Comparison

Incremental ELM Quest 2 vs Idle Mage Academy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Incremental ELM Quest 2

Explore a world where elemental forces are merging, cataloging creatures and uncovering a deep mystery. This offline RPG features extensive progression systems, a vast bestiary, and a narrative told through field reports. Earn rewards even while offline.

Highlights
  • Catalog over 4000 unique creatures
  • Level up over 300 hero classes
  • Explore elemental portals
  • Offline progression
  • Narrative told through field journals
  • Deep progression systems
Read full description

A free incremental RPG you can play entirely offline. No ads, no paywall, and every goal in the game is reachable without spending a cent. The world's eight elemental forces were once held apart. Now they are bleeding together, and everything is changing. You are a Cataloguer: a licensed scholar sent into the saturated zones to document what lives there. Encounter creatures, record them, and fill the Manifest, one species at a time. The more you catalogue, the more the world opens up, and the closer you come to the thing nobody wants to talk about: why everything is falling apart. If you've always wanted to play a uniquely idle monster collecting adventure with the patience of a nature documentary and the wit of a dungeon crawl, this is your chance. Explore portals, return to new species and new regions, and watch the Manifest fill in like a field journal. WHAT YOU'LL FIND • Over 4,000 creatures to find, fight, and catalogue. Each holds a small piece of the overall narrative. • Over 300 classes to equip and level up. Send your hero into elemental portals and take control as battles unfold. • Offline progression that unlocks early and never stops: your hero keeps earning and your disciples keep hunting while the app is closed. • Every portal is graded. The threat ratings are, unfortunately, accurate. • 16 narrators bring the world alive through their lost dossiers. Sixteen cataloguers came before you and its on you to find out why they stopped writing. • Deep progression: level classes, raise disciples, study at the university, upgrade your guild license, master insignias, power up skills, and more. • Rare enemy variants, an ever-expanding ladder of achievements, and Game Center leaderboards (purely optional). FAIR BY DESIGN The whole game is offline, free, and ad-free. The optional purchases are purely cosmetics that support a solo, part-time developer. I'm an incremental game fan who got bored waiting for the next one to drop. Made by one person as a part-time passion project. Thank you for giving it a shot!

About

Idle Mage Academy

Rise from a failing student to a legendary archmage through idle training and strategic growth. Your spells and rewards accumulate even when you're offline. Progress through the academy, unlock new abilities, and compete globally.

Highlights
  • Idle growth and offline rewards
  • Webnovel-style narrative
  • Unlock new spells and dungeons
  • Library research for permanent buffs
  • Duel Club for tactical combat
  • Rebirth system for endless progression
  • Global online ranking
Features
Read full description

"I was the worst dropout at the academy. Then I turned back time to become an archmage." Start as the weakest failing student of the Mage Tower and rise, one log line at a time, into a legendary archmage. Your training never stops — even when the screen is off. ■ Idle growth — spells train themselves; rewards pile up while you're away. ■ Webnovel-style log — read your underdog's struggle unfold in real time. ■ Year 1 to Archmage — promotions unlock new spells, libraries, and dungeons. ■ Library research — gather Knowledge for permanent power-ups. ■ Duel Club — pick your tactics and outwit rivals. ■ Rebirth system — reach Archmage, return to school, and grow forever via Engravings. ■ Dimension dive & online ranking — compete worldwide for the deepest floor. Easy in one hand, endlessly deep. Enroll in the Mage Tower today.

Screenshots

Incremental ELM Quest 24 screens
Idle Mage Academy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Incremental ELM Quest 2 at 4.6 against Idle Mage Academy's 4.0. Incremental ELM Quest 2 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). Idle Mage Academy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (100% vs 81%). On price there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Incremental ELM Quest 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Idle Mage Academy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Incremental ELM Quest 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Incremental ELM Quest 2 has 54 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of Incremental ELM Quest 2's written reviews are positive against 100% of Idle Mage Academy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Incremental ELM Quest 2 ships an update every 4 days, Idle Mage Academy every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Incremental ELM Quest 2 versus Idle Mage Academy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIncremental ELM Quest 2Idle Mage Academy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (54 ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews81.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings54 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size192 MB150 MB
Age rating+94+
DeveloperEric MarinSONGHWA CHAE

Customer experience

Incremental ELM Quest 2

All ratings51 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral12.5%
Negative6.3%

Idle Mage Academy

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Incremental ELM Quest 2

One-time10
  • Cosmetic: D- Pack$0.99
  • Cosmetic: S- Pack$6.99
  • Cosmetic: SS- Pack$7.99
Show 7 more
  • Cosmetic: S+ Pack$7.99
  • Cosmetic: SS+ Pack$8.99
  • Cosmetic: SSS- Pack$9.99
  • Cosmetic: SSS Pack$9.99
  • Cosmetic: SSS+ Pack$9.99
  • Cosmetic: Letter of Patronage$9.99
  • Cosmetic: Founder's Edition$19.99
None

Idle Mage Academy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Incremental ELM Quest 2 free?
Incremental ELM Quest 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Idle Mage Academy free?
Idle Mage Academy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Incremental ELM Quest 2 or Idle Mage Academy?
Incremental ELM Quest 2 is rated higher. Incremental ELM Quest 2 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 54 ratings, while Idle Mage Academy averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Incremental ELM Quest 2 or Idle Mage Academy have ads?
Idle Mage Academy shows ads; Incremental ELM Quest 2 does not.
Which is updated more often, Incremental ELM Quest 2 or Idle Mage Academy?
Incremental ELM Quest 2 ships an update every 4 days, and Idle Mage Academy every 2 months. Most recently, Incremental ELM Quest 2 was updated on November 1, 2026 and Idle Mage Academy on October 31, 2026.

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