Idle Skilling

Idle Skilling is a free game developed by Lavaflame2 available at Kongregate and in the Google Play store and App Store. Wowza!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,582 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

grinding47 negative mentions

Idle Skilling offers a vast amount of content and mechanics, making it engaging and addictive for players.
The game allows for both active and idle play, catering to different play styles and preferences.
Despite some bugs, many players appreciate the developer's humor and the game's charm.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including progress loss and performance issues, especially after the Afterlife update.
There is a heavy emphasis on microtransactions, with some features locked behind paywalls, leading to a pay-to-win perception.
The user interface can be overwhelming and confusing, making it difficult for new players to navigate and understand the mechanics.

gameplay
105 mentions
17 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating design choices. While many players appreciate the depth and variety of systems available, they often criticize the confusing user interface, repetitive tasks, and the presence of pay-to-win elements that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some find the idle mechanics enjoyable and addictive, making it a suitable choice for fans of the genre who appreciate a grind-focused gameplay loop.
- “With its relaxing gameplay, deep progression system, and constant updates, Idle Skilling offers an enjoyable and addictive experience that is hard to put down.”
- “The game's controls are responsive and intuitive, and the gameplay mechanics are well-balanced, allowing for a seamless and enjoyable experience.”
- “Gameplay: 10/10 - it's addictive, with multiple skills having many unlocks to find and earn, the game will keep you playing for years to top everything out.”
- “I was invested quite a bit and then I realized one of the mechanics (crusades) constantly looped and didn't let me interact.”
- “The worst thing about it is the goddamn UI; this game is just a bunch of click boxes and menus with numbers placed haphazardly around the screen that are tied to confusing mechanics with text descriptions that often deviate from the actual mechanics of the game, e.g., away progress being more like 30%-35%.”
- “The lack of depth and variety in the gameplay becomes apparent over time, and the repetitive nature of watching numbers increase can lose its appeal quickly.”
grinding
49 mentions
2 % positive mentions
2 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the game is extremely grindy, often requiring significant time investment and repetitive clicking, which can lead to a tedious experience, especially in the late game. While some players appreciate the variety of activities and the potential for idle gameplay, many express frustration with poorly designed mechanics and the feeling that progress is artificially stretched, making the grind feel less rewarding. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy grinding but may overwhelm others with its demands.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This right here is ungodly grindy.”
- “Tedious idle game without any sense of reward.”
- “The game is very grindy and it takes a long time to get some special things; people who already got far into the game should not have to do it again and buy items bought with real money again.”
graphics
42 mentions
21 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Idle Skilling" are characterized by a charming and nostalgic pixel art style that appeals to many players, despite being described as simple and lacking the polish of AAA titles. While some reviews praise the cute and colorful visuals, others criticize the overall quality and interface, suggesting that the graphics feel outdated and reminiscent of basic mobile apps. Overall, the game's art style is a mixed bag, with some finding it delightful and others deeming it subpar.
- “The pixel art aesthetic of Idle Skilling is a visual delight.”
- “While it may not boast the hyper-realistic graphics of some AAA titles, the charming and nostalgic pixel art style creates a unique atmosphere that resonates with players of all ages.”
- “Idle Skilling's graphics are simple but effective, with a charming and colorful art style that adds to the game's relaxing atmosphere.”
- “Graphics are the biggest giveaway.”
- “A very old re-released android game, with very low graphic quality resource management game that is filled with near-forced real money purchase.”
- “The graphics and art style, if I could sum it up, could run on the Babbage difference engine (look up this reference, interesting to know the earliest form of a computer).”
stability
40 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder the gameplay experience. Players have noted issues such as broken menus, inaccurate unit counts, and problematic cloud saving, leading to lost progress and frustration. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," with many users advising against investing time in it due to its unstable state.
- “Sad to see one of the best idle games of all time be left abandoned as a buggy mess.”
- “Too buggy, I can't in good faith recommend this to anyone.”
- “Still too buggy and inconsistent, lots of crashes, progress wipes, cloud save issues, straight up progress saving issues.”
monetization
35 mentions
14 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
26 % negative mentions
The monetization practices in this game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players labeling it a cash grab due to broken microtransactions and a lack of developer support. While some appreciate the absence of intrusive ads, the reliance on in-game purchases, especially in the late game, has led to frustration over bugs and perceived exploitation. Overall, players feel that the monetization strategy detracts significantly from the game's potential enjoyment.
- “The absence of paywalls or intrusive microtransactions is a breath of fresh air in an industry often plagued by monetization strategies that hinder genuine enjoyment.”
- “While in-app purchases are available for those who wish to support the developers, they never feel forced upon players.”
- “Lots of fun, no ads ever.”
- “Though this game is 'free to play,' the microtransactions are practically required, especially in the late game.”
