11 Best Idle Games For Casual Play [2024]

Life can get busy, making it difficult to carve out time to enjoy new games. However, idle games are a unique video game genre that allows you to play when you can and grow when you can’t. From investment adventures focused on earning as much money as possible to immersive mobile RPGs, the best idle games offer an accessible, entertaining experience without a large time commitment.

In this article, we’ll explore 11 of the best idle games of 2024 for mobile, PC, browser, and more. We’ll discuss what makes each game a unique idle experience, from its features and mechanics to its depth and storyline.

Whether you’re looking for a game to play online when you’re bored or an idle game veteran, this list will help you find the right game for you. 

Top 11 Idle Games

1. AdVenture Capitalist

• Genre: Incremental 
• Release date: May 30, 2014
• Platforms: iOS, Android, web browser, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4
• Gameplay features: Three unique planets to grow on, diverse clothing options that offer in-game bonuses
• Developer:  Hyper Hippo Productions
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases
• Rating: 4.7 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Fans of finance- and investment-based games; players interested in mainly idle play with some active components

AdVenture Capitalist immerses players in an idle world where the sky is the limit for how much money you can make through investments.

Starting with a humble lemonade stand, you can earn and invest your money in various unique business ventures with the click of a button. You can also invest in upgrades and perks, such as managers and Angel Investors, which can automate your businesses and drive profits.

This idle game features several twists to keep players engaged. One of the most notable features is Angel Investors, which permanently boosts business income at the cost of resetting investments and profits. AdVenture Capitalist also provides an opportunity for expansion and growth, allowing players to spend large sums of profit to unlock the Moon and Mars, where their business ventures can continue to grow. 

2. Cookie Clicker

• Genre: Incremental 
• Release date: Aug. 8, 2013 
• Platforms: Android, Microsoft Windows, web browser
• Gameplay features: Automatic generators, active gameplay options, minigames, hostile NPCs
• Developer: Julien Thiennot
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases (browser, Android); $4.99 for PC
• Rating: 4.3 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Players seeking a rich idle game experience with opportunities to play actively and be rewarded for offline accumulation

Cookie Clicker is one of the most popular games to play online, offering both active and passive gameplay. It provides an immersive, entertaining experience for players. The prized currency of this idle game is cookies, which you can first earn by clicking on a large cookie. As players earn more, they can invest in passive generators, like cursors and grandmas, as well as in upgrades.

At its core, Cookie Clicker is a classic incremental game with a significant focus on passive gameplay, including offline accumulation. However, it also offers several interactive portions that promote active gaming, such as clicking to earn additional cookies, minigames, and antagonistic cookie-eating monsters that need to be clicked on three consecutive times.

3. Exponential Idle

• Genre: Incremental
• Release date: April 24, 2020
• Platforms: Android, iOS
• Gameplay features: Minigames, secret achievements, math equations
• Developer: Conic Games
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases
• Rating: 4.9 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Fans of math, investing, and finance

Exponential Idle blends traditional incremental game elements with math functions and equations. The focus of this idle game is to accumulate as much money as possible by utilizing exponential growth.

To do so, players have to either actively click on the equation to generate more funds or take advantage of the game’s idle nature and allow money to accumulate offline. Players can also experiment with different variables for faster growth, along with purchasing temporary or permanent bonuses. 

4. Antimatter Dimensions

• Genre: Incremental
• Release date: July 8, 2019
• Platforms: Android, web browser, Microsoft Windows, macOS
• Gameplay features: Automatic generators, achievements, challenges
• Developer: Hevipelle
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases
• Rating: 4.8 stars on Google Play
• Best for: Idle game fans looking for deeper gameplay

Antimatter Dimensions offers classic idle game mechanics while providing players with a rich and challenging storyline that can take several weeks to complete. Overall, the goal of this game is to collect enough antimatter, this game’s currency, to reach infinity.

In many of the best idle games, resetting to gain new rewards is encouraged. However, in Antimatter Dimensions, it’s often a requirement to produce enough antimatter to reach the next stage.

