The 15 Best Android Idle Games
Imagine you’re playing your favorite game. You’re making valuable progress with the next major milestone just around the corner. Then, something tries to pull you away: your parents say it’s time for dinner. The clock ticks ever closer to the start of work or your eyes simply won’t stay open any longer. Every gamer has been there. If only you had a few more hours to spare, right? What if you could continue your progress after stepping away from the game? What if all your hard work continued to pay off after you reenter reality? This is the joy of idle games, and Hardcore Droid has you covered with a list of the best Android idle games for 2023.
15. AdVenture Capitalist
Ever wanted to run your own business? Better yet, ever wanted to know what it’s like to be one of the top 1% building a world-wide empire that absolutely dominates? Better still, do you want to create your own monopolistic economy with little to no competition? Then, AdVenture Capitalist is right up your money-grubbing alley. Start in the doldrums of a lowly lemonade stand and work your way up to a multibillion dollar business. Learn how to use capitalism to your advantage and take out the competition by hiring employees, buying upgrades to destroy your competition and attracting Angel Investors to help grow your business. Best of all, make money hand over fist even when you’re sleeping just like a true boss should.
14. Ode to Heroes
If you are looking for an idle game that doesn’t skimp on the graphics, Ode to Heroes is where it’s at. In the same vein as AFK Arena and Idle Heroes, Ode to Heroes is a free idle gacha title where players collect heroes to fight for them as they attempt to restore the timeline. With upwards of 200 heroes to gather, all with varying classes and skills, players will find themselves organizing the perfect pairing to take down enemies in their wake. As the story progresses, players will need to strategize what heroes are best suited for each battle. Enemies grow along with the player and will require new ways to take them down. Players can combine heroes for a variety of bonuses keeping the game interesting and the strategy flowing. Ode to Heroes places you in the role of Destiny Minister and that’s precisely how you feel organizing the perfect team to fulfill your destiny of restoring the timeline.
13. Idle Heroes
The word hero conjures thoughts of stamping down fear and fighting off evil. In a lot of games, the journey to become a hero can feel like a grind. By the time you reach peak status, the game is over. However, Idle Heroes is an idle fighting game that allows you to grow and train your team without all the unwanted grind. Similar to our previous entry, Idle Heroes sees players assemble a team of fighters to take down enemies in their pursuit of victory.
As players progress, they can equip their heroes with a variety of different gear, skills and other upgrades to assist them in battle. With over 400 heroes to collect, players will never run out of heroes to train. This also provides a greater array of strategizing for each battle. However, the sheer number of heroes might seem overwhelming. The good news is that Idle Heroes allows your heroes to collect resources, earn experience and upgrade equipment while you are away from the game. This keeps your team strong and ready for battle without having to grind for hours. The best part is players can play online against others or team up with friends to take on whatever evil awaits them.
12. Animal Restaurant
Similar to AdVenture Capitalist, Animal Restaurant provides players with the opportunity to run their own business. However, it substitutes the grime of destroying competition with the cuteness of caring for furry friends by providing them delicious food. Animal Restaurant asks players to grow their business by advertising and making friends with a variety of adorable animals. Each animal player you come across has their own story. Moreover, each new friend provides your restaurant with specific benefits that help grow the business. The only downfall is that there is a limit to what you can earn while idle. To provide your patrons with the best experience, you will need to actively run the restaurant. This creates a nice balance where active play won’t cost you progress when you reenter reality.
11. Eggs Inc.
Looking for a little more farm and less table in your business running adventure? Eggs Inc. is eggs-actly what you are looking for. This clicker/simulation hybrid places players on a chicken farm where they must make valuable investments to grow their farm. Build hen houses, hatch eggs and grow your numbers to unimaginable heights. However, before you think this is simply a farming simulator, there is so much more to this game. Should you grow your farm large enough, there is the possibility of launching your egg hatching business into outer space. What could be better than chickens in space? One of the best features about this game is that you can make advertising optional. This allows you to spend more time focusing on your chickens and preparing them for their rocket fueled adventure into space.
10. zombIDLE
This 8-bit adventure is a beautiful slice of nostalgia for those seeking the aesthetic of yesteryear. zombIdle tasks players with defending their land from the walking dead. With the help of various weapons, players battle zombies and other undead monsters to ensure their land and selves remain safe. Each time players successfully defend their camp, they are provided the opportunity to upgrade their weapons and defenses to take on ever growing hordes. Upgrades include such massive artillery as air strikes and auxiliary turrets which help wipe out massive stampedes of brain craving zombies. The best part is how the 8-bit aesthetic helps make such carnage feel so simple and fun. You’ll be laughing every time you watch a major air strike blow away the horde of zombies seeking to overrun your field. The over-the-top silliness is what makes this game addictive and will keep you coming back.
9. Cats & Soup
With all the chaos of zombie hordes, hero’s adventures and growing your own business, it’s nice to relax every once in a while. Cats & Soup provides exactly what you need by inviting players to raise cats who make their own soup. Placed inside a serene forest, players raise, dress and customize their cute feline friends however they wish. With a variety of cats to customize, players will be addicted to building their clowder. Most importantly, Cats & Soup provides the ability for a player’s cats to collect resources and cook their soup while players are inactive. The game only gets better as players learn they can customize their own playlist while spending time with their furry friends.
8. Dungeon Inc.: Idle Clicker
All other games on this list see you play as the hero of your own story. Dungeon Inc., on the other hand, casts the player in the role of dungeon creator. Players are tasked with hiring monsters to work for their torture den. The goal is to stave off challengers from ransacking your keep. Each time you are successful, you earn gold. Build a tough enough dungeon with strong monster employees and you will earn even more gold. However, build a weak dungeon and the Tax Knight will storm through and steal your well-earned gold. It’s nice to take a break from all the hero work for a while to create a little chaos instead. Dungeon Inc. is the game where your twisted imagination can run wild.