- “Selling microtransactions for such a broken game with no signs of improvement is unethical.”
- “I would normally be more or less tolerant with pay-to-win microtransactions like this, but Idle Skilling has way too many bugs that are never even addressed and a lack of support to justify having any purchasable currency or items.”
humor
12 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players appreciating the developer's comedic style and the presence of jokes and easter eggs throughout the gameplay. Many find the game's quirky and chaotic elements, such as the absurdity of battle mechanics, to be entertaining, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. However, some users note that while the humor is a highlight, it is occasionally overshadowed by gameplay issues that detract from full enjoyment.
- “Thank you lava, what a funny and enjoyable experience you just made.”
- “Plus you get to experience lava's sense of humor.”
- “The creator is a funny guy, there's jokes here and there and if you play both games, you're bound to find easter eggs.”
optimization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
45 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues such as constant stuttering and lag, particularly when switching screens. While some players found the game generally smooth on most hardware, the frequent performance problems detracted from the overall experience, leading to warnings against recommending it, especially for fans of clicker games. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be lacking, with many criticizing its graphics and design as well.
- “For example, the Infinity Forge is a gem store item that allows you to use the forge continuously instead of the initial restriction of 3 attempts. There are also items that boost your skillers to perform twice as effectively, along with a one-time purchase gem portal that grants you gems over a few days.”
- “Performance: 9/10”
- “Idle Skilling's performance is generally smooth, with the game running well on most hardware configurations.”
- “I hate when a game is stuttering; it's a red flag for me when games don't work properly...”
- “There's a very high chance that at some point the game will brick by starting to stutter and lag every time you switch to another screen.”
- “My standards for idle games are low, but this one was so bad on performance that I have to warn others against it.”
story
10 mentions
0 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game lacks a meaningful story, with many players noting its simplicity and absence of engaging narrative elements typical of more captivating idle games. Some users expressed frustration over the developer's repetitive storytelling approach in multiple titles, which negatively impacted player reception. Overall, the consensus is that the game's story is minimal to nonexistent, earning low ratings from players.
- “While idle games are meant to be simple and relaxing, Idle Skilling felt a bit too basic, lacking the engaging elements or storylines that can make this genre more captivating.”
- “The developer also went and repeated the same story in his other newer game regardless of how bad the backlash was when he did this, which ruined his second game's player base and banned from social media access anybody who disagreed openly with him.”
- “Story: 1/10 - there isn't a real story to the game; it's an idle game and you do as you please.”
music
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant lack of music and sound effects, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the minimalistic approach, others criticize the absence of an original soundtrack and engaging audio elements, suggesting that it feels outdated compared to similar games. Overall, the sound design is seen as a weak point, with calls for improvement to enhance gameplay immersion.
- “Music and sound effects are all great.”
- “This game has zero sound, which can be good to have music on in the background while playing.”
- “Idle Skilling's sound design is minimal, with basic sound effects and a generic soundtrack that does not add much to the overall experience.”
- “The game has no OST and needs to be up to date.”
- “No music, no sounds; enemies quickly get reused, and gems come in at a trickle unless you are crazy lucky.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its charming and nostalgic pixel art style, which resonates with players of all ages and contributes to a relaxing experience. While the graphics are simple yet effective, enhancing the sound design could further immerse players in this tranquil environment.
- “While it may not boast the hyper-realistic graphics of some AAA titles, the charming and nostalgic pixel art style creates a unique atmosphere that resonates with players of all ages.”
- “Idle Skilling's graphics are simple but effective, with a charming and colorful art style that adds to the game's relaxing atmosphere.”
- “While not essential to the gameplay, a more immersive sound design would enhance the game's relaxing atmosphere.”
replayability
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable, praising its blend of old-school graphics and modern gameplay, along with its fun and challenging mechanics. The satisfaction of returning to the game after breaks enhances its replay value, although some users suggest improvements in monetization aspects. Overall, it offers a compelling experience that encourages repeated play.
- “It is replayable, fun, challenging, and original.”
- “Idle Skilling is an amazing game with large amounts of replayability and is very satisfying to come back to after a long time of AFKing, perfect for an idle game.”
- “Before I rate it - first go play it, it's the old school graphics mixed with new style gameplay, everything is repeatable and replayable.”
- “Before I rate it - first go play it. It's the old school graphics mixed with new style gameplay, but everything feels too repeatable. The replayability is lacking, and buying gems needs to be cheaper. You can make more money in Idleon MMO since there still needs to be tons more added to that.”
- “The game has a nostalgic feel with its old school graphics, but the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive. I found myself losing interest after a few runs, as there isn't enough variety to keep me coming back.”
- “While the game has potential, the replayability is severely limited. Once you've experienced the content, there isn't much incentive to play again, making it feel more like a chore than a fun experience.”