Arcanum Idle

Arcanum Idle is an idle game about building up a magical study. You begin in a house with a chalk circle left by the previous occupant; putting your hand in it produces mana. You can buy an ember to generate mana and a rune stone to generate embers, with the numbers growing beyond names by the eighth tier.

Reset and progress

Resonate to redraw your circle at a larger size. Transcribe wipes the study while preserving what you learned as insight. Further resets are called ascend, converge, collapse and answer; across six layers, each changes how the layers beneath it play. The last layer opens around 55 to 75 hours into playtesting, counting time while the game is closed.

Doctrines and constellations

After each ascension, choose a doctrine: the Quickened grows stronger the more you click, the Patient grows stronger the longer you leave the game alone, and the Threefold Path combines both approaches.

The constellation is a 5x5 board. Stars gain value from their neighbours, while a bridge has no effect by itself and strengthens every star touching it.

Trials and relics

Seven trials each change one rule in the study, such as removing tempo, limiting you to two sigils or removing the ladder. Beating a trial permanently grants its reward. Ten relics permanently change a rule of the study, including a stub of chalk and an hourglass that was already broken.

Play while away

The circle keeps working while the game is closed, for up to a week. Autobuyers activate as you unlock them, and automatic resets happen quietly.