Games Like Idle Research

Blow leaves, upgrade your gear, and automate your progress as you explore the Leaf Universe. A satisfying incremental idle game where every leaf blown brings you closer to the next big upgrade. Simple, relaxing, and endlessly rewarding. Let the leaves fall, and your progress rise!

Why similar: Idler 36.3%, Incremental 33.9%, Crafting 15.6%, Relaxing 6.1%, 2D 3.2%

Why You'll Like It: Features a similarly massive scale of incremental progression and unlocking automation as you gather unique resources.

Magic Research is a text-based incremental game about Magic. You are the headmaster of a newly-created institution of Magic. Will you be able to lead your school to win the prestigious Tournament of Magic?

Why similar: Idler 23.9%, Automation 19.7%, Text-Based 12.5%, Resource Management 10.9%, Minimalist 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: Blends magical progression with incremental mechanics and resource management, offering a similarly structured research tree.

Industry Idle is an idle game that combines factory building, resource management and market trading. Design & build your base, expand & scale up your productions, improve & optimize your economy. Plus all the incremental game goodies: offline earnings, prestige to unlock more powerful upgrades.

Why similar: Automation 20.5%, Idler 20.2%, Incremental 15.6%, Resource Management 12%, Minimalist 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses heavily on resource management and production chains, mirroring the automation aspect of crafting flasks and tubes.

NGU Idle is a Free To Play Idle game that's full of weird humor, tons of upgrades and hundreds of hours of content! Try out NGU Idle today and experience the joy of Numbers Going Up!

Why similar: Idler 44.3%, Incremental 41.6%, Simulation 6.6%, Adventure 4.5%, Indie 3%

Why You'll Like It: Shares the deep, progression-heavy incremental gameplay loop and quirky style focused on optimizing stats and numbers.

Welcome to Magic Research 2, an incremental RPG from the creator of Magic Research. Learn countless spells, face powerful foes, and command a team of Wizards who can cast spells for you as you journey to find or create the Philosopher's Stone.

Why similar: Idler 22.5%, Automation 20.5%, Incremental 14.9%, Text-Based 12.4%, Management 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: Expands on the first game's deep research and automation mechanics with even more systems to optimize.

Synergism is a free-to-play Idle game about... well, Synergy! Explore that concept through hundreds of upgrades, many reset layers and probably thousands of hours of content that allows both idle and active play.

Why similar: Idler 52.6%, Strategy 16.9%, Incremental 12.5%, Resource Management 11.4%, 2D 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: Offers extraordinarily deep mathematical progression and prestige systems for fans of extreme numbers and complex scaling.

An entire town builder experience packed into a living spreadsheet. Build housing, assign workers, then craft and sell a huge variety of items to level up your town and expand your civilization across the world!

Why similar: Idler 19.9%, Incremental 17.5%, Automation 17.1%, Resource Management 11.1%, Minimalist 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: Combines minimalist logistics and automation with idle incremental progression.

The Perfect Tower II is a mix between an incremental and a tower defense game. Build a town, manage resources and explore a variety of mini-games and tons of upgrades. Fully automate your game and watch numbers going up!

Why similar: Idler 23%, Automation 22%, Incremental 17.8%, Resource Management 13.2%, Strategy 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: Combines idle mechanics with city building, tower defense, and intricate resource automation similar to Idle Research.

Explore the depths of the earth and uncover hidden treasures in this addictive idle mining game. Unlock the power of your drill with hundreds of upgrades, discover mysterious relics, and unearth priceless gems. Can you master the mines and reveal their deepest secrets? Dive in and dig deep!

Why similar: Idler 28.5%, Incremental 25.4%, Resource Management 10%, Crafting 9.5%, Simulation 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: Offers deep mining progression, resource management, and automated upgrades over long-term play.

Craft and automate an industrial empire from scratch! Experience a strategic game teeming with challenges as you manage resources, overcome hurdles, and optimize production chains. Are you ready to conquer the challenges of Incremental Factory? Your journey starts here... The Factory Must Grow!

Why similar: Automation 23%, Idler 22.8%, Resource Management 13.1%, Crafting 10.8%, Simulation 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: Matches the resource management and factory-building automation loop of Idle Research.

