Did you know that the first idle game was “Progress Quest” by Eric Fredrickson? It was launched in 2002 and was a “self-playing” RPG. As a genre, an idle game is pretty new and it gained popularity after the success of Cookie Clicker.
An idle game does not require any direct intervention from a player. The player may keep clicking or tapping on the screen to gain points, but after some time, the game will allow him to automate everything, from battles to gaining rewards. Basically, an idle game is a self-playing game that requires minimal interaction from a player. While it may sound boring to some, it sure gets addictive once a player automates everything.
There are several types of idle games, ranging from plain clicker games to managing virtual businesses. There are also story-based idle games and idle role-playing games. While the theme may be different, the game mechanics will be the same.
There are a few sites dedicated to idle games. One of them is https://www.couchclicker.com/. The site provides the best and the latest idle game reviews and guides.