AICS Academy / Youth / Build a Cookie Clicker Idle Game
Course · Now enrolling
Build a Cookie Clicker Idle Game
Build a minimal idle game in one file, then add upgrades, polish, and offline progress.
About
About this course
A fast, focused intro to idle game mechanics: the core click loop, exponential upgrade scaling, render-from-state pattern, and saving progress to localStorage. Perfect first project if you've never shipped a game before.
Four short lessons. Every example fits in one HTML file. By the end you'll know why idle games feel addictive (it's the math) and how to apply the same hooks to anything you build.
Four short lessons. Every example fits in one HTML file. By the end you'll know why idle games feel addictive (it's the math) and how to apply the same hooks to anything you build.
Curriculum
4 lessons
01
What is an Idle Game?
Define the core loop of an idle game, recognize patterns in popular titles, and plan the entities for your first game.
02
The Clicker Loop
Build a single-file HTML game with score tracking. Use setInterval for a tick-based loop. Update the UI on every state change.
03
Upgrades & Exponential Cost Scaling
Implement purchasable upgrades that affect the loop. Apply exponential cost scaling (1.15 ratio) for balanced progression.
04
Polish & Save Progress
Add floating "+1" popups, save/load with localStorage, calculate offline progress, and identify next-level features to add.