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Monkeynauts: Merge Monkeys review - "An idle clicker with a lot more going for it than most"

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Monkeynauts: Merge Monkeys review - "An idle clicker with a lot more going for it than most"

Cats and dogs are all well and good, but they're ten a penny in mobile gaming at the moment. Monkeys are where it's really at, and if you need proof of that then look no further than Monkeynauts: Merge Monkeys.

I mean, it even says monkey twice in the title. That's how you know it's going to be good. Sure, if you don't like idle games you're going to despise every second of the experience, but I just can't stay mad at all those monkeys.

Monkey see

The game sees you controlling a bunch of monkeys who want to go into space using science. You do that by merging them together to create other monkeys. More monkeys means more science.

These simian pals will earn you money just by standing around, and you can spend that money on more monkeys. You also get free monkeys pretty much every ten seconds, so that's good. You can never have too many monkeys.

As you merge monkeys, they evolve, getting smarter and more capable - and earning you more cash. You can tap on the monkeys to earn gold quicker, but they move about so you need to pay attention.

Monkeynauts: Merge Monkeys iOS review screenshot - The first stage of monkeys

After matching a few monkeys you'll unlock the next part of your space odyssey. This is where the smartest monkeys go when you make them. Keep matching and you'll unlock new monkeys, new stations, and plenty more besides.

There's something utterly compulsive about the game. For one thing, the monkeys are brilliant. They've got their own personalities and styles, and unlocking a new one will always bring a little smile to your face.

And the merging adds a slightly thicker layer of actually gameplay onto Monkeynauts than you get in other idle games. It's sort of like idle plus, I guess. And did I mention the monkeys?

Monkey dude

I did mention at the start of all this that if you're not a fan of clickers, you're not going to get on with Monkeynauts: Monkey Merge, and that definitely still stands, but everyone else should give this one a go.

It's got shades of Neko Atsume, but all presented in a more Western, cartoony style. And with monkeys instead of cats, obviously.

It isn't going to tax you, it isn't going to confuse you, but there's a very good chance that you are going to fall in love with it. And all of those lovely, lovely monkeys.

Monkeynauts: Merge Monkeys review - "An idle clicker with a lot more going for it than most"

Idle games are really starting to come into their own, and Monkeynauts is one of the best we've seen
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Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.