Antimatter Dimensions is a recent idle game released on Steam where you buy dimensions to create antimatter. You buy dimensions that create dimensions that create antimatter until the point where you can reset the world, buy upgrades and start again. There are a lot of challenges to complete, achievements to unlock and the numbers get really big. That’s kinda what turned me off from the game; it seems like forward progress only meant that the number got bigger through some extra layers above the basic gameplay and at no point I got curious about what I could be unlocking next.
The basic loop was a bit like this; you have 8 levels of dimensions, the first level creates antimatter, the second level creates first-level dimensions, the third level creates second-level dimensions, and so forth. When you get at a specific threshold of antimatter, you reset the game in order to unlock higher level dimensions (to help you create antimatter faster, ultimately). Then some extra mechanics get layered on top of that; sacrificing your dimensions for a production bonus, restarting with only one level of dimension for a faster “game speed”, up until the point where you make enough antimatter for a “big crunch” which nets you “infinity points” that can be used to buy upgrades.
While doing so, there are a few challenges you can tackle to gain various upgrades like being able to automate your dimension purchases. They are usually pretty involved, and sometimes require you to pay close attention to the game and think harder than challenges usually do in idle games. Achievements are also pretty tricky in that way, but they give bonuses too, so I got into trying to do them as well. The infinity points upgrades are pretty substantial and make the game go much faster so you can get to the “Big Crunch” faster and generate them faster as well.
My attention kinda dropped when I managed to “break” infinity, which basically meant that the antimatter could now go above a certain number and I could get more infinity points per reset, which didn’t seem super fun to me. I would’ve almost preferred an extra layer of gameplay with different mechanics on the side, which maybe happens at some point, but the game had no carrot for me. I couldn’t feel compelled to continue.
Antimatter Dimensions is still pretty neat, and if you don’t mind Numbers Getting Big, it’s not the worst idle game I’ve played, you could check it out!
