The Best Idle Games For iOS And Android

Mobile games tend to get a bad rap from more avid gamers, who might find it difficult to imagine what an immersive gameplay experience even looks like on a phone screen. If you are looking to dip your toes into the deep ocean that is mobile games, idle games are a perfect place to start.

The beauty of a good idle game is that it rewards you both for playing it and for stepping away. However, the very best idle games will have you so enthralled that you might have trouble putting your phone down in the first place.

Idle games are defined as games that can be rewarding even when you’re not actively playing them. The games on this list all offer that feature, but they also have something extra that makes them stand out.

It could be humor, quality graphics, great music, interesting context, huge scale, or something more. The ones we’ve picked out were chosen because they’re generally enjoyable, are built to last, and very accessible while also being cute and fun.

Updated October 27, 2024 by Jacqueline Zalace: Looking for even more of the best idle games to play on iPhone and Android? We’ve updated this list with a few more games for you to check out!

24

Cookie Clicker

There was a time when the idea of playing a game without actually playing it sounded ridiculous… and honestly, it still does, but you can’t argue with the results. The idle genre seemingly appeared overnight thanks to the sensation that is Cookie Clicker.

This is a game where you click a cookie. That’s it. There’s a big chocolate chip cookie in the middle of the screen, and you have to click (or tap) it to get more cookies. You then use these cookies so that you get more cookies with each tap.

23

Idle Slayer

Games like Contra helped bring to life the idea of the Run n’ Gun game, which lives on in more recent titles like Cuphead and Iron Meat. But what if you’re running, and you don’t have a gun but a sword instead? Then you’ve got the Dash n’ Slash game, which is where Idle Slayer falls into place.

This is a 2D pixel world where you’re guiding a hero across a long stretch of land full of obstacles, pitfalls, and enemies to get through. You can interact by tapping to slash and jump so that you can slay, collect things, and avoid eating dirt.

22

Almost A Hero

The fantasy hero is frequently tasked with saving a land of helpless villagers when they could also take some time to train them. There’s always a chance that the village could be attacked when the hero is off doing something else like fighting a boss or collecting bugs. When this happens, the villagers are forced to step up like in Almost A Hero.

This humorous little adventure has you controlling a party of villagers who have tried to find a natural synergy between hero classes and their own roles in life. You’ve got kids playing pretend, old men sharing their wisdom, maidens lending their hearty support, and more.

You’ll lead them in fights, help them upgrade their basic abilities into something more impressive and get them closer to looking like actual heroes. When you’re away, you can trust them to fight on their own only to come back and see how much the downtrodden have trodden down on the villains.

21

Forest Island

In Forest Island, you slowly expand the natural habitats of your world. Each biome hosts beautiful wildlife and adorable creatures who will have you cooing at your phone. The gameplay revolves around earning enough resources from your animals to continue to rejuvenate nature.

The only downside of this game is that there are quite a few ads, but they’re almost always optional. If you want to progress more quickly, you watch something for 30 seconds and start building! It doesn’t feel unbalanced or predatory.

One of our favorite aspects of the game is the photo mode, where you’re challenged to take pictures of your animals in unique poses and activities.

20

AdVenture Capitalist

In AdVenture Capitalist, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a millionaire! In this economy, who could turn that down? Just like real millionaires, you earn money by doing absolutely nothing – it accumulates throughout the day! You can customize and control your business, though, upgrading it and hiring managers to deal with the messy stuff in your absence.

Pretty quickly, you’ll be surprised to see how far you can go – literally! Just like real billionaires, you can leave Earth and start to explore the universe! We’re sure nothing will go wrong.

19

Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector

Neko Atsume might be the pinnacle of mobile idle games. Unlike many other idle games, which build many of their mechanics around enticing you to watch advertisements, Neko Atsume asks very little of you other than your time. You use fish currency to buy food and leave it out for the neighborhood ‘strays.’ In return for full tummies, they gift you more fish.

This endless cycle does more than just reward you by slowly allowing you to expand your yard and buy more toys. Every time you open the app, the joy of discovering new kitties with new personalities awaits you.

18

Egg Inc.

On its surface, Egg Inc appears to be an idle clicker game about having the best chicken farm. In actuality, it is about unlocking the secrets of the universe. Yes, you read that right. The more profitable your egg farm becomes, the more types of “world-breaking” eggs you discover.

From eggs that can cure a common cold to eggs that can power rocket ships, each discovery helps you expand your egg empire. The game is also extremely generous with the random gifts it bestows upon you, making it incredibly easy to continue your path to the egg overlord.

17

AFK Arena

If MMORPGs, gacha, or auto-chess games are your cup of tea, then AFK Arena is the perfect mobile game to pick up. This stunning art nouveau style idle game goes so in-depth with its strategies and mechanics that it can be difficult to get started as a newbie, but if learning new metas is your thing, AFK Arena has your name written all over it.

Build your team of heroes, send them off into battle, and collect loot from their victories while you are AFK! The further you progress, the more heroes you will unlock.

16

Cats & Soup

There is something very Ghibli-esque about this idle game, in which a bunch of kitties work together to cook some soup out in the woods. Whether you are there to sell their soup or taking a step away from your phone, Cats & Soup lets you reap the benefits of your cat’s hard work, earning billions of coins.

