Idle Cast ft. Universal Paperclips, SPACEPLAN, and (the) Gnorp Apologue

Pixelated Playgrounds

In this episode, Bryan and Josh dip their toes into the idle/incremental game space! Three idle games have been chosen: Universal Paperclips, SPACEPLAN, and (the) Gnorp Apologue. All are quite different manifestations of the idle/incremental game and each has its own strengths and unique offerings to explore. Universal Paperclips (2017) was created by Frank Lantz of New York University and has been acclaimed as one of the best of the genre. It features a unique retelling of the paperclip maximizer thought experiment. SPACEPLAN (2017) was developed by Jake Hollands and published by Devolver Digital and features striking visuals and a relaxing synth-heavy soundtrack. Finally, (the) Gnorp Apologue (2023) is the game that spurred the conversation on idle games to begin with and as its description states: “is a game where you help small beings called gnorps get rich”. Its also quite visually interesting any layers in some unique ‘management game’ style mechanics. So listen in while Bryan goes to make some dinner and Josh stares with wrapped attention at his computer screen and they jointly put together their thoughts on this varied and interesting genre.

Three Word Reviews:

Universal Paperclips: Bryan - Existential Thought Experiment / Josh - An Argument Against

SPACEPLAN: Bryan - Perfect Entry Point / Josh - Waiting for Story

(the) Gnorp Apologue: Bryan - Prestige Incremental Management / Josh - Spectacle, Strategy, Screensaver