One standout feature is the challenge system. During their progression through the game, players encounter various challenges. While completing these challenges, antimatter production will be stunted. However, players who beat the challenge receive a helpful bonus.

5. Melvor Idle

• Genre: Incremental
• Release date: Sept. 2019
• Platforms: Android, iOS, web browser, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
• Gameplay features: Combat and challenges, skill trees, upgradable armor and equipment
• Developer: Games By Malcs Pty Ltd
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases (Android, iOS, Windows); $9.99 for PC
• Rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Fans of RuneScape and adventure games

Melvor Idle is an immersive incremental game that strays away from classic clicking and resetting mechanics to focus on a RuneScape-inspired adventure. One of the main goals of this idle game is to upgrade skills to collect resources that players can then refine into useful products.

In Melvor Idle, players can accumulate experience points (XP) for up to 24 hours offline. Aside from growing skills, they can also engage in basic combats with dozens of different monsters.

6. Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms

• Genre: Incremental
• Release date: Sept. 7, 2017
• Platforms: Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
• Gameplay features: Collectible champions, formation strategy management, combat
• Developer: Codename Entertainment
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases
• Rating: 3.6 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Fans of Dungeons & Dragons; players who enjoy idle games focused on strategy management

At its core, Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms is a Dungeons & Dragons idle game focused on collecting characters, unlocking equipment, and utilizing formation strategy management in combat. Players will need to learn which Champions work best where and how to get the most out of their abilities to succeed in battle.

Resetting is an essential component of this idle game. If players struggle to advance through boss battles and challenges, resetting can offer bonuses to help receive chests and unlock better equipment. 

7. A Dark Room

• Genre: Incremental, text-based role-playing game
• Release date: June 10, 2013 
• Platforms: Web browser, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch
• Gameplay features: Resource management, role-playing, decision making
• Developer: Doublespeak Games, Amir Rajan (iOS)
• Pricing: Free-to-play (browser), $1.99 (mobile), $6.99 (Switch)
• Rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Fans of text-based role-playing games; players looking for a blend of storylines and idle gaming

A Dark Room provides a literary twist on traditional incremental games. This idle game immerses the player into a new world, beginning with them needing to start and maintain a fire by clicking a button.

As players progress through the interactive storyline, they can unlock new activities, like collecting wood. However, they’ll also have to manage resources, making tough decisions such as choosing between keeping the fire going or crafting traps for food.

8. Realm Grinder

• Genre: Incremental, role-playing
• Release date: May 19, 2015
• Platforms: Web browser, Android, iOS, MacOS, Microsoft Windows
• Gameplay features: Alliances that offer different rewards, trophies and achievements, replayable
• Developer: Divine Games
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases
• Rating: 4.5 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Fans of traditional clicker games looking for a deeper experience

In Realm Grinder, players can make various choices, including those that can influence the progression of the game. Because each choice made dictates bonuses, progression speed, and play style, players can restart and enjoy new experiences in each play-through.

Realm Grinder is a rags-to-riches idle game focusing on building a successful kingdom with the help of different alliances and factions. Players can unlock upgrades and earn achievements and trophies as they play.

9. Unnamed Space Idle

• Genre: Incremental
• Release date: July 27, 2023
• Platforms: Web browser, Android, Microsoft Windows, Linux
• Gameplay features: Combatable alien hordes, decision-making, resource management
• Developer: Sylv
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases
• Rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Fans of sci-fi and aliens; idle game PC and mobile players looking for more advanced mechanics and decision-making

Unnamed Space Idle plunges players headfirst into a fight between humans and aliens. This sci-fi idle game focuses on players preparing and upgrading their spaceships, allowing them to strategically choose between different weapons and defenses.

Players can engage in idle accumulation or active play, choosing the right systems and parts to create a successful spaceship. One of the best idle games online, Unnamed Space Idle offers deep but easy-to-learn mechanics with a long-form story. Although released in 2023, Unnamed Space Idle is still one of the most popular games of 2024 in the incremental genre.

