Idle Evolution

About

"Idle Evolution" is a game where players must manage and combine atoms to create elements and advance through different periods and ages. The game offers a mix of idle/clicker and time-management gameplay, with strategic decisions and missions to complete. It aims to educate players about the process of element creation, while also providing an original and engaging gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 131 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a polished design, making it visually appealing.
It is highly educational, providing players with a solid understanding of chemistry and the periodic table through quizzes and tasks.
The gameplay includes engaging mechanics such as mini-games and a variety of tasks that keep the experience interesting.

The game has a linear progression and can feel repetitive, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
Many players find the instructions and mechanics poorly explained, resulting in confusion and frustration, especially at higher levels.
The game is relatively short, with some players completing it in under 20 hours, which may not justify the price for some.

gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The gameplay of the game is a mix of engaging idle mechanics and educational elements, featuring a variety of mini-games that provide boosts and enhance player interaction. While the game offers more content than its predecessor, some players find the progression system repetitive and the overall experience too short, lacking prestige mechanics to extend gameplay. Despite these criticisms, the game is praised for its well-designed mechanics and gradual introduction of complexity, making it accessible yet rewarding for players.
- “Furthermore, I do like how they expand on the gameplay by offering more content compared to the older version, be it by having more evolution stages to work through that the old game didn't present at the time or those fun little distractions that are the three mini-games that are brief and don't overstay their welcome but also offer notable permanent boosts to any atoms that you successfully 'win'.”
- “Excellent game about chemistry, many gameplay options and links to Wikipedia explaining what happens here.”
- “The gameplay is rich with complexity that is slowly introduced and built upon as you play the game.”
- “It took me somewhere around 3 to 4 weeks of on-and-off gameplay before I finally managed to complete that last Gradus stage, which was an absolute slog to get through due to the upgrades only going so high.”
- “The gameplay loop consists of buying the same two upgrades to increase production, and the increase is static and linear.”
- “For me, this was way too short, and since there are no prestige mechanics, I got tired of the gameplay loop by the end.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its frustrating mission structure, which includes frequent quest swaps and unintuitive tasks that can lead to player confusion and the need for external help. Many missions feel tedious and grindy, detracting from the overall experience, while some players appreciate the game as a productivity tool despite its flaws. Overall, the narrative delivery is seen as lacking coherence and engagement, making it difficult for players to stay invested.
- “This is a game designed to be put away for some time, so you can go do something productive knowing that there will be something interesting waiting for you when you get tired.”
- “The game sure has its flaws, but it's good enough as a productivity tool.”
- “The main missions, which you have to go through, will kick you out of the game within the first hour.”
- “The later stages have 2 impossible missions which you have to Google too, making it less than ideal since by that time you're most likely in the 'just wanna finish it' mood.”
- “I really want to like this, and it has some decent aspects, but some of the missions require you to do some extremely unintuitive or clumsy things.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users praising the soundtrack as awesome, relaxing, and catchy. It features a diverse range of styles, including smooth jazz and upbeat futuristic electronica, making it suitable for both active gameplay and as enjoyable background music. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout aspect of the game.
- “The soundtrack is awesome.”
- “The music for Idle Evolution is great.”
- “If you intend to leave the game running in the background while you’re doing other things, it’s very nice -- not to mention catchy -- background music that runs the gamut from smooth jazz to upbeat futuristic electronica.”
- “Dammit Jim, I'm a musician not a chemist.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The graphics in the game have received positive feedback for being a significant improvement over the web version, showcasing a cleaner and more polished aesthetic with vibrant special effects. However, some users noted inconsistencies, such as elements appearing slightly off-screen and a minimalistic design that may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the visuals are appreciated for their educational value and engaging presentation, particularly in the context of the game's themes.
- “That being said, this is a vast improvement from the web version, graphically and progression-wise.”
- “Focusing on the positives first, the graphics are to be expected as a step-up from the old game, and Idle Evolution on Steam does not disappoint!”
- “Seeing how it keeps much of the structure from the old game intact, yet polishes a lot of the older graphics to give it a far nicer and cleaner look in this version, kudos goes to the evolution setting for each stage alongside the colorful and fluid special effects seen for using evolve points, getting achievements, and exchanging atoms, giving it a more presentable look for a game in 2021!”
- “Still, video seems to not be the high point here - and graphics (even 'full screen') seem to be placed slightly off-screen or similar.”
- “But the graphics do have a different tone from the rest of the game.”
- “I noticed that in the knowledge section too, the graphics and sound of the little robots shooting the circuit board were out of tone with the rest of the game.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in the later stages of a 12-hour playthrough, where repetitive tasks and minigames detract from the overall experience. Many reviewers suggest that the grindiness may be indicative of a mobile game design aimed at encouraging in-game purchases, leading to frustration with the gameplay mechanics. Despite these issues, some still view the game as a decent productivity tool.
- “A normal playthrough takes about 12 hours, with the later parts becoming rather tedious as you just unlock the rest and finally be done with it.”
- “The game also reaches a point where it becomes incredibly grindy, and the reason for this seems to be that it might be a mobile game that required in-game purchases.”
- “There are definitely tedious aspects where you're essentially either finding Waldo on the periodic table or clicking the screen a bunch of times to prove you aren't colorblind, which motivates you to pay more resources to not have to click as much.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game offers a refreshing monetization model with a one-time purchase price and no microtransactions, distinguishing it from many free-to-play titles. However, players note that the gameplay can become grindy, suggesting that it may have originally been designed for a mobile platform that typically includes in-game purchases. Overall, it is praised for avoiding pay-to-win mechanics.
- “The game has some decent mechanics, and seeing that there are no microtransactions but instead a paid version is refreshing.”
- “No, it’s not free to play like many idlers, but there are no microtransactions here, and it’s cheap.”
- “As a Steam idle game, it's not free, but it has no microtransactions or pay-to-win elements either.”
- “The game also reaches a point where it becomes incredibly grindy, and the reason for this seems to be that this game might be a mobile game that required in-game purchases.”
- “As a Steam idle game, it's not free, but it has no microtransactions or pay-to-win either.”
- “No, it’s not free to play like many idlers, but there’s no microtransactions here and it’s cheap.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on average systems, including older hardware, with no reported performance issues even in smaller windowed modes.
- “I ran the game in a small window on my laptop and had no performance issues on an average Windows 10/i7/NVIDIA system.”
- “As such, it should run smoothly on even older systems.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The atmosphere of "Idle Evolution" is praised for its educational value, immersing players in a dynamic environment that simulates the evolution of planets and life forms over time. Players experience a progression from barren landscapes to vibrant ecosystems, enhancing the game's engaging and informative qualities.
- “The objective of Idle Evolution is to evolve planets through various periods—from the beginning of time, when there was no life in a barren landscape, up through the atmosphere developing water creatures evolving into land dwellers, and so on with the help of compounds valuable to life—compounds that you create.”
- “Very good educational tool in the atmosphere of a game.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
- “Despite the interesting concept, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to engage the player.”
- “The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a high level of stability, noting the absence of bugs, glitches, or poor design issues during gameplay.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users find the humor in the game to be effective and entertaining, often highlighting its ability to elicit genuine laughter.
- “The humor in this game is absolutely hilarious, with clever jokes and witty dialogue that kept me laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game incorporates humor into its storytelling; it adds a lighthearted touch that makes the experience even more enjoyable.”
- “The comedic timing of the characters is spot on, and the absurd situations they find themselves in had me in stitches!”