Revolution Idle is a free idle incremental game with offline progress, prestige layers, and endless automation. Start simple, reach infinity and go further.

Why similar: Incremental 20.7%, Idler 20.2%, Automation 18.5%, Resource Management 9.9%, Management 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on escalating math-based numbers and clean, satisfying incremental loops.

Idle Skilling is the ultimate Idle Game with years of content! Meant to be played for 5-10 minutes a day, you gradually unlock new skills like mining, fishing, pet breeding, crusading, potion-making, lab-research, construction, and more! With new updates coming, you'll never run out of stuff to do!

Why similar: Idler 30.9%, Incremental 25.3%, Resource Management 14.6%, Crafting 8.8%, Simulation 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: Created by the same developer as Idling to Rule the Gods, offering similar deep mechanics and multi-layered idle gameplay.

Vacuum Warrior is a Free to Play incremental idle game. Listen to the crisp crackle of dust and debris entering your vacuum as you vacuum ridiculous amounts of dust. Upgrade your vacuums, idle gains, and robot vacuums, earn achievements, and explore numerous locations in the Vacuum Warrior universe!

Why similar: Idler 25%, Incremental 21.7%, Automation 21%, Minimalist 7.2%, Simulation 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers straightforward idle mechanics with satisfying progression and upgrades.

Idling to Rule the Gods is a free to play Idle-Game with a lot of content and some Minigames. Depending on your play-style, you can play it fast or slow. Either way it can be fun for hundreds of hours!

Why similar: Incremental 27.6%, Idler 23.8%, Text-Based 15.7%, Management 12.3%, Simulation 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: Features complex god-like progression trees and long-term incremental loops.

An idle game about making cookies! Originally released in 2013 on the web, and actively developed since then. This is the official version for Steam.

Why similar: Incremental 38.5%, Idler 30.7%, Management 8.9%, Resource Management 8.9%, Strategy 3.8%

Why You'll Like It: The classic incremental benchmark featuring exponential growth, upgrades, and addictive cookie production.

This is a beautiful "Idle", "Incremental" game based on spirals and mathematics. Your goal is to make the spiral grow farther and farther from the origin. The game is very simple, but it is very deep and can be enjoyed for a long time!

Why similar: Idler 30.1%, Incremental 27%, Automation 21.1%, Simulation 7.7%, Resource Management 4.6%

Why You'll Like It: Offers hypnotic incremental progress focused on spiraling upgrades and resource generation.

Grow your realm, build alliances, and explore one of the deepest idle RPGs ever!

Why similar: Incremental 54%, Idler 22.9%, Strategy 8.9%, Resource Management 8.4%, Simulation 2.7%

Why You'll Like It: Provides deep strategy, faction choices, and extensive idle progression mechanics.

Pick up your sword and fight off waves of Potatoes by upgrading your stats constantly, use Equipment, choose between different Classes, put your many Talents to good use, and so much more designed to keep you entertained for a long time.

Why similar: Idler 39.2%, Incremental 32.6%, Resource Management 18.3%, Simulation 9.5%, Indie 0.4%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers a whimsical yet mechanically deep incremental experience with farming and combat automation.

Milky Way Idle: A multiplayer idle RPG where automation replaces grinding. Level up skills, gather resources, craft powerful items, and battle monsters—all while AFK. Trade in the marketplace, join a guild, team up for party combat, and socialize in chat as you progress effortlessly.

Why similar: Idler 31%, Incremental 26.7%, Crafting 12.7%, Text-Based 11.9%, Resource Management 11.5%

Why You'll Like It: Provides an MMORPG-inspired incremental trading and crafting loop with streamlined idle design.

CivIdle is an idle/incremental game that allows you to lead your own civilization through thousands of years from ancient times to the modern era. Expand your territory, explore a vast tech tree, build various wonders, and trade with global players: empire must grow and numbers must go up!

Why similar: Idler 31.2%, Automation 29.2%, Resource Management 14%, Management 12.1%, Strategy 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: Combines 4X strategy elements with deep incremental idle resource management and town building.

Craft a complex production line, earn idle cash and become an industrial tycoon!

