Idle Cave Miner (2023)

Developer: Cold Hours
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation, Free To Play
Rating: 4.0 of 5, 1,164 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 23 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More games like this Watch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A gentle, hands-off experience of watching miners dig and smithing ore with a cheerful, low-pressure loop.

idlerelaxingcutecolorfulcasualincrementalcozy

What players say

Players enjoy the straightforward, addictive loop and lack of aggressive monetization, but nearly all agree the game becomes a painfully slow grind, especially when smelting at the forges and pushing for 100% completion.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.