1
Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
ClickerIdlerMinimalist
$2.99 ~2.9 hr median no co-op complexity: light 97.8% of 8k
The Squirrel's verdictDigseum centers on unearthing museum relics through an active digging mechanic, leveling up distinct site areas and working through a skill tree for further unlocks. It draws comparison to the underground mining sections of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. A prestige system is present but reviewers note it builds up quickly rather than demanding slow resets. Completion lands around 2–3 hours in a single sitting.
Not for you if you want no prestige mechanic at all, since Digseum includes one even if it moves fast.
2
Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar.
IncrementalResource ManagementHand-drawn
$5.99 ~3.8 hr median no co-op complexity: light 95.4% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictChef Knight grafts active bullet-hell dodging onto an incremental skill tree: enter dungeons, dodge enemy waves, gather cooking ingredients, and unlock a large upgrade tree that reviewers call consistently rewarding. Unlike passive collection games, tracking your character and aiming cone becomes difficult as wave density increases. Median playtime is 3.8 hours, with a defined story endpoint.
Not for you if you want incremental progression without active dodging and aiming, or find on-screen visual clutter during large waves frustrating.
3
Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar.
IncrementalIdlerEconomy
$5.99 ~2.4 hr median no co-op complexity: light 96.7% of 696
The Squirrel's verdictBug-catching and shop customization drive Budgie's Bug Shop: catch bugs, sell them, reinvest in shop upgrades, and work through a Scarab bonus system alongside the main upgrade path. Progression is smooth with no forced resets and a defined ending. At a median of 2.4 hours, it is among the shorter options on this page, and achievements come naturally through normal play rather than requiring extra grinding.
Not for you if you want more than roughly two hours of content or an endless mode after the main run ends.
4
Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar.
ArcadeAuto BattlerBullet Hell
$2.99 ~2.1 hr median no co-op complexity: light 91.8% of 691
The Squirrel's verdictDice People shares the incremental core Shelldiver fans liked: an upgrade tree, currency collection, and a smooth power curve. The mechanics differ though — it's an auto-battler with dice-based units rather than resource harvesting, and it uses a prestige/reset loop that Shelldiver deliberately avoided. Median playtime is 2.1 hours, shorter than a full Shelldiver run.
Not for you if you specifically valued Shelldiver's single-playthrough progression, since Dice People's prestige system locks upgrades behind resets some reviewers found frustrating.
5
Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar.
RPGCharacter CustomizationInventory Management
Free ~9.4 hr median no co-op complexity: light 92.4% of 340
The Squirrel's verdictProgress Game is a free combat-based incremental where you kill enemies, craft gear, and spend points on stats across seven zones. The loop is straightforward — kill stronger enemies, get stronger — and reviewers report reaching full gear progression in roughly 2–6 hours, with a median playtime around 9.4 hours for those who keep going. Character art is crude by design, and there is no prestige system, though some reviewers have requested one.
Not for you if you want polished pixel art, a passive harvesting loop instead of combat, or a defined satisfying endpoint.
6
Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar.
ClickerIdlerShooter
$5.99 ~15.5 hr median no co-op complexity: light 88.8% of 224
The Squirrel's verdictAstrodle is an incremental clicker built on the same collect-and-upgrade loop as Shelldiver, but progress requires steady active clicking rather than smooth automatic scaling, and reviewers split on whether that progression feels satisfying or repetitive. Two campaign modes roughly double playtime past Shelldiver's single smooth run. For players who want the same core loop with more active input and more content.
Not for you if you want Shelldiver's frictionless automatic progression rather than sustained clicking, or dislike a story mode some reviewers call repetitive and tedious.
7
ClickerIdlerDungeon Crawler
$2.99 ~2.4 hr median no co-op complexity: light 85.5% of 186
The Squirrel's verdictSame underwater harvesting-and-upgrade loop with a branching talent tree, completable in one short sitting around 2-3 hours. Where Shelldiver keeps progression smooth throughout, reviewers here describe balance issues with armor and upgrade costs, plus a repetitive early-dive segment that repeats each run. For players who want the collect-upgrade-repeat loop and don't mind rougher tuning.
Not for you if you need the smooth, well-tuned progression Shelldiver delivers rather than a loop reviewers call exponential, unbalanced, and repetitive at the start of each run.
8
ClickerIdlerNature
$4.99 ~4.5 hr median no co-op complexity: light 82.8% of 1k
The Squirrel's verdictLyca casts the player as a wolf passively restoring a barren landscape, with automated resource gathering that scales through a skill tree over a single run — all achievements reachable without resets. Reviewers flag a slow opening stretch, a resource system where it is hard to track which resource comes from where, and an endgame that ends abruptly once the skill tree fills rather than escalating. Median playtime is 4.5 hours.
Not for you if you want clear resource tracking and pacing that stays engaging through the late game, since reviewers found both undercooked.