Why similar: Idler 25.1%, Incremental 23.8%, Automation 23.2%, Management 10.7%, Strategy 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: Centers entirely around crafting chains and market optimization, much like crafting Flasks and Tubes.

Idle Cave Miner is an idle game about crafting items, mining gems, and building your team of miners. Prestige, craft, and travel to other mines to increase your strength to dig deeper, and find what lurks below.

Why similar: Idler 28.3%, Incremental 24.3%, Crafting 12.3%, Management 12.2%, Resource Management 12.1%

Why You'll Like It: Features mining progression, crafting, and management loops suited for incremental fans.

RPG/Idle hybrid about becoming the most powerful wizard there is. Pick a class, get a pet, configure and improve your character in a myriad ways!

Why similar: Idler 38.9%, Incremental 26.5%, Resource Management 17.4%, Management 8.1%, Simulation 3.2%

Why You'll Like It: Offers spell-casting, resource management, and massive prestige mechanics for incremental fans.

"Let's begin your own story." This is a text-based idle RPG game. There are already more than 3,000 unique story actions and it's still growing.

Why similar: Idler 44.6%, Incremental 26.3%, Text-Based 23.9%, Adventure 3.3%, 2D 1.8%

Why You'll Like It: Blends text-based RPG progression with heavy incremental resource management and automation.

An idle incremental game where you decide to travel across the whole Universe. Embark on this journey in your little ship and get as far away as possible from Earth, gathering resources and upgrading your spaceship along the way.

Why similar: Idler 25.7%, Automation 22.7%, Incremental 22.5%, Resource Management 13%, Strategy 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: Explores space through an idle lens with automation and resource gathering.

Conquer PickCrafter, the hit indie idle game! Break blocks, forge equipment, and collect powerful Pickaxes. Prestige to legendary tiers with the new Ascension Skill Tree. Discover biomes and battle epic bosses. Make meaningful choices and invent complex builds in this addictive endless adventure!

Why similar: Idler 24.6%, Incremental 22.1%, Resource Management 14.1%, Crafting 11.7%, Management 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: Combines pickaxe upgrades, mining, and incremental gameplay in a fun clicker format.

A casual cultivation-themed idle RPG. Start as a Qi Refining cultivator, auto-train, idle, break through realms, explore maps and dungeons, defeat monsters, collect gear, skills, materials, pills, spirit stones and pets, farm, fish, chop wood, mine, cook, forge, and plan long-term growth

Why similar: Idler 26.7%, Incremental 20.7%, Automation 20.5%, Resource Management 13.3%, Text-Based 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: Incorporates eastern cultivation themes into a satisfying resource-management idler.

Incredicer is a short, incremental dice game where you roll dice, earn money, upgrade and buy helper hands to automate and increase your income.

Why similar: Incremental 26.3%, Idler 21.9%, Automation 16.1%, Resource Management 11.3%, Strategy 5.4%

Lead your heroes in their neverending adventures! A minimalistic Idle game where combat is fully automated. It's up to you to make the most of that automation to reach extremely high numbers!

Why similar: Idler 29.3%, Automation 26.6%, Text-Based 15%, Minimalist 11.5%, Management 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: Uses minimalist text-based interfaces to deliver deep automation and incremental RPG loops.

A condensed incremental experience, where you build a colony to collect and merge bigger and bigger fruits. Combine game-changing technologies and special upgrades to find the best synergies and take your cash flow to another dimension.

Why similar: Incremental 22.7%, Automation 21.9%, Idler 20.6%, Management 8.7%, Resource Management 6.9%

CompactO is an addicting idle game where you create colorful squares on a plane. Dominate the 3D Realm and infuse your planes into complex shapes to buy tons of upgrades!

Why similar: Idler 28.9%, Incremental 23%, Management 11.4%, Text-Based 9.3%, Strategy 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on compact resource management and strategic incremental progression.

Incremental game about smashing with unfolding gameplay and two prestige layers.

Why similar: Incremental 24.2%, Idler 24%, Automation 15.4%, Resource Management 10.9%, Management 10.1%

Stunning sphere-themed idle/incremental game. Experience simplicity's beauty.

