Cookie Clicker (2013)
Orteil, Playsaurus
- Main
- 146
- hours
- Main + Extra
- 367
- hours
- Platinum
- 808
- hours
Cookie Clicker is a Javascript-based browser video game written by French programmer Julien Thiennot, better known as "Orteil". The point of the game is to bake cookies as fast as possible, to have a large number of cookies, and to have a lot of milk; notably, however, there is no true end to the gameplay. At the beginning of the game, the player bakes cookies solely by clicking on a giant cookie, gaining one cookie each time it is clicked. Once the player has enough cookies, they can use them to buy items that will bake more cookies automatically. The seemingly endless gameplay makes it a game that can last an indefinite amount of time.
About the story
Interpretatively, the closer you get to making more cookies than there are people to consume them, the more you turn the world into nothing but a race of sentient cookies, and aliens. The story can also be perceived as symbolism for corporations or monopolies getting carried-away, and forgetting all sense of their origins, or otherwise destroying their own foundations from within, when nothing but the next job/production is all that can be seen in life.
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Genres
Themes
Critic Reviews
Cookie Clicker works well with a controller on the Xbox family of consoles and becomes a moreish experience if you’re into your idle clicking titles. It’s the perfect title to leave running in the background whilst listening to a podcast or doing something else. The majority of my playtime with this one was dipping into it every half hour and expanding everything whilst writing other game reviews. You can go and play this for free at any time from anywhere in the world in any internet browser. But playing it on the Xbox family of consoles gives you access to those precious achievements and the ability to save the game and pick it up later. For that reason alone, I’d recommend it at its low price of £4.29, which wouldn’t even grab you a decent cold pint in the UK.
Cookie Clicker is one of those games that are very simple, but become completely essential if you intend to eat up the hours while you do other things or just want to bake cookies.
I met Cookie Clicker in 2013 as a curious title to laugh with friends. Eight years later, the initial impression has remained the same: clicking on cookies to get more cookies is a little crazy, but simple and fun, especially thanks to the various mechanics available to increase production. The pleasing look and the extensive but understandable amount of information make the experience even more immersive and addictive. There are sluggish periods when the title doesn't decide whether the player should pay attention or let time pass. In any case, patience should be an obligatory and generous virtue, because only after some time will it yield good results, I mean, cookies.
“Why pay $4.99 on Steam for something that’s free on your browser?” is a common question that’s popping up. For me, Cloud Save alone is worth the price of admission, as I no longer have to worry about cookies (the other type) and backing up my saves manually. This combined with the music from C418 and support for Steam Achievements makes Cookie Clicker Steam the definitive version that’s worth paying for.
It’s hard to give a score to an idle game like this because many people come at these games from different perspectives. Me, I like to let the game take the reigns and slowly build up my empire, while others may want to be more engaged. If you’re looking at something that will keep your fingers twitching while earning, this won’t be for you. But for how I like to play idle games, Cookie Clicker is #1. Plus, after importing my web save into Steam, I sat there for 5 minutes watching achievements pop, and who doesn’t like that endorphin rush. Cookie Clicker is fun, peaceful, and respectful of your time. You don’t have to babysit this idler and can go at your own pace watching those precious numbers go up and up. Whether you like to manage every aspect and hit things right as they are available or like me, let the game chill while you watch YouTube, Cookie Clicker is tremendous fun. I’ve even baked cookies at home while having the game earn cookies for me; it feels kind of meta, doesn’t it?
