How Offline Progress Works in Idle Games (and How to Get the Most From It)
Idle games keep earning while they're closed. Here is how offline progress is usually calculated, why it has a time limit, and simple habits that make every return worth it, with Glowfly as the example.
How it is usually calculated
Measured, not guessed
While you play, the game measures how much damage or income you make per second. When you come back, it multiplies that rate by the time you were away. Glowfly measures your lights' real damage per second while the game is open.
Usually at a reduced rate
Most idle games pay offline time at a share of the live rate, so playing actively still matters. In Glowfly, walls keep breaking at a share of your measured power and nights are cleared one by one.
Capped in time
Offline progress stops after a few hours. The cap keeps the game fair and gives a reason to check in: in Glowfly the lights work for 4 hours after you leave, longer with Deep Sleep or Glowfly Plus.
Shown when you return
A welcome-back screen sums up what happened: how long you were away, how many nights were cleared and what you earned, with the postcards you found on the way.
Habits that make every return worth it
- Spend before you leave: upgrades bought now work for the whole time you're away.
- Start a boost that lasts through your break, like Deep Sleep before bed.
- Come back about when the cap runs out; after that, nothing more is earned.
- Collect first when you return, then merge and level up with what you earned.
- Don't worry about missing a day: an idle game is meant to wait for you.
Good offline progress is generous but honest: it never asks you to set alarms, and it never punishes you for living your life.
Light up the night, one firefly at a time
Glowfly: a relaxing idle merge game for iPhone and iPad. 10 chapters, 1,000 nights, and it plays while you're away. Free to play.
Download on the App Store