Idle Research
Free incremental management game built around research and automation
Considera Games LLC · Published by Considera Core LLC · Released Jul 31, 2022 · Early Access
AdventureCasualFree To PlayIndieSimulationStrategyEarly Access
- Reviews
- Very Positive
- 84% of 1,906
- Recent reviews
- Mostly Positive
- 78% of 14 in 30 days
- Playing now
- 66
- right now
- Steam Deck
- Playable
- Last update
- 3 years ago
- Jan 27, 2023
Free demo available, 1 playing it now: get the demo.
What is Idle Research?
A single-player incremental resource-management game where you research and craft flasks and tubes to generate three types of energy. Progress includes automation, resets for stronger items, battles across staged zones, skill upgrades, and potion brewing.
For you if...
- +you like incremental systems with steadily paced automation
- +you want both active play and background progress
- +you enjoy layered upgrades, resets, and rising numbers
Not for you if...
- −you want a finished progression path with a complete endgame
- −you expect long unattended stretches from the start
- −you dislike slow late-game progression and repeated resets
What players say
84% of 1,906 reviews are positive · 78% of 14 in the last 30 days
Players often praise the smooth early progression, well-paced automation, and layered systems beneath the minimalist interface. The dominant complaint is that development appears to have stopped before the planned final content layer, leaving a slow, incomplete endgame. Players also report progress-hindering bugs.
Screenshots and trailer
Idle Research system requirements
As published by the developer.
Minimum
- OS
- Windows 7+
- Processor
- x64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support.
- Graphics
- Integrated Graphics
- Memory
- 2 GB RAM
- Storage
- 2 GB available space
- Notes
- Unity Game
Recommended
- OS
- Windows 10
- Memory
- 2 GB RAM
- Notes
- Unity Game
PC version details
DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.
- DRM
- None declared on Steam
- Controller
- Keyboard and mouse
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Achievements
- 99
- Steam features
- Family Sharing, In-app purchases
Steam Deck: Playable
- Some text entry requires manually opening the on-screen keyboard
- Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
- All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
- Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck
Tags
- Idler
- Incremental
- Free to Play
- Simulation
- Strategy
- Adventure
- Resource Management
- Automation
- Early Access
- Management
- 2D
- Minimalist
- Crafting
- Diplomacy
- Cartoony
- Text-Based
Recent updates
- Jan 27, 2023 · Idle Research: Final Feature Preview for the Next Update (Still No ETA)
- Nov 22, 2022 · Idle Research: Next Update Preview (No ETA)
- Aug 14, 2022 · v0.21.7 Update - Offline Fix, Reworked Tutorial, Custom Preset Input, etc.
- Aug 11, 2022 · v0.21.6 Patch - Balancing, Save System Rework, Diamond Upgrades Rework, etc.!
- Aug 8, 2022 · v0.21.5 Patch - Presets UI Rework + Save System Update
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