Nomad Idle

About

Nomad Idle is a single player casual hack and slash game. It was developed by The Fox Knocks and was released on March 1, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Nomad Idle is an engaging idle game where you automatically battle hordes of enemies while progressing through an expansive storyline with impactful choices. Customize your build by leveling up stats, crafting and upgrading equipment, summoning allies, and selecting passive skills to shape your playstyle. The game offers a defined ending and deep gameplay features unlocked as you advance.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 436 reviews

story14 positive mentions

grinding47 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay with a mix of idle mechanics and active decision-making, allowing players to progress while multitasking.
Charming pixel art and a well-written story that adds depth to the gameplay experience.
Variety of characters and builds to experiment with, providing a sense of progression and customization.

The late-game grind can feel excessively tedious, with significant time required to upgrade equipment and complete achievements.
Performance issues arise when there are many enemies on screen, leading to lag and a less enjoyable experience.
Lack of meaningful choices in character builds and skills, as many options feel redundant or ineffective compared to a few overpowered choices.

story
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
73%
5%
The story in "Nomad Idle" is generally regarded as interesting and atmospheric, featuring a complete narrative that unfolds through text events as players progress. While the overarching plot is engaging, many reviewers noted that individual character arcs lack depth and variety, leading to a sense of repetition. Overall, the game offers a more substantial story than most idle games, but it could benefit from further development of character-specific narratives.
- “I love the story and how fast everything scales.”
- “Unlike 99% of other idle games, even ones purporting to have RPG elements, this game has a complete, finite story.”
- “I found it actually refreshing that the story has been so well written and gives a mysterious vibe that breadcrumbs its way across your adventure.”
- “The story went out the window very quickly and there was really no point in trying to make each class feel special.”
- “The story stops almost instantly and becomes copied 7 times so each character has the exact same thing.”
- “I don't mind reading, but the bits of 'story' also felt repetitive and rather pointless.”
grinding
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting it as excessively tedious, especially in the late game where material farming and equipment upgrades become a significant chore. While some appreciate the idle mechanics and find enjoyment in the repetitive nature of grinding, others feel it detracts from overall progression and engagement, leading to frustration. Balancing issues and performance problems further exacerbate the grind, making it a divisive feature among players.
- “Difficulty spikes in later regions sometimes force players into lengthy periods of unattended farming or repetitive optimization cycles.”
- “You run into the same loop over and over again without a sense of progression because you're stuck farming materials until the end of time.”
- “It is long and not very interesting, gets extremely grindy but not in a fun way just in a 'oh good I have to go back to other worlds constantly and enemies spawn extremely slowly' kind of way.”
gameplay
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
75%
6%
The gameplay of *Nomad Idle* is characterized by a simple yet engaging core loop that combines idle mechanics with RPG elements, allowing players to progress even while away from the game. However, many users find the gameplay to become repetitive and shallow over time, with limited meaningful choices and a lack of new mechanics as they advance. While the visuals and atmosphere are praised, the overall experience can feel grindy and uneventful, particularly in the mid to late game stages.
- “The core gameplay loop is simple to grasp yet surprisingly deep.”
- “Its approachable visuals, flexible progression systems, and steady unlocking of mechanics create a compelling experience that rewards curiosity and patience.”
- “Beautiful animation and art, wonderful gameplay that is nice to both look at and take part in!”
- “Gameplay is extremely shallow and you will realize it when it's too late to refund due to time-gated content forcing you past the 2-hour mark.”
- “The gameplay isn't that deep and most choices are a bit irrelevant.”
- “Even for idle game standards, the gameplay becomes stale and uneventful.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
48%
14%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and approachable aesthetic, which complements the laid-back pacing and enhances the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the retro pixel art style and the attention to detail in visuals, which contribute to a satisfying sense of progression and immersion. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, elevating the game's appeal within its genre.
- “The aesthetic complements the game’s laid-back pacing; the visuals don’t overwhelm, but they enhance the incremental satisfaction of watching your avatar grow stronger.”
- “The graphics and presentation are top notch for a game in this genre.”
- “The aesthetics are really pleasing and the overall concept is unique.”
- “Ys inspired graphics, awkward automation...”
- “They clearly put a lot of work into the items, visuals, balancing, etc. Why didn't they put in the effort to have a good amount of unique content?”
- “Art style is okay, story is dull.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
