GamesIdle and incremental games playbook
Outpost runs the campaign this genre needs: a playable browser version on the right portals, posts for the web-game communities, galaxy.click, and Steam's desktop and idle moments.
01 · DISCOVERY
Incremental players find games by playing them: in the browser on portals like CrazyGames, Poki, Armor Games and Newgrounds, on galaxy.click, which focuses on incremental games, and through r/incremental_games, where new playable releases and feedback threads are the core content. A newer group finds idle games on Steam, especially ones that sit on the desktop while you work.
Play a free browser version for a few minutes, hit the first prestige or unlock, come back the next day, join the Discord or subreddit thread, then buy the Steam version or support the developer for offline progress, extra content or a desktop mode.
02 · CHANNELS
Ranked 5 (essential) to 1 (optional) by the research for this industry.
The genre's central community. Its rules call for playable content and a gap between new posts, with Feedback Friday for work in progress, so timing each post matters.
Idle games suit short browser sessions. CrazyGames, Poki, Armor Games and Newgrounds bring player traffic; each has its own review and SDK rules.
A community site centred on incremental games, with forums and chat. Most uploads go through a review that rejects very short games, paid ads and microtransactions.
A Steam version with offline progress or a desktop mode gives players something to buy, and Steam's Desktop Companion Fest targets exactly that kind of game.
Long-term idle players stay for updates. A Discord and clear changelogs keep them returning and recommending.
BUSINESS MODEL · LIVE
The same channel can be a strong fit for a paid game and a poor one for a free one. Each line below is a rule or rating from Outpost's knowledge base, with its source; your own plan is built from your answers.
CrazyGames documents no paid-download or subscription model; games are free to play and monetize through ads and, by invitation, IAP.
HTML5 (browser-played) games on itch.io can only take donations; to sell access the project must be set to Downloadable.
itch.io offers three pricing modes per project: no payments, $0-or-donate (a suggested donation that can be skipped), and paid with the set price as a minimum that buyers may exceed.
Armor Games supports in-game purchases through its API on request, and pays for branding or timed exclusivity, which it calls one of its highest-paying options.
In-game purchases on CrazyGames are invite-only, run through Xsolla, and are limited to signed-in users.
CrazyGames allows only SDK-requested ads: midgame ads at most once every 3 minutes (the SDK enforces it) and never while the user is playing, optional rewarded ads, at most 2 in-game banners per screen and only on screens open 5 seconds or more on average, and ad-blocker users must be able to play normally (features may be blocked with a notice).
itch.io's quality guidelines tell creators to avoid sponsored installers and ads that block play until the player acts, and itch never puts ads on creator pages.
Poki controls ad frequency itself, bans internal ad timers, and requires rewarded videos to be optional ('never a gate').
CrazyGames documents no paid-download or subscription model; games are free to play and monetize through ads and, by invitation, IAP.
itch.io has no general in-game purchase system; its 'sub-products' API sells add-ons through itch's checkout for redemption on the developer's own site or service.
Poki does not allow in-app purchases or 'remove ads' UI; all monetization is Poki SDK ads (commercialBreak/rewardedBreak), with no other ad systems.
Steam does not accept blockchain games that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs.
Free-to-play games on Steam are generally not eligible for curated discount spotlights (Daily Deals, Midweek and Weekend deals), and in-game content discounts are run from the developer's own backend.
Armor Games accepts only HTML5 uploads, hosting in an iframe only for multiplayer, MMO or special cases, and requires disclosure of any generative AI used, the tool and what it was used for.
CrazyGames expects games to work on Chrome and Edge; games that run poorly on Safari are disabled there, Chromebook play is disabled unless smooth on a 4 GB RAM device, and Unity games are disabled on iOS by default pending review.
CrazyGames limits a game to 1,500 files.
CrazyGames requires an initial download of 50MB or less, measured from the start of loading to the SDK 'Gameplay start' event (or as total file size when the SDK is not integrated), and 20MB or less to be eligible for the mobile homepage.
Read from Outpost's knowledge base on Nov 8, 2026; every line links its source.
03 · YOUR FIRST MONTH
A sample month. Your own plan is built from your audit, stage and goal, and paid options only ever appear as optional boosts.
Week 1 · days 1–7
Week 2 · days 8–14
Week 3 · days 15–21
Week 4 · days 22–30
DEADLINES · LIVE
Read from Outpost's knowledge base when this page loads. Expected dates follow the organiser's usual pattern and are labelled until the organiser confirms them.
04 · WHERE TO BE LISTED
Costs are as published by each destination when the research was reviewed; check before you pay for anything.
crazygames.com
Large browser portal; new games start in a limited Basic Launch before Full Launch.
Revenue share from Full Launch
poki.com
Major web portal with curated submissions.
armorgames.com
Long-standing portal with an audience for idle and strategy games.
newgrounds.com
Community-voted portal; games below the vote threshold get removed, so polish first.
galaxy.click
Incremental-focused game site with forums and chat; uploads are reviewed.
reddit.com
The genre's main subreddit; release posts and Feedback Friday.
partner.steamgames.com
Desktop Companion Fest is a natural fit for idle games that run on the desktop.
Free to opt in
itch.io
Easy home for a browser build, devlogs and supporters.
Free; you set itch.io's revenue share
PC STORES · LIVE
For PC games already on Steam: what Epic offers and asks, from Epic's own pages where they could be read.
