Idle mobile games can be more useful than they look, and these are the very best of the bunch.
The way to play an idle game is to not do anything. In order to play an idle game, the player doesn’t have to do much. The player only needs to set up the way to win, and the game mechanics will take care of the rest. Most of the time, they run in the background, so players can come and go whenever they want.
Mobile games that look useless can be more useful than they seem. For people with ADHD, idle mobile games can be a light way to keep their minds busy while they do something else, like work, school, or even just talking to someone. They can also be helpful for people who are busy but still want to play games because they only need to be set up and played a little at a time. These idle mobile games do all the work for the gamer who has too much to do (or maybe not enough!).
Bee Factory

Developer | Green Panda Games |
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Available on | App Store, Google Play |
In Bee Factory, which is a type of “idle” game, the player controls bees in a hive. By upgrading the bees and the belt, the player can control the game. This makes it easy to check in and out of the game. It has more than 100 kinds of bees that you can unlock, like the ZomBee, R2B2, LadyBees (which are a cross between ladybugs and bees), and even little Ghost Bees.
It stands out because of how easy and fun it is to play. It’s fun because you can unlock things quickly, but it doesn’t have any extra bells and whistles, so it’s perfect for people who just want a simple idle game to pass the time.
Terrarium: Garden Idle

Developer | Green Panda Games |
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Available on | App Store, Google Play |
Terrarium: Garden Idle is a perfect idle game for people who like to relax. It’s a simple, relaxing game with easy-to-understand graphics that’s easy to put on in the background while you do other things.
The player taps plants to get money, then uses that money to buy more plants, which they can then tap to get even more money. It’s a simple click-and-wait game where plants are the main attraction. There’s also a VIP option for die-hard fans that lets them play without ads and gives them other rewards and perks.
AFK Arena

Developer | Lilith Games |
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Available on | App Store, Google Play |
AFK Arena is one of the most popular idle games because it can also be played as a role-playing game (RPG). The game uses the standard “idle game” mechanic to let players gather resources while they’re not online. These resources can be used for turn-based combat (PvP) and to move the story forward.
Players get more out of the game if they wait instead of grinding all the time. When a player doesn’t use an app for a long time, they can get more rewards and resources.
AdVenture Communist

Developer | Hyper Hippo |
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Available on | App Store, Google Play |
AdVenture Communist is a funny take on idle games made by the same people who made AdVenture Capitalist. It’s a great way to kill time. The player takes on the role of a farmer and starts by digging potatoes. As the game goes on, the player moves through each level of communism and takes over the means of production. The music is great as well!
Even though the word “ad” is in the title, there are no forced ads in the game. This means that you can play the whole thing without seeing any ads.
Penguin Isle

Developer | HABBY |
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Available on | App Store, Google Play |
With Penguin Isle‘s regular updates and seasonal events, players will never get bored. In this creative and relaxing game, the player builds different kinds of habitats for different kinds of penguins to move to their island. Every time a season changes, there are new penguins with a certain theme.
There are a lot of things to do in Penguin Isle that don’t cost any money, but players can also choose to pay for ways to grow their penguin collection faster and get access to special characters. Players can make furniture, play mini-games, or just listen to the soothing music.
Egg Inc.

Developer | Auxbrain, Inc |
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Available on | App Store, Google Play |
With Egg Inc., you can build an egg empire! In the game, eggs are the most valuable currency of the future, and the player wants to get ahead of the game by becoming a chicken farmer and making money from it.
The main thing you do in this game is watch chickens run around on a screen. But it’s a really fun one, with levels that are just right so you don’t get too frustrated. It’s a clicker game at heart, with upgrades that let you farm eggs online without having to click. Before selling the farm and starting over, players can get millions or even billions of eggs.
AbyssRium – Tap Tap Fish

Developer | SangHeon Kim |
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Available on | App Store, Google Play |
Tap Tap Fish is a game about making an aquarium full of fish, like Penguin Isle. By gaining access to new types of coral and fish, the player earns vitality, which can be used to add more coral and fish to the aquarium.
By raising the level of the Lonely Coralite, players can gain access to the Freshwater Tank, which has even more fish to choose from. Seasonal events, exclusive fish, and new features are always being added, so there’s always something to do and even more to do when you come back. Players can also find hidden fish by making certain kinds of fish.
Neko Atsume

Developer | Hit Co., Ltd |
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Available on | App Store, Google Play |
A few years ago, the number of people playing Neko Atsume went through the roof, but Happy Wheels game is still going strong. It’s a cute game about making a place for stray cats to run around, and it wouldn’t be out of place on the Switch.
Cats come to the garden when the player puts out food and toys. The cats leave fish as currency, which the player can use to buy more food and toys. If the player opens the app at the right time, they can catch cats playing. The cats can also have their own names, but you can give them your own.