7. Almost a Hero
The majority of games begin with an average person who becomes larger than life. They are destined to become the hero we all know them to be. Either they are part of some secret family lineage or they possess an unknown power they learn to control. There are a variety of tropes we are all familiar with that make our mundane character a hero. Almost a Hero works quite a bit differently. Instead of becoming the hero you were destined to be, this Android indie RPG clicker and strategy game introduces you to a series of idle “heroes” known, as their website declares, to be “the most useless idiots to walk this earth.” In Almost a Hero, players upgrade their heroes as they venture on quests, find ancient artifacts and unlock secrets to become…well, almost heroes.
6. Idle Oil Tycoon
Getting back to business as usual, Idle Oil Tycoon allows you to practice your best Daniel Plainview impression while whispering under your breath, “oh yes, there will be blood.” While the game may not be as violent or ruthless in nature, you will strike it rich when you find the viscous black gold in your backyard. One of the truest Android idle games on this list, Idle Oil Tycoon allows players to sit back, relax and watch the money roll in. The primary mechanic is to take your riches and purchase upgrades to grow your refinery and watch more money come rolling in. Unlike the other idle games on this list, rumor has it that Idle Oil Tycoon has an actual ending.
5. AFK Arena
With a mechanic similar to Idle Oil Tycoon, AFK Arena allows players to build a powerful team of heroes without having to complete very much work. This idle RPG provides speedy advancement coupled with tons of loot to collect. Moreover, your team will continue fighting while you eat a hot meal or rest your weary eyes. The primary job of the player is to collect heroes and outfit them with amazing gear. You work more as a coach and designer for your squad than as a hero in the making.
However, there is a soft strategic element via a gacha mechanic that keeps the player focused on collecting useful members and pairing them together to create the most effective team possible. If you’re looking for an idle jaunt that still allows you to feel like the most powerful player on earth, AFK Arena is for you. Moreover, there are plenty of places to find codes that provide you gear to help you get started.
4. Soda Dungeon
It’s nice to control a team of heroes and watch them take down enemy after enemy. However, every hero needs a break from time to time. They need a place to relax and down a cold beverage. In Soda Dungeon, you provide heroes with the elixirs they need to reenergize and continue fighting the good fight.
Operating your tavern near the local dungeon, you provide heroes with a variety of items and abilities that prepare them for the battles to come. As your patrons make their way through the horde of monsters, you collect further items and money to help you grow your business. Soda Dungeon will keep you hooked with its array of hero classes and large number of upgrades that keep your brain screaming for more. Again, the best part is that you don’t have to get your hands dirty as each battle is on autopilot. This allows you to kick back, relax and watch the money and patrons come rolling in.
3. Fallout Shelter
One of the older games on this list having debuted in 2015, Fallout Shelter is still one of the most popular idle games on the market. With the power of Bethesda and the Fallout franchise behind it, Fallout Shelter invites players to build shelters of their own to keep out the radioactive rebels of the Wasteland. Players build varying rooms such as kitchens, bedrooms and water resources to help keep their vault dwellers satisfied.
Additionally, players can pair residents together to repopulate the Wasteland. With so much to keep up with, players must send vault dwellers out on missions to collect supplies that help grow and defend the vault. The more you grow your vault the better chance of creating the ultimate survival den. Grow your vault large enough and it becomes as close to self sustaining as humanly possible. You can return to the game to check on its progress and ensure your dwellers don’t need any further space.
2. RAID: Shadow Legends
If you are reading this, it’s highly likely you have seen an advertisement for this game. RAID: Shadow Legends has become a force to be reckoned with. Providing a large series of Champions for players to collect including former UFC and current WWE star Rhonda Rousey, RAID: Shadow Legends has cemented itself as one of the most popular and engaging idle MMORPGs out there. Players can take their Champions out on dungeon raids or take on other players inside PVP arenas. When life comes calling, players can let their heroes venture out on their own without missing a beat. The only downfall is that RAID is a freemium game which allows those willing to cough up the coin to advance more quickly than those who would rather not pay for the service.
1. Idle Theme Park Tycoon
The finest idle game of all time is no doubt Rollercoaster Tycoon. What’s more, I’ve always been a fan of roller coasters and theme parks. Being able to build my own is a dream come true. This is why Idle Theme Park Tycoon is at the top of this list. With just the right amount of nostalgia and newness, those looking for a twist on a blast from the past will love this game.
As the title suggests, players build their own theme park and watch as the masses flock to spend their money to ride the thrilling attractions. As your park grows so does the amount of patrons, and ultimately the money you collect. Use your profits to increase your park, upgrade rides and provide more fun for those willing to throw down the cash for entry. There is quite a grind to this game if you are unwilling to spend money on microtransactions. However, the good news is that you can still create a thrilling park without having to spend a dime. With this being an idle game, you can take care of real life business while growing your pockets in the game world.
Liked the list?
Check out one of our many best ofs like The Ten Best Android Games of All Time, The Best Android Games of 2023, The Best Android RPGs of 2023, The Best Free Android Games of 2023.
And if that’s not enough, enjoy The Best Offline Android RPGs, The Best Offline Strategy Games, The Best Android Idle Games and The Best Android Retro Games.
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Oh, and iPhone peeps, check out our sister site Hardcore iOS. Of particular interest to you mugs: The Best iPhone Games You Never Heard of, The Best Offline iPhone Games and The Best Casual iPhone Games.
