Idle Mage Academy vs Alchemist's Engine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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"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.
Alchemist's Engine
Tend to a dormant engine in a ruined world by gathering fuel, crafting resources, and researching upgrades. Forge golems to assist in your tasks as you explore a labyrinthine mine and uncover a forgotten story.
- Feed and stoke the engine
- Merge sparks on an alchemical table
- Forge and upgrade golems
- Research forgotten techniques
- Explore a seeded labyrinth
- Unravel the story
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A sleeping engine. A blasted world. Tend to the fire, and uncover what was left behind. Alchemist's Engine is an incremental, idle crafting & adventure game. FEED THE FIRE - gather fuel, stoke the engine, and keep its heat rising. MERGE THE SPARKS - pluck sparks from the embers and merge them on the alchemical table to grow your power. RAISE YOUR WORKFORCE - forge golems of stone, quartz, and metal who gather, haul, and craft while you plan. Feed them back to the engine when you outgrow them. UPGRADE - smelt bronze and steel, research forgotten techniques, and upgrade the engine from a cold firebox into a towering machine. DESCEND - explore an ever-changing labyrinth of mines, crystal chambers, sunken temples, flooded galleries, and stranger rooms the deeper you go. UNRAVEL THE STORY - cold hearths, sibling machines, and a sealed gate that has waited a very long time for you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Alchemist's Engine at 5.0 against Idle Mage Academy's 4.0. Alchemist's Engine also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (17 vs 4). Idle Mage Academy's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Alchemist's Engine holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 17 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Idle Mage Academy ships an update every 2 months, Alchemist's Engine every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Idle Mage Academy | Alchemist's Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (17 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 17 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.7 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 150 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | SONGHWA CHAE | Just Software LLC |
Customer experience
Idle Mage Academy
Alchemist's Engine
In-app purchases
Idle Mage Academy
No in-app purchases
Alchemist's Engine
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Idle Mage Academy free?
Is Alchemist's Engine free?
Which has better reviews, Idle Mage Academy or Alchemist's Engine?
Do Idle Mage Academy or Alchemist's Engine have ads?
Which is updated more often, Idle Mage Academy or Alchemist's Engine?
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