10. Egg, Inc

• Genre: Incremental
• Release date: July 14, 2016
• Platforms: iOS, Android
• Gameplay features: Opportunities for short and long bursts of gameplay depending on the stage, easy mechanics and instructions, scalable offline accumulation
• Developer: Auxbrain Inc
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases
• Rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Players new to incremental games; players looking for an easy but rewarding idle experience

One of the best idle games Android and iOS players can enjoy, Egg, Inc. utilizes classic clicker game mechanics as players set out to build the most successful egg farm possible. Players can continue to earn and grow offline, but only for short periods to begin with. Along with needing to upgrade other aspects of their farm, players will need to work to build more grain silos to allow for greater accumulation.

Egg, Inc. is best suited for players who want a balance of idle and active play with simple clicking mechanics and a straightforward story progression. 

11. Fallout Shelter

• Genre: Incremental
• Release date: June 14, 2015
• Platforms: Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Gameplay features: Resource management, strategy management, two types of combat, exploration
• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios, Behaviour Interactive
• Pricing: Free-to-play with in-game purchases
• Rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store
• Best for: Fans of the Fallout series

One of the most well-known idle games, Fallout Shelter, is an incremental game in the Fallout series focused on resource and character management. Players have to micromanage their own Vault, ensuring a thriving population with enough space, food, and water to survive.

In terms of storyline, Fallout Shelter offers a deep, immersive experience. This is best for players who want to utilize idle benefits while still being able to actively play the game when they choose. Players can choose the right inhabitants for their Vault, pick out different expansions, and send out their dwellers to explore the post-apocalyptic world around them.

Best Idle Games at a Glance

With so many themes and features, no two idle games are the same. Although anyone can play, some clicker games may be better suited for certain people depending on preferences and platform availability.

How To Choose the Best Idle Games

Choosing the best idle game involves considering various factors to see how they align with your gaming preferences and time. Here are some important criteria to consider:

• Consider your interests: Look for idle games that focus on topics you enjoy, such as a particular game series or genre like finance and sci-fi.
• Determine your playstyle: Some idle games are more hands-on than others. Choose a game that best fits your playstyle, from completely idle to a mixture of idle and active gameplay.
• Check out reviews and recommendations: Reviews can tell you what others think about the game after playing it, helping you find the best idle games for you.
• Consider the game's complexity: Some idle games have more depth and more advanced mechanisms, like combat and resource management. 
• Look for unique features: Every idle game is different, with some offering exploration, customization, and more. 
• Factor in the game's longevity: Not all idle games are meant to be quick. Some clicker games can take weeks to complete.

Find Your Favorite Way To Pass the Time

Whether you prefer mobile games or PC and console, idle games offer the perfect way to pass the time and relax. Because many of these games can be easily picked up or left idle, the best idle games are also a great way to stay engaged between sessions of playing other trending games.

Idle Games FAQ

What Is the Deepest Idle Game?

There are several idle games that go beyond the surface of clicking. Overall, Fallout Shelter is one of the deepest idle games of those available online and on the mobile store. It provides idle growth, exploration, and combat, as well as the ability to customize dwellers and your Vault.

Are Idle Games Worth Playing?

Even if you’re not actively completing quests or engaging in rich battle mechanics like other games, idle games provide a rewarding and enjoyable experience for new and veteran gamers alike.

Although the idle game experience may differ from traditional games, the best clicker games can be both entertaining and stress-relieving, making them worth trying out for a casual gaming session.

Can Idle Games Be Addictive?

Idle games are quick, fun, and, most of all, rewarding. Although it may seem like mindless clicking in the beginning, the ability to access and accumulate rewards can be addictive, making idle games some of the top casual games.

Can Anyone Play Idle Games?

Whether you’ve played games in the past or not, almost anyone can pick up an idle game and start playing. One reason that idle games are popular is because there is a low barrier to entry. You can start and stop playing as you wish with little to learn at the start.

Most idle games also don’t require an internet connection, making them perfect for players looking for offline games.