Epic Games Store developers keep 100% of the first US$1M net revenue per product per calendar year (resetting each 1 January from 2026, applied automatically), then 88/12.
Epic First Run is an opt-in 6-month Epic-exclusive window paying 100% net revenue; it is open only to new games not previously released on another third-party PC store, and afterwards the standard 100%-of-first-US$1M then 88/12 terms apply.
Epic lets games use their own or a third-party payment solution for in-app purchases, keeping up to 100% of that revenue.
Epic requires multiplayer games sold on other PC stores to support crossplay with them, and products added to its publishing tools after 9 March 2023 to enable Epic achievements if they offer achievements on other PC stores.
Listing on Epic Games Store is paid. $100 per product plus local taxes; not refundable but recouped after $1,000 on EGS. Developer keeps 100% of the first $1M net revenue per product per year (resets every Jan 1 from 2026), then 88/12, applied automatically to Epic-processed payments. A separate opt-in 'Epic First Run' gives 100% for a 6-month exclusive. Free alternative: itch.io or the Microsoft Store PC path (free)
05 · SEARCH DEMAND
Primary search
idle game marketing
Below the provider’s reporting threshold: real demand, too small to report.
DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026: primary keyword below reporting threshold. Related: 'idle games' 40500/mo, 'incremental game' 14800/mo.
Ready to act: make it easy
Comparing: show why you
Comparing: show why you
Learning: answer with guides
06 · AVOID
r/incremental_games requires a gap between new posts and playable content. Use Feedback Friday for early builds and save the main post for a solid release.
galaxy.click's review lists paid advertisements and microtransactions purchasable by its users among common rejection reasons. Ship a clean build there.
If the first meaningful unlock takes too long, players leave before the loop clicks. Test pacing with real players before portals.
Basic Launch is a limited test for at least 7 days and 500 plays, with monetization off. Plan for Full Launch and its SDK and QA requirements.
Idle players invest weeks. Losing a save to a cleared browser cache turns fans into critics.
07 · WHAT OUTPOST DOES
Checks your browser build against portal limits and review rules before you submit
Drafts posts for r/WebGames and r/IndieGaming within their rules, timed to when you can answer comments, for you to post
Prepares galaxy.click, CrazyGames, Armor Games and Newgrounds submissions for you to upload and tracks each one
Plans the Steam version's page and checks fit for Desktop Companion Fest and similar themed fests
Publishes 'games like' and player-help pages that build search traffic over months
Tracks AI-assistant mentions for 'best idle games' queries, next to the plays and wishlists you share
Every action Outpost takes gets a receipt: the live URL, a timestamp and what it drove, or “nothing yet”.See how receipts work
08 · QUESTIONS
Many incremental developers start in the browser to test pacing with real players, then bring a fuller version to Steam. Browser portals and r/incremental_games give feedback quickly; Steam is where a paid version with offline or desktop features sells.
The subreddit's current rules require a gap between new posts, around 30 days, and posts must point to playable content, with Feedback Friday for work in progress. Check the sidebar before posting, since rules change.
Most games go through a review. Common rejection reasons include heavy use of generative AI, very short games, paid ads, microtransactions for its users and non-English games.
Portals like CrazyGames and Poki pay through their own ad SDKs on a revenue share. On CrazyGames, monetization starts at Full Launch, not during the Basic Launch test.
Valve's Desktop Companion Fest (Jan 14 to 18, 2027) fits idle games that run on the desktop. Check the theme's eligibility before registering.
Community and portal traffic can come quickly if the game is good. Search traffic from your site and a Steam following build over months.
Often yes, as a second store once your Steam page is working, if your game meets Epic's rules: Epic Games Store developers keep 100% of the first US$1M net revenue per product per calendar year (resetting each 1 January from 2026, applied automatically), then 88/12. Epic First Run is an opt-in 6-month Epic-exclusive window paying 100% net revenue; it is open only to new games not previously released on another third-party PC store, and afterwards the standard 100%-of-first-US$1M then 88/12 terms apply. Epic lets games use their own or a third-party payment solution for in-app purchases, keeping up to 100% of that revenue. Epic requires multiplayer games sold on other PC stores to support crossplay with them, and products added to its publishing tools after 9 March 2023 to enable Epic achievements if they offer achievements on other PC stores. Listing on Epic Games Store is paid. $100 per product plus local taxes; not refundable but recouped after $1,000 on EGS. Developer keeps 100% of the first $1M net revenue per product per year (resets every Jan 1 from 2026), then 88/12, applied automatically to Epic-processed payments. A separate opt-in 'Epic First Run' gives 100% for a 6-month exclusive. Free alternative: itch.io or the Microsoft Store PC path (free) Epic First Run is irreversible for its six months, so Outpost asks you to confirm it before planning it.
10 · EVIDENCE
Every fact on this page comes from one of these sources.
Most uploads go through review; rejection reasons include generative AI, very short games, paid ads, microtransactions, non-English
Gap of about 30 days between new posts, posts must be playable, Feedback Friday remains, real-money/crypto games barred
Desktop Companion Fest Jan 14 to 18, 2027
Basic Launch lasts at least 7 days and 500 plays with monetization off; revenue share starts at Full Launch
Last reviewed . Search volume: DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026: primary keyword below reporting threshold. Related: 'idle games' 40500/mo, 'incremental game' 14800/mo.
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