The popularity of mobile games continues to soar high for plenty of reasons. From fun and addictive games to the accessibility of playing games whenever and wherever the mobile game market rakes in billions of dollars in revenue every year. And while both younger and older generations have different motives for playing that game, it all boils down to it being an entertaining way of spending their time while unwinding and relaxing.
Over the years, various mobile games were launched to the public, and one genre that gained popularity is idle games. In today’s digital app market, you will find the best idle games Android and iOS developers meticulously created for our enjoyment. Now, what are idle games? If it’s your first time hearing this word, please continue reading as we share a couple of things that a newbie should know about this mobile game genre.
Table of Contents
1.What Is an Idle Game?
It was only a few years ago that idle games came into existence, but it has managed to win the hearts of players of all ages. Also going by the name of incremental or clicker games, an idle game is defined as a game that progresses with limited or without the constant involvement of the player. What this means is that these games can be played actively, and yet, it also doesn’t require full attention. Players can do other things, and the game will continue to run in the background.
While game interaction is beneficial to progress, it becomes optional for extended gameplay periods. It’s ideal for players who may not have the time to play games, complete missions, and so on.
2.How Does it Work?
Like all mobile games, you start with nothing when playing idle games – no cash or in-game currency to buy items or upgrades. To start earning, you need to repeatedly tap or click on the objects on the screen as per the gameplay. Once you’ve reached a threshold, the points or currency you earned can then be spent on items or abilities that will help players receive in-game currencies faster or automatically. The longer the game is played, the actions become unnecessary as the game starts to play itself.
The good thing about this game is that while points or currencies are generated automatically without interaction, players are rewarded when they come back and play the game.
3.What Makes It Popular?
Plenty of idle mobile games are available in the app market today. What makes these popular and distinct from other game genres are the following:
- It doesn’t need constant attention from players. The game continues to run in the background as players do other things.
- Another reason is that it gives them a sense of accomplishment every time they come back to the game and see their progress despite paying it limited or zero attention for a while.
- It makes them feel relaxed that even though the game or character’s survival is in their hands, they don’t need to be constantly playing for it to progress. The decisions you make, the upgrades you purchase, and so on come into play as you strategize.
In addition to the above, the low pressure and addictive nature make idle games popular with gamers today.
4.What are the Mechanics of an Idle Game?
The mechanics help in defining how the game works for the people playing it. In this case, it’ll be idle games. These can serve as inspirations for game developers in creating better games for the future.
Clicker Idle
The main gameplay for such a game is tapping/clicking as fast as you can to generate points or currencies. Popular at first, developers take on progression mechanics to offer something new to the new audiences.
Story-driven Idle
The amount of work required to develop a story-driven idle game may be huge but a pretty interesting concept to begin with. A strong narrative arc is created for the idle game loop to make sense to the player. It leads to the player encountering an interesting long-term goal to keep playing the game.
Idle RPG
Known to be the income-generating idle mechanics is the RPG. Idle RPG games are widely enjoyed for the simple core gameplay but require players to create strategies to win missions and others.
Supporting a variety of game designs, the current idle game mechanics may welcome newer gameplays and game ideas in the future.
Key Takeaway
Newbie players need to understand one thing about idle games, and that is it requires minimal or without constant player attention. On the other hand, newbie developers are advised not to settle on traditional gameplays as new mechanics and game loops may be introduced. All in all, one thing is for certain, and that is it is a fun and addictive game for everyone to play.