Wildly successful: Orteil wrote the code for the game in a single evening. Within just a few hours of posting it on 4chan, Cookie Clicker had managed to attract some 50,000 players. After just one month, the game was averaging over 200,000 players per day.
A pioneer in the idle gaming genre has found its way to Steam.
Cookie Clicker hit the scene in 2013 courtesy of French programmer Julien “Orteil” Thiennot. The game’s objective seems innocent enough at first glance – just click the big cookie icon to earn a single cookie. Rinse and repeat. Simple enough, no?
Well of course it’s deeper than that. Much deeper. Banked cookies can be spent to purchase upgrades and tools to improve efficiency and automate the process, all in the name of generating more cookies. Achievements are a key component of the game, as are things like prestige upgrades, seasonal events and mini games.
As you progress through the game, automation takes over. It becomes less about clicking and more about purchasing upgrades and chasing achievements. Soon enough, you’re producing absolutely massive amounts of cookies… and there’s really no end. Sure, you can collect the achievements and participate in the seasonal events, but eventually, you’ll reach a point where there’s nothing else to do but watch it all play out and decide when you’ve had enough.
Orteil has continued to update Cookie Clicker over the years, parlaying the game into a full time job supported by Patreon. If you’re interested in giving the desktop version a try, it’s available over on Steam priced at $4.99. But be warned, you’ll productivity will suffer.
https://www.techspot.com/news/91107-idle-gaming-pioneer-cookie-clicker-lands-steam.html
