Best idle games: a short, neutral list
Idle games, also called incremental games, are games that keep progressing on their own while you make upgrade decisions, and the best idle games make those decisions interesting. Below is Lantern Road, which we make, followed by seven well-known idle and incremental games.
What are idle games?
In an idle game, progress continues automatically: fights, production or research run without constant input, and your job is to spend what they earn. Many reset for permanent bonuses (prestige). The genre ranges from clicker toys to full idle RPGs.
The list
Lantern Road
A free idle RPG for the browser with an auto-fighting party, loot, prestige talents and optional tapping; it is our game, so weigh that.
Cookie Clicker
A browser incremental game about baking cookies, where you click and buy producers; it also has a Steam edition.
A Dark Room
A minimalist text-based game that starts with a fire in an empty room and slowly unfolds; it is played in a browser and has mobile versions.
Antimatter Dimensions
A browser incremental game about buying dimensions of antimatter, with several layers of prestige.
Idle Breakout
A browser game that combines brick-breaking with idle upgrades.
Clicker Heroes
An idle RPG in which you click monsters and hire heroes; it is free to play.
AdVenture Capitalist
An idle business game about buying and automating ventures, available on several platforms.
Melvor Idle
An idle game about training skills and fighting, inspired by classic fantasy online RPGs, available on browser and other platforms.
The order is not a ranking. We list no scores or ratings because we cannot verify them. Details are general and can change, so check each game's own page for current platforms and prices.
Comparison table
| Game | Type | Plays in a browser? | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lantern Road | Idle RPG | Yes | Free, no ads, no purchases |
| Cookie Clicker | Incremental | Yes | Free in the browser |
| A Dark Room | Text adventure | Yes | Free in the browser |
| Antimatter Dimensions | Incremental | Yes | Free in the browser |
| Idle Breakout | Idle arcade | Yes | Free in the browser |
| Clicker Heroes | Idle RPG | Yes, in the original release (other platforms may differ) | Free to start |
| AdVenture Capitalist | Idle business | Yes, in the original release (other platforms may differ) | Free to start |
| Melvor Idle | Idle skilling | Yes, in the original release (other platforms may differ) | Free to start |
Lantern Road is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any game named on this page. Game names are used only to identify the games and belong to their owners.
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