In Korea's mobile game market, which had centered on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), idle role-playing games (RPGs) are emerging as a popular genre. With the appeal of characters growing automatically without complicated controls, the genre is expanding its base among younger users familiar with "snack culture." In particular, while idle games had been developed mainly by small and midsize studios lacking the capital to build large-scale MMORPGs, major game companies are now entering the genre.
According to the app analytics platform Mobile Index on the 9th, as of that day Nexon's mobile idle RPG "Maple Grow" ranked No. 1 in revenue on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. "Maple Grow," co-developed by Nexon and Able Games, officially launched in the global market on Nov. 6. Notably, the game introduces an auto-battle feature to the powerful MapleStory intellectual property (IP), making it easy and low-pressure to enjoy.
An idle RPG is a game in which currency increases automatically with minimal input. Typically, once the player sets a strategy in advance, the game proceeds on its own. Rather than skillful control, the structure rewards longer connections with character growth, and it is characterized by minimal player intervention.
Until now, idle games were a genre mainly attempted by small and midsize studios to secure a small base of enthusiasts with short development cycles and low investment expense. They usually generated revenue by displaying ads in the game. Since 2020, user demand for idle games has steadily increased. Neptune, boosted by the popularity of the idle game "Cat Snack Bar," posted third-quarter revenue of 7.67 billion won and operating profit of 1.57 billion won this year, up 16.9% and 18% year over year, respectively. Neowiz, driven by the popularity of the idle game "Cats & Soup," recorded third-quarter revenue of 127.4 billion won and operating profit of 26.5 billion won this year, up 37% and 310% year over year, respectively.
Nexus onboarded Soul Dragon Limited's idle RPG "Amazing Cultivation" to the Cross platform at the end of last month. Gravity officially launched the idle RPG "Ragnarok Idle Adventure PLUS" on ONE store and Galaxy Store on the 5th. According to mobile market analytics firm Sensor Tower, idle games' share of the domestic mobile game market rose from 1.7% in 2020 to 16% last year. During the same period, MMORPG's share fell by more than 20%.
Industry officials cite the popularity of "snack culture," which is enjoyed in short bursts, as the background for idle RPGs' rise. As short-form content that can be enjoyed easily in a short time has become popular among the MZ generation, the main consumers of mobile games, idle games have also gained popularity, analysts said.
Major game companies with capital strength and AAA titles are securing competitiveness by combining existing popular IP with the idle genre. Representative examples include NCSOFT's "Journey of Monarch," which uses the Lineage IP, and Netmarble's "The King of Fighters AFK," which uses the Japanese fighting game IP, similar to Nexon's Maple Grow. Netmarble also succeeded in 2023 with the idle game "Seven Knights Idle," which uses the Seven Knights IP.
A game industry official said, "The idle genre has a short development cycle, so it's easy to release in line with trends, and planning is standardized, making development itself easy," adding, "However, while the barrier to entry is low, it has the drawback of a short lifespan, so to ensure stable revenue, there is a need to keep adding fresh content."