incremental game
/ɪnˈkrɛmɛntəl ɡeɪm/
CommonA game built entirely around numbers going up, where you automate resources and unlock new layers of progression.
The term is slightly more technical and community-specific than idle game. Incremental players use it to describe deeper, more systemic games beyond simple clickers.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | antimatter dimensions is the most mind-bending incremental game i've ever played | The speaker considers it the most complex or impressive game in the genre. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | i can't explain why incremental games are fun to people who don't play them | The appeal of the genre is hard to convey to outsiders because it is not visually exciting. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | just prestiged for the first time in this incremental game and everything went faster | The reset mechanic delivered on its promise of making the next run more efficient. | reddit, 2024 |
| 04 | the incremental game to clicker pipeline is real. start clicking cookies, end up theorycrafting galaxy scaling | Players often move from simple clickers to deeply complex incremental games as their interest in the genre grows. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- Describing games where the core mechanic is automating and scaling numbers upward.
- Referring to games with prestige or ascension mechanics.
- Discussing the genre that includes Cookie Clicker, Antimatter Dimensions, or NGU Idle.
Do not use it when
- The game has action or strategy depth beyond number scaling.
- You mean a game that just happens to have a progression system.
Incremental game vs idle clicker brain
incremental game
Incremental game is the genre itself, defined by number scaling, automation, and prestige mechanics.
VS
idle-clicker-brain
Idle clicker brain is the behavioral habit those games create in the player.
Origin and context
Cookie Clicker, released in 2013, is widely credited with defining and popularizing the genre. The term incremental game emerged from player communities to describe the more complex games that followed.
- First seen
- 2013
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/incremental-gameUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0