72%
17%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly during late-game grinding, where frame rates can drop to as low as 7-8 fps. The removal of an enemy density slider, intended to improve performance, has led to frustrating bottlenecks in progression, as players are forced to choose between lag and slower advancement. Overall, while the game offers a solid idle/optimization experience, its current performance problems detract significantly from gameplay.
- “At first glance, it resembles a familiar wave-based auto-combat setup, but the game quickly reveals a layered design philosophy built around experimentation, stat allocation, and build optimization.”
- “A very solid idle/optimization RPG.”
- “Difficulty spikes in later regions sometimes force players into lengthy periods of unattended farming or repetitive optimization cycles.”
- “The game's performance is quite abysmal and when grinding later in the game I was running at 7-8 fps, which was like watching a slideshow.”
- “The removal of the enemy count slider from options (ranging from 100-300) will absolutely destroy progression in some bottlenecks where you would rely on increased enemy density to progress, all for the sake of stopping people from complaining about the accompanied performance hit that comes with it rather than attempting to increase performance with it.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and nostalgic qualities, complementing the pixel art visuals effectively. Players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the gaming experience, making it suitable for background listening while working or relaxing. Overall, the combination of engaging music and appealing graphics contributes to the game's standout appeal.
- “Nice pixel art, good sound effects, chilling music.”
- “Great for letting it run in the background while working or just zoning out with some good music.”
- “Nice retro looking pixel graphics and a nice soundtrack with a nostalgic feel to it.”
- “One of the reasons they gave was that the music, visuals, and stats of the enemies change from world 1-10.”
- “At least you have the soundtrack and visuals.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is heavily criticized, with users labeling it a cash grab due to its rushed release from early access and lack of updates. Players feel the game is incomplete and poorly developed, with concerns about the presence of ads in a title they have already paid for.
- “Leave while you can; the game is a cash grab, and the developer hastily released an unfinished product from early access just to start focusing on their next cash grab. Don't expect any updates to this game.”
- “The game feels half-baked, like they made a successful demo and then copy-pasted it four times afterward for an easy cash grab.”
- “There should not be ads in the UI of a game I paid money for.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is criticized for its lack of depth, as players find the ability system too generalized, with only a few standout abilities that are universally useful, limiting personalization and unique growth for each character.
- “The system feels too generalized, as only 4-5 abilities really stand out and end up being useful for all characters, which takes away depth and personalization in character development.”
- “Character progression is painfully linear, making it hard to feel a sense of growth or uniqueness as you advance through the game.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character development leaves players feeling like they are just going through the motions without any real investment in their characters.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the humor in the game is impacted by the developers' decision to nerf a fun build, which detracted from the overall enjoyment, while also addressing a build that was humorously ineffective. This mix of changes has led to mixed feelings about the game's comedic elements.
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever writing and hilarious character interactions that keep me laughing.”
- “The developers have a great sense of humor, and it really shines through in the game's dialogue and scenarios.”
- “I love how the game balances serious moments with absurd humor, making every playthrough entertaining.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Overall, users report that the game runs well on the Steam Deck, though some have encountered issues despite following troubleshooting steps. Minor adjustments may be needed for certification, but the general stability appears satisfactory.
- “Runs great on deck; it probably needs a couple of minor adjustments to get it certified, but I really like this game.”
- “The game maintains a smooth performance throughout, providing a stable experience that enhances gameplay.”
- “I've experienced minimal bugs and crashes, which speaks volumes about the game's stability.”
- “I have followed all the troubleshooting steps listed in their Discord, but even with no saves in the folders and using the delete save button on the main menu as instructed, the game still crashes.”
- “The game is incredibly unstable; I experience frequent crashes that disrupt my gameplay.”
- “Despite multiple updates, the stability issues persist, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the game.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of *Nomad Idle* is highlighted as immersive and engaging, featuring a complete narrative that enhances the idle RPG experience. Players appreciate the integration of standard mechanics like respawning and idle prestige within the game's universe, contributing to its overall ambiance.
- “Nomad Idle is an atmospheric idle RPG with a complete story, and the standard mechanics of respawning and idle prestige are built into the universe.”