making it an easy game to check in and out of. It has over a hundred species of bee to unlock, including the ZomBee, R2B2, LadyBees (a ladybug/bee hybrid), even little Ghost Bees!
It stands out from the crowd for its simple, but fun gameplay. The quick unlock system makes it engaging, but it doesn't have any unnecessary bells and whistles, so it's the perfect game for someone looking for a basic idle game to kill time with.
7 Terrarium: Garden Idle
Developer | Green Panda Games |
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Available on |
For cozy game lovers, Terrarium: Garden Idle checks all the idle game boxes. It's an easy, comforting game with simple visuals that is easy to relax to, or have on in the background while doing other things.
The player taps plants to earn currency, uses that currency to buy other plants, and taps those to earn even more currency. It's a basic clicker idle game that uses plants as the main hook. There's also a VIP option for super-fans, which offers players an ad-free experience with other rewards and perks.
6 AFK Arena
Developer | Lilith Games |
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Available on |
AFK Arena is one of the most popular idle games out there, because it also doubles as an RPG! The game utilizes the standard idle game mechanic to allow the players to collect resources while offline, which can be used for turn-based combat (PvP) and progressing through the rich story.
The game rewards players for waiting, rather than spending all their time grinding. The longer time that passes between using the app, the more rewards and resources the player can reap!
5 AdVenture Communist
Developer | Hyper Hippo |
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Available on |
From the developers of AdVenture Capitalist, AdVenture Communist is a satirical take on idle games and a great way to pass time. The player plays as a farmer, starting with digging potatoes to advance through every level of communism and seize the means of production. The soundtrack is also fantastic!
Despite the prominence of 'ad' in the title, there are no forced ads in the game, which makes it possible to play through without watching any ads at all.
4 Penguin Isle
Developer | HABBY |
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Available on |
With constant updates and seasonal events, players will never get bored with Penguin Isle. This creative game with calming visuals has the player building specialized habitats to encourage different species of penguins to join their island. All the seasonal events come with new, themed penguins!
There are tons of things to do in Penguin Isle without spending any money, but players can also opt for paid features to expand their penguin collection faster and unlock exclusive characters. Players can make furniture, play mini-games, and let the relaxing music wash over them.
3 Egg Inc.
Developer | Auxbrain, Inc |
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Available on |
Create an egg empire with Egg Inc.! The game in a future where eggs are the ultimate currency, and the player has decided to get ahead of the game by becoming a chicken farmer and reaping the rewards.
It is, basically, a game about watching chickens run around on a screen. But it's an incredibly entertaining one, with levels that are perfectly balanced to minimize frustration. It's a clicker game at it's core, with auto-click upgrades that farm eggs online. Players can get into the millions, even billions of eggs before selling the farm and starting fresh.
2 AbyssRium - Tap Tap Fish
Developer | SangHeon Kim |
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Available on |
Similar to Penguin Isle, Tap Tap Fish is a game about growing an aquarium full of fish! By unlocking different types of coral and fish, the player earns vitality, which can be used to grow the aquarium with more coral and fish.
By levelling up the Lonely Coralite, players can unlock the Freshwater Tank for even more fish variety. Constantly updated with seasonal events, exclusive fish, and additional features, there's always plenty to do and even more to come back to. By creating certain fish, players can also unlock hidden fish!
1 Neko Atsume
Developer | Hit Co., Ltd |
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Available on |
Neko Atsume experienced a boom in popularity a few years ago, but the game is still going strong. It's an absolutely adorable game about building a space for stray cats to roam free, and wouldn't be out of place as a cozy Switch game.
Players attract cats to the garden by placing food and toys, and in return, the cats leave fish as currency, so the player can buy more food and toys. If the app is opened at the right moment, the player can catch cats in the act of playing. The cats can also be given personalized nicknames, though they come with their own!