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Although they may have had their big moment in the sun in the mid-2010s, the best idle games are still as enjoyable as ever thanks to their satisfying, low-commitment gameplay style.
Brought into the mainstream by the success of Cookie Clicker in 2013, idle games are characterized by incredibly simple gameplay, and they’re often also called “clickers” due to the mechanic of clicking to earn currency. With upgrades that add the ability to passively earn currency, many of these games will effectively play themselves, hence the genre’s name.
Idle games are usually designed to be played in the background, with players checking in occasionally to purchase upgrades and make strategic decisions. As such, many were initially designed as browser games, though several of the most-popular idle games have since made the jump to platforms like Steam, iOS, and Android.
Due to the simplicity of their mechanics, idle games can feature a huge variety of themes and settings, as well as cross over with various game genres including RPGs and strategy games. There is substantial crossover with strategy games, as well as simulation games, including a recent trend of farming and management-themed idlers inspired by the cozy-gaming trend.
A recent trend in the idle genre has seen a proliferation of bottom-of-your-screen gameplay, where games are designed to sit along your taskbar, allowing you to monitor what’s happening while you complete other tasks. This style of game is especially suited to management sims, with farming, fishing, and cat cafes among the partial-screen options on offer.
While idle games are relatively easy to develop, they’re hard to perfect, and it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. We’ve picked 24 of the best idle games you can play right now, in no particular order, including everything from classic idle games to more innovative takes on the genre. For more, check out our picks for some of the best casual games like Animal Crossing, Wordle, and Stardew Valley.