Why similar: Idler 31.9%, Incremental 26.8%, Minimalist 11.8%, Simulation 10.2%, Automation 7.7%

The incremental idle MMO where your heroes keep fighting while you're gone! Spend their loot on upgrades, unlock classes from Elemental-Wizard to Cannon-Pirate, and level 20 unique skills like Farming, Sailing, and Construction!

Why similar: Idler 38.3%, Incremental 27.4%, Resource Management 10.6%, Crafting 9.2%, Management 8.8%

Future Fortune is an incremental/idle game featuring big numbers, a multi-layer prestige system, a milestone reward system, multiple upgrade shops, and much more!

Why similar: Idler 25.9%, Incremental 22.1%, Automation 20.2%, Simulation 7.4%, Strategy 7%

Why You'll Like It: Blends sci-fi simulation with incremental strategy and idle gameplay.

Kill the Lich is a minimalist incremental game about time compression and resource flow. Route your primary resource—Momentum—downstream to unlock over 300 actions. Design granular automation, visualize exposed formulas, and trigger deep prestige layers to ultimately defeat the Lich!

Why similar: Idler 22.8%, Incremental 21.6%, Automation 21.5%, Text-Based 10%, Minimalist 5.8%

Idle Commonwealth is an idle game that pays homage to the best of the idle genre. Start small, grow your commonwealth, maintain morale, establish governance, invent technologies, trade and conquer your neighbors.

Why similar: Idler 29.3%, Incremental 23.9%, Resource Management 15.1%, Management 7.6%, Strategy 6.2%

Idle Plant Game, an idle and offline progress or clicker plant simulation!

Why similar: Incremental 26.7%, Idler 25.3%, Automation 16.7%, Management 7.9%, Resource Management 7.6%

Cube based incremental game that is simple but very deep!

Why similar: Incremental 45.1%, Idler 41.8%, Simulation 10.7%, 2D 2.4%

Destroy endless waves of alien ships that have all but wiped out humanity in this long form, unfolding, sci-fi idle game. Customize your ship with different weapons and defenses to defeat specific enemy types and utilize a ton of different systems to increase your overall power.

Why similar: Idler 36.4%, Incremental 28.5%, Resource Management 13%, Automation 11.8%, Simulation 7.8%

Relax and catch fish in beautiful environments while your crew works for you, even offline. Hire crewmates, collect pets, sail ever-bigger boats, and uncover layer after layer of progression. Simple to start, surprisingly deep.

Why similar: Idler 28.7%, Incremental 23.3%, Management 12.1%, Resource Management 12.1%, Cartoony 7.7%

A short incremental game about splitting atoms and triggering exponentially growing chain reactions.

Why similar: Incremental 25.8%, Idler 18.1%, Resource Management 12.7%, Minimalist 10.2%, Strategy 7.1%

Strategic idle game. Develop the kingdom, then abdicate and get gold! For gold, you can buy new tiles and expand the territory.

Why similar: Idler 45.4%, Incremental 42.2%, Strategy 10%, Indie 2.5%

A short incremental game about expanding a star-system wide factory to build giant megastructures in space. Deploy swarms of drones, mine resources, unlock upgrades and harvest the power of the stars!

Why similar: Idler 21.1%, Incremental 20.1%, Automation 19.8%, Resource Management 11.8%, Management 7.7%

Gridkeeper is an incremental game about managing "Grids" and using their power to run MineBots, research tech, and grow your mining empire by getting better Grids.

Why similar: Idler 26.5%, Incremental 26.3%, Automation 15.7%, Strategy 11.8%, Resource Management 6.1%

Recruit hard-working helpers and magical creatures that automatically collect gold and crystals. Unlock new levels, invest in stronger units, and work your way up to the powerful dragon boss at the top. A relaxing pixel-style idle clicker!

Why similar: Incremental 36.9%, Automation 31.2%, Idler 17.1%, Management 9.2%, 2D 2.9%

A sci-fi management game where you build and optimize your computer's system from the ground up. Connect and configure interconnected nodes to efficiently download, process, and upload files. Manage your setup, solve system challenges, and become the ultimate system architect

Why similar: Automation 28.5%, Idler 26.1%, Incremental 18.5%, Simulation 8.9%, Management 8.4%

A massive RuneScape-inspired idle RPG built for long-term progression. Train 24 skills, defeat bosses, collect over 500 souls, and bank offline time to accelerate your progress whenever you choose.

