DragonScape Idle

DragonScape Idle loaded fast and opened on a “welcome back” screen. The music hits first. It sounds AI generated and a lot like RuneScape's soundtrack. It fits the game and doesn't get in the way. The menus are easy. A sidebar on the left has quests, skills, combat, shop, inventory and a leaderboard. The first main quest is quest 1 of 17. It sends you to catch five raw shrimp, and one click on Start gets you going. A minute later you've gained a fishing level, a pop-up tells you so, and cooking opens up. Now you're cooking the shrimp you caught. It looks clean. The icons are painted, the dark panels are easy on the eyes, and the tutorial island map gives the quests a place to live. The rounded gold badges give away that AI helped build the UI. It's still tidy and everything works, which is what separates it from slop. What sets it apart from other idle games is combat. Your hitpoints matter, there's crafting and a long list of items, and a leaderboard gives you something to compete for. The rest is RuneScape, and the game doesn't pretend otherwise. If you grew up training skills in RuneScape, you'll feel at home within a minute. That's who this game is for. This is a five-minute first look, not our full hour. In that time nothing broke, nothing stuttered and nothing confused us. If you're a RuneScape fan or you like idle games, play it. If idle games bore you, the combat isn't enough to change your mind.