Idle model railway that runs along the bottom of your screen

The problem

Idle games are popular, but most want full-screen attention or push ads and timers on phones. Desktop companion games such as Rusty's Retirement showed that players want something small to glance at while they work. The early hits are about farming and pets, so themes like trains, harbors or workshops are still open.

For: People who work at a PC all day · Idle and incremental game fans · Train and model-railway fans

Why now

Rusty's Retirement, an idle farming game that sits at the bottom of the screen, had sold about 550,000 copies by July 2025, and Valve has scheduled a Desktop Companion Fest on Steam for January 14-18, 2027.

Demand signals

Monthly Google searches in the US, pulled 2026-09-24. These are the words people with this problem actually type.

• idle games40,500
• incremental games14,800
• idle games pc170
• desktop idle games90

What exists already

• Rusty's Retirement ↗The idle farming game that popularized the screen-strip format ($6.99, 2024); farming theme.
• Bongo Cat ↗Free desktop companion that reacts to typing; progress is cosmetic hat drops, not a management loop.
• Ropuka's Idle Island ↗Cozy desktop idle game ($3.99, 2025); Windows only.
• Cookie Clicker ↗Classic idle game that runs in a browser tab or full window rather than beside your work; the web version has ads.

MVP scope

1. Borderless always-on-top strip that docks to the bottom or side of the screen
2. Lay track, add stations and upgrade trains; cargo runs earn while idle
3. Low-CPU mode so work apps stay fast
4. Clicking optional; progress continues untouched
5. Offline progress calculated on launch
6. Steam achievements and cloud saves