As I’m typing this, a little frog dude named Ropuka is chopping away at overgrown grass on a floating island. That island, blending naturally into my desktop and sitting next to my Slack client, is from Ropuka’s Idle Island, a game I recently grabbed from Steam’s Idler Fest sale. Where I once would have confidently written off the thought of an ‘Idler’ game, I’m so happy to be eating my words right now.
“Why would I want a game that plays itself?” It’s a question I’d often ask myself, seeing the myriad of idler games on the Steam storefront and popping up on my friends list. Cookie Clicker, IdleOn, Melvor Idle – there’s a ton of them to choose from, and I never understood the appeal. I play games to, you know, play them, after all. Not to have another program running in the background, checking every so often for the thrill of big numbers.
Steam’s Idler Fest has introduced me to ‘ropuka’s Idle Island,’ and I’ve never felt better
Alas, another Steam sale, another excuse for me to grab something obscure for the low-low. Like clockwork, I found myself browsing through the Idler Fest sale, looking for anything remotely interesting. I landed on Ropuka’s Idle Island, an all-too-cozy-looking game that, rather than being in a dedicated window, is instead a sort of sticker that can be pinned anywhere on your desktop.
Immediately, the immaculate vibes hit me like a wave. Ambient sounds of chirping birds and blowing wind accompany its lo-fi soundtrack while Ropuka naps on his lawn chair. The grass that covers his floating island is overgrown, and every so often, Ropuka stands up and snips away at a few patches before returning to rest again. As he accumulates more grass, I can upgrade his stamina, his cutting power, or the quality of grass he retrieves.
And that’s it. This simple task of checking on my little desktop buddy is exactly what I needed for a steady flow of dopamine and reassurance. We’re here for each other, Ropuka and I, and we’re cheering each other on. As he tends to his island and takes a couple of day naps, I type away on another screen and do the same (don’t tell Dwayne I said that). I can check on Ropuka every so often, and I’ll know he’s there, making sure his little corner of my desktop looks the best it can.
So, yeah, I get it now. I get the idler game hype. I understand why, in a world of games demanding every bit of your attention, your time, your mental and physical dexterity, games like Ropuka’s Idle Island exist. It demands none of that; instead, it just requests that you come and say “hi” now and then. And that’s something I can get used to.
The post I Never Understood the Hype for Idler Games, until Steam’s ‘Idler Fest’ Sale. Now, I Get It. appeared first on VICE.