The more riches you accrue, the more recipes and ingredients you might unlock, which means finding new cats to work in your woodsy soup kitchen. You can even get your kitties’ outfits to boost their cooking stats and feed them fish to boost their happiness.

15

RAID: Shadow Legends

You would be hard-pressed to find a gamer who has not heard of RAID: Shadow Legends. This is another natural fit for the MMORPG fan looking for a more casual mobile game experience. Send your team of Champions on raids and dungeon runs, or challenge other players in PVP arena battles. Or let your heroes journey on their own while you do other things.

A word of warning, however. RAID is well-known as a “freemium” mobile game, meaning it can prove difficult to get the same value from the game as others who might be paying for the subscription.

14

Soda Dungeon

Adventuring can be dangerous. Fighting battle after battle will eventually result in your terrible demise. The good thing is that in Soda Dungeon, you’re not an adventurer. Instead, you own and operate a tavern near the local dungeon, boosting the various heroes that show up with items and abilities.

With multiple classes of heroes that can appear, and a surprisingly large variety of weapons and armors, this game offers a satisfying blend of loadout management and numbers-go-up dopamine hits. This is one of the best idle games to not rely on timers; the idle component comes from the party adventures.

13

Realm Grinder

Do you love base-building games? Realm Grinder is a free-to-play kingdom-building idle game for Android and iOS that challenges you to grow your humble farm into a massive realm. The alliances you choose to forge with different races and factions will impact the bonuses you receive.

While Realm Grinder can get pretty involved the larger your kingdom grows, its pixel-art style and idle rewards make for a cozy gaming experience, perfect for picking up on the go.

12

Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter might not have been the game fans wanted, but at its core, it is actually a very good idle game. It is reminiscent of survival simulation games like Oxygen Not Included in many ways.

Manage your own little Vault full of Dwellers, sending them out on missions into the Wastelands to get resources, build your bunker into the ultimate survival base, and help your Dwellers to, uh, repopulate the Earth.

11

Idle Theme Park Tycoon

RollerCoaster Tycoon fans rejoice! Now you can take all that theme-park enterprising fun on the road with you. Idle Theme Park Tycoon very naturally takes the classic tycoon game formula and makes it idle. Build your very own amusement park, then sit back and wait for the profits to roll in so that you can continue to expand.

Like many idle games, there are advertisements and microtransactions that multiply your earnings, but with some patience, you can still grow your theme park to be the biggest in the mobile-game world.

10

Forager

Unlike some other games, the ‘idle’ part of Forager comes in with setting up your base to automatically produce resources and goods. If you want to continue gathering raw materials and adventuring out in the world, you will have to actively participate in that part yourself.

Hence, the game boasts itself as an “idle game that you want to actively keep playing.” While other mobile idle games reward you more for stepping away, Forager lures you back in with promises of expansion and exploration.

9

Animal Restaurant

All the cuteness of Neko Atsume meets the fun of running a restaurant management game. Grow your restaurant by advertising to new critters and making new friends along the way! Every new animal you meet has its own story and benefits that they will bring to your restaurant enterprise.

When you close the game, the restaurant will continue to run on its own, but there is a cap on how many tips you can earn while inactive. If you really want to offer the finest dining experience an animal can afford, you will have to be active in running your restaurant.

8

AdVenture Communist

Are you sick of capitalism? Do you dream of an escape to a magical land where nothing is wrong? Then AdVenture Communist might be the game for you!

The beloved followup to AdVenture Capitalist, in AdVenture Communist you build a Communist paradise where everyone works together, and the people own the means of production! You start off as a proud potato farmer and work your way up through the ranks. It’s very active, with weekly events and special missions popping up all the time, so you’ll feel very welcome here.

7

Cat Condo

Cat Condo is exactly what it sounds like; you will populate a giant cat tree, combining cats to get rare ones. For example, at the start, you will have white cats. Combining two of these will create a black one. From here, you can combine two black cats to get a new one. This pattern continues, with dozens of cats that can be created.

At a certain point, you won’t be able to create more. Each cat produces money, with rarer cats making more. If you wait for your cats to produce enough money, you can buy rare cats to combine without going through the long process of making it. The more you buy a cat, the more its price will increase, meaning if you play for a while, you will need to save up a lot of money!

Love Cat Condo? You can also play Cat Condo 2, which adds a variety of new features!

6

Idle Zoo Tycoon

Idle Zoo Tycoon combines the classic Zoo Tycoon with a casual idle game. Rather than tending to your animals and guests, you set up an infrastructure to do this for you. Over time, you will attract more guests and earn more money.

There is always room for improvement in Idle Zoo Tycoon. After your park has been running smoothly without your help for a while, you can add new attractions and guest services, which will boost your income even more. This game is very similar to Theme Park Tycoon, so if you like that recommendation, then be sure to check out Idle Zoo Tycoon.

5

Cat Snack Bar

If there’s anything that this list has revealed, two things are easy fodder for idle games: cats and restaurants of all kinds. It’s because these things are both great and, together, they can be incredible! Enter: Cat Snack Bar. You manage a little snack bar for cats (shocker) and slowly work your way up to a bigger and bigger operation.

There’s plenty to love about this game, including the sweet graphics, the lovely music, and the seasonal events! If you need something to calm you down after a long day at the office, we couldn’t offer a better recommendation.