Idle Inventor

About

"Idle Inventor" is a simulation game where players build and manage an industrial empire, overseeing five unique factories that produce vehicles like cars, planes, and spacecraft. The game allows you to hire managers, automate production, and complete missions to grow your business and earn profits even when you're away. It is available on WebGL, Android, and iOS platforms.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 37 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic arcade racing games, providing fun gameplay and customization options.
The developer is actively updating the game and responding to player feedback, showing a commitment to improvement.
The graphics and sound effects are decent, contributing to an enjoyable racing atmosphere.

The user interface is poorly designed, making navigation cumbersome and frustrating, especially with limited controller support.
There are significant issues with game balance, including rubberbanding AI and inconsistent physics that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The upgrade system is complicated and poorly explained, leading to confusion and a sense of grind without clear benefits.

graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
13%
20%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the bright visuals and cool truck designs, while others criticize the user interface and certain graphical effects that feel outdated or choppy. Overall, the presentation is considered decent, but there are notable issues with menu aesthetics and lighting that detract from the experience.
- “Graphics look cool, improving the truck is fun, even if you lose the event.”
- “Great presentation and graphics.”
- “Great bright graphics, new cars, upgrades, jumps, cameras.”
- “The graphics, UI, and ambiance feel like something out of the late 90s.”
- “I'm not a huge fan of the graphics effects...the lighting is a bit harsh and there are some line overlays on the trucks and things that make it all feel aliased/jaggy.”
- “The graphics are fine, but even if the Steam frame counter says I get a constant 60, I see that it's kinda choppy.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The music and sound effects in the game are well-suited to its atmosphere, receiving praise for their quality. However, players have noted a limited selection of music tracks, leading some to turn off the in-game music in favor of their own.
- “The music and sound effects fit the game very well, however there are very few music tracks that I've heard in the game so far.”
- “Great music and sounds.”
- “Limited music selection.”
- “After about 2 hours, I ended up turning off the music and just playing my own instead.”
- “Limited music selection”
- “Limited music selection”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Reviews indicate that the game's optimization is lacking, particularly for users with non-NVIDIA GPUs, which may lead to performance issues. Additionally, players feel that the currency system prioritizes vehicle upgrades over cosmetic enhancements, with insufficient guidance on the impact of different components on performance.
- “Because the yellow currency can be used for vehicle upgrades, there is no practical benefit to using them for skins. The visual appeal costs a lot compared to the performance gains you can achieve by spending it on upgrades instead.”
- “No explanation whether a muffler or exhaust manifold, for example, would be better in those slots, nor any performance explanation after you fill the slots with different components.”
- “Because the yellow currency can be used for vehicle upgrades, there is no practical benefit to using them for skins. The visual appeal costs a lot compared to the potential performance gains from spending it on upgrades instead.”
- “Maybe it's because I have a Radeon GPU and the game is optimized for NVIDIA or something...”
- “There is no explanation of whether a muffler or exhaust manifold, for example, would be better in those slots, nor any performance explanation after you fill the slots with different components.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The gameplay is characterized as a fun arcade-style racing experience with engaging visuals, weather effects, and extensive car upgrades and customization. However, some players feel it deviates significantly from the original "Ironman Super Offroad" style, drawing more comparisons to "San Francisco Rush" on the N64, albeit lacking the same level of enjoyment.
- “A fun arcade-style racing game based on the NES classic 'Ironman Super Offroad.' Fun gameplay, great visuals, weather effects, car upgrades, customization, and more!”
- “After having played it, there is little in common with the original style or gameplay.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The game features two in-game currencies that can be earned through gameplay, such as winning races and leveling up, rather than through microtransactions. However, the presence of two currencies suggests that the potential for future microtransactions exists.
- “Despite having two different in-game currencies, they are all earned from winning races or leveling up your character (not microtransactions!).”
- “The presence of two currencies leaves the option for microtransactions open.”
- “Two currencies leave the option for microtransactions open.”
- “Two currencies leave the option for microtransactions open.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Overall, user experiences with stability are mixed; while some players report encountering random physics glitches that disrupt gameplay, others have not encountered any significant issues or programming errors.
- “Random physics glitches (I hit a small jump and glitched, then somehow I am sideways and upside down?)”
- “The game frequently crashes, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced several instances of the game freezing during critical moments.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the humor in the game to be enjoyable, particularly highlighting moments like creatively defeating bosses in amusing ways, such as using a nitro bump to send an enemy crashing into a wall.
- “Although I was able to nitro bump the first boss into a wall, that was funny.”
- “The witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions kept me laughing throughout the game.”
- “I love how the game uses absurd situations to create humor; it never takes itself too seriously!”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight that while the game's customization features are enjoyable, the lack of a community platform for sharing tracks and car logos limits its replayability. Enhanced user-generated content options could significantly increase the game's longevity and engagement.
- “Customization is cool! I wish there was a Steam community where you could create and upload tracks for each other, as well as car logos. This would greatly enhance the replayability.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the upgrade system initially appealing, but it quickly becomes tedious due to the excessive grinding required to obtain upgrade cards.
- “The upgrade section seems appealing at first, but it quickly turns into an annoying grind for upgrade cards.”
- “Grinding for resources feels tedious and takes away from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged with the game for long periods.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the high stakes involved, as even minor interactions with the environment can result in significant consequences, creating a sense of tension and urgency for players.