Why similar: Idler 29.8%, Automation 20.4%, Incremental 16.9%, Resource Management 11.4%, Crafting 10.6%

Tiny Biomes is a relaxing idle game where animals peacefully produce resources and you gather wood in a calm harvesting zone. Build small biomes, earn gold, and enjoy steady progression without pressure, timers, or stress. Play at your own pace and unwind.

Why similar: Idler 28.1%, Incremental 23.1%, Automation 14.2%, Minimalist 7.9%, Resource Management 7.2%

Train a commoner to become the greatest archer in this short incremental game! Increase your stats, gather wealth from quests, buy upgrades, and infuse your arrows with magic.

Why similar: Incremental 34.9%, Idler 31.8%, Resource Management 16.2%, Management 5.3%, Simulation 4.4%

Embark on an interstellar journey with Galaxy Idle Clicker! Conquer galaxies, upgrade your spaceship, and face off against a myriad of enemy ships. With engaging minigames, powerful upgrades, GIC delivers an unparalleled idle space adventure. Join the cosmic conquest today and dominate the universe!

Why similar: Idler 32.7%, Incremental 29.1%, Resource Management 17.5%, Management 7.3%, Simulation 5.9%

Idle Pins is an Incremental game made by an Incremental addict for Incremental lovers. Over 250 Pins to collect and merge. Hundreds of upgrades, features and QoL. Enjoy one of the most rewarding 'grind' experience, now on Steam!

Why similar: Idler 29.8%, Incremental 26.6%, Resource Management 16.1%, Crafting 12.7%, Management 8.9%

An idle game about collecting cancer with quirky stickfigures!

Why similar: Idler 21.1%, Automation 19.4%, Incremental 18.8%, Resource Management 10.6%, Crafting 9.9%

NGU INDUSTRIES (sequel to NGU IDLE) is a Free To Play Idle game and Factory Manager! It's packed with weird humor, tons of upgrades, and many hours of content! If you want that sweet, sweet dopamine release that comes with making Numbers Go Up, NGU INDUSTRIES is your game!

Why similar: Idler 32.4%, Incremental 27.7%, Resource Management 17.9%, Cartoony 8.4%, Adventure 4.1%

Godsbane Idle is a fresh idle take on games such as path of exile. It combines the hunt for powerful loot with idle systems to guarantee your progress even if time is short that day. It tries to stray away from linear paths and offers multiple ways to customize your equipment, skills and even more.

Why similar: Idler 32.4%, Incremental 28.5%, Resource Management 14%, Management 11.9%, Simulation 5.6%

Welcome to the magical world of Runaria! Explore dungeons, craft tools, chop trees, mine rocks, and discover treasure! Merge identical items to create valuable resources, Craft new tools and upgrade them with powerful enchantments! Setup passive mining drills and tree farms to rebuild your camp!

Why similar: Idler 24.2%, Incremental 20.5%, Resource Management 13.6%, Crafting 12.3%, Management 11.1%

Collect cards, upgrade cards, defeat monsters, join guilds and hire heroes. Raise your DPS!

Why similar: Idler 40.5%, Incremental 34.3%, Resource Management 13.8%, Crafting 4.2%, 2D 2.9%

A mixture of incremental/idle and roleplaying game set in fantasy world filled with monsters and things to explore, where battling is constant, almost everything can be upgraded, and with wide array of various prestige mechanics to always keep things interesting and moving forward!

Why similar: Idler 35.8%, Automation 34.7%, Management 15.9%, Colorful 4.7%, Adventure 4.6%

A short incremental game about feeding a Black Hole matter by destroying Asteroids, Planets, and Stars.

Why similar: Incremental 40.3%, Idler 18.9%, Resource Management 7.3%, Minimalist 6.7%, Strategy 5.9%

Idle Iktah is a game about leveling up in the Pacific Northwest. It features local plants and animals, 18 skills, 5+ minigames, items affected by the phase of the moon, and even a real-time Oregon coast tide tracker. If you like idle RPGs, give this one a shot!

Why similar: Idler 40.1%, Incremental 34.4%, Simulation 9.4%, Crafting 8.8%, Relaxing 5%