Comparison

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.

Head to head
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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Idle Mage Academy4 screens
Alchemist's Engine4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idle Mage Academy ships an update every 2 months, Alchemist's Engine every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Idle Mage Academy versus Alchemist's Engine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdle Mage AcademyAlchemist's Engine
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings417 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.7
Further details — not scored
Size150 MB8 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperSONGHWA CHAEJust Software LLC

Customer experience

Idle Mage Academy

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

Alchemist's Engine

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Idle Mage Academy

No in-app purchases

None

Alchemist's Engine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Idle Mage Academy free?
Idle Mage Academy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Alchemist's Engine free?
Alchemist's Engine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Idle Mage Academy or Alchemist's Engine?
Alchemist's Engine is rated higher. Idle Mage Academy averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Alchemist's Engine averages 5.0 from 17 ratings.
Do Idle Mage Academy or Alchemist's Engine have ads?
Both Idle Mage Academy and Alchemist's Engine show ads.
Which is updated more often, Idle Mage Academy or Alchemist's Engine?
Idle Mage Academy ships an update every 2 months, and Alchemist's Engine every 4 days. Most recently, Idle Mage Academy was updated on October 31, 2026 and Alchemist's Engine on October 31, 2026.

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