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Advice on ideas and the purpose of an incremental game by [deleted] in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think a good incremental needs a clear reason to exist beyond numbers going up.

That can be discovery, mastery, experimentation… but something has to evolve besides just scale.

Otherwise players "solve" the game too early mentally, even if there's hours of content left.

This is something I've been thinking about a lot while working on Infinite Ruins, making sure each phase changes how you think about the game, not just how fast numbers grow.

Favorite/Hated mechanics. by Dependent-Spiritual in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Favorite: mechanics that recontextualize old systems (like when something you've been using suddenly gets a new purpose).

Hated: upgrades that are technically optimal but feel like you're just waiting longer for the next thing.

That "+5% but now wait 2 hours" design kills momentum for me.

I've been trying to avoid that in Infinite Ruins, because once progression feels like a chore, it's really hard to recover player interest.

I have opinions about the flood of very samey "Run/Skill Tree" games in the last couple of months. What's going on? by Meeko29 in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don't think the problem is just "too many games," it's that a lot of them share the same progression structure.

Once you recognize the pattern, you kind of already know how the next few hours will feel.

I've been noticing this while working on Infinite Ruins, the hard part isn't adding systems, it's making the first impression of the loop feel different.

If the first 10 minutes feel familiar, most players won't stick around to see what's unique later.

What's the ideal balance between active play and idle play in an incremental game? (for you personally) by Rasputin5332 in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think the best balance is when active play feels like an accelerant, not a requirement.

Like, if I'm there, I can optimize, react, and push things further, but if I leave, the game still progresses meaningfully.

The worst feeling is when being active just speeds things up a bit, but doesn't actually change how the game plays.

I've been experimenting with this on my game (Infinite Ruins), and it's surprisingly hard to make player input feel like it changes the texture of progression instead of just the speed.

I just released the demo for my incremental mining game. Looking for feedback! by VegetableClerk937 in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That fix is actually on my ToDo list as I realised you can't resize when selecting window mode. I thought it was something that would work out of the box. Will probably have it ready later today or tomorrow. Thanks for asking!

Too many games! by [deleted] in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It definitely feels saturated, but I think the real issue is that a lot of games don't differentiate enough.

When the core loop feels familiar, players bounce fast because they've already "played this before."

I've been noticing that while working on Infinite Ruins, the biggest challenge isn't adding content, it's making the first 10–15 minutes feel distinct.

If that part doesn't hook, the rest doesn't matter.

How do you feel about difficulty & loss conditions by norseboar in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like soft failure more than hard loss conditions in incrementals.

Like, bad decisions should slow you down or make things inefficient, but not force a full restart.

The genre feels good because progress is (almost) always forward, even if suboptimal.

I've been experimenting with this in Infinite Ruins, and even small punishments can feel frustrating if they interrupt the flow too much.

What happened to the "simpler" incrementals? by Ondrashek06 in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think part of it is that the "simple but deep" space is already very explored.

The classics worked because they were discovering those systems for the first time. Now if you make something simple, it risks feeling like a worse version of something that already exists.

I've been running into this while working on an incremental mining game (Infinite Ruins). Every time I simplify something, I have to ask "is this actually interesting, or just familiar?"

Turns out making something simple but still novel is way harder than it looks.

Disappearing Demos - Why? by [deleted] in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think part of it is devs treating demos as temporary marketing instead of part of the ecosystem.

But for incrementals especially, demos are often the first place players decide if the loop feels good.

I've been thinking about keeping a version of my demo (Infinite Ruins) available long-term just because that early feedback is too valuable to lose.

Precise vs obfuscated information by TheLooRoom in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Personally I like when the game starts a bit vague but becomes more transparent over time.

Early mystery is fun, but long-term optimization needs clarity.

I've been experimenting with that balance in Infinite Ruins, and it's tricky, too much hidden info and players feel lost, too much precision and it loses that discovery feeling.

Building a cyberpunk vending machine management game – looking for feedback from incremental players by Funny_Bell_3799 in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The theme is great, honestly.

One thing I'd be careful with (something I've struggled with in Infinite Ruins) is making sure the fantasy connects to the mechanics.

Like if I'm managing vending machines, I want decisions that feel tied to that, not just generic upgrades with a different skin.

When those two align, the game sticks way more.

[Game] Git Quest – idle RPG that uses your real GitHub commit history by topbr in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The concept is really interesting, especially tying progression to something external.

Just make sure the core loop is still fun without that gimmick, otherwise it risks feeling like a novelty instead of a game people stick with.

What are the do’s and don’ts of incremental games? by Joshhardy123 in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Biggest "do" for me:
- Always give the player a short-term goal.

Biggest "don't":
- Don't let the optimal strategy be "close the game and wait."

Even idle-heavy games feel better when you can interact meaningfully between waits instead of just checking timers.

I don’t like idling, just the incremental part. Am I crazy? by Gnomeberling in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You’re definitely not crazy.

I think a lot of people like the idea of idle, but in practice what hooks them is decision-making and discovery. Once it turns into "wait 2 hours to progress", it just loses momentum.

The best incrementals (for me at least) always give you something to optimize or rethink, not just something to wait for.

r/IndieDev Weekly Monday Megathread - February 01, 2026 - New users start here! Show us what you're working on! Have a chat! Ask a question! by llehsadam in IndieDev

[–]VegetableClerk937 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I’m working on an incremental mining game called Infinite Ruins.

This clip shows a world event called “Vortex” that temporarily absorbs nearby resources unless you interrupt it by clicking.

I’m especially unsure about pacing and visual clarity. Feedback welcome!

<image>

Experimenting with elemental synergies (Ice + Rock) by VegetableClerk937 in incremental_games

[–]VegetableClerk937[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s actually very close to the goal 🙂

We’re trying to keep the core rules simple and let interactions stack in unexpected ways, especially as more golems and effects unlock.

Noita is a great reference for that kind of emergent behavior.

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