Frequently asked questions

NeuronIdle is an idle / incremental simulation for Android where you train your own AI. Configure the model, the dataset, and the entire training setup. No two models are ever the same — one learns fast, another is stubborn, and the one you invested most in might crash on its first run. Train, optimize, sell on the Black Market or via contracts, and use the income to build something bigger. The loop never really ends.

No. The game borrows machine-learning vocabulary (loss curves, datasets, modules) for theming, but underneath it is gameplay math designed for an idle / incremental simulation. There is no actual neural network running on your phone. The flow and feel are inspired by real AI training, the numbers are not.

NeuronIdle is built by Thendril — a solo developer.

Free on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuroidle

Yes, the full game is free. It offers optional in-app purchases of premium currency (Neurons), which are never required to enjoy the game.

Android only (Google Play). There is no iOS or PC version planned at the moment.

English (default), Czech, Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil).

PEGI 3, also rated 10+. Suitable for general audiences.

The core loop is: pretrain a brain on a dataset, run it to earn currency, use that currency to buy better hardware and modules, sell the brain when it is good enough, and repeat with a stronger setup. Each generation goes a little further.

A brain is a trained model — the unit you ship. It has quality, a personality, and equipped modules. You sell brains for in-game currency.

Modules are cognitive upgrades you equip on your brain. Each one changes how the brain behaves — for example, one helps it recover from setbacks, another reduces idle penalties, another lets you fine-tune.

The IT Market pays a predictable, fair price. The Black Market pays a random multiplier of the brain's value — sometimes great, sometimes poor — with a fee taken upfront. Use IT for planned income, Black for the gamble.

Contracts are buy orders on a board. They offer fixed multipliers if your brain meets the conditions (quality threshold, mastered domains, model tier, etc.). Higher-tier contracts pay much better than market sales.

You trained it for too long. Past the sweet spot, the brain starts memorizing instead of learning and its quality drops. Stop earlier next time, or use checkpoint boosts to roll back to a better state.

Pretrain sets the starting ceiling, not the final one. Install upgrade modules in the Brain screen to raise the cap on top of whatever the pretrain delivered. The LoRA module adds +2.5% on its own; the LoRA Depth upgrade under it adds +7.5% per stack and stacks up to four times. If you also install the Memory module alongside LoRA, the Memory Introspection upgrade adds another +10%. A 4.5% pretrain ceiling plus LoRA and a few stacks of LoRA Depth easily clears most early- and mid-game contract thresholds. Heads up: most modules and upgrades (everything except REST, EXPLORE and MONOLOG) also raise the brain's per-Run frustration and exhaustion rates — see the next question.

By design. Almost every cognitive module and upgrade — anything outside REST, EXPLORE and MONOLOG — adds load on the brain during Runs. Bigger stacks mean bigger per-hour frustration and exhaustion rates. The Run Configuration screen shows those rates live as you change combos and modules, so you can see what each addition costs before you commit. Two ways to keep the numbers under control: combos like Inner Peace that dampen the rate the moment they're active, and the REST module line designed to undo frustration and exhaustion between or during Runs. Separately, the total number of modules + upgrades you can install at once is capped by your installed RAM. You can deliberately install past the cap — that's an overload, which works but adds risk (crash chance and faster wear) on every slot over the limit until you upgrade RAM or remove some installs.

A Specialization is a path your brain can roll during Fine-Tune. It unlocks endgame content (Cluster chassis and Project Contracts) and gives you long-term direction.

Yes. Better hardware unlocks more brain slots. You can train one brain while another runs and earns income.

Yes — the Cluster chassis and the Multi-Agent specialization layer. More features are on the roadmap (see the devlog).

Three: Cu (Compute Units, main currency, from brain sales), Ru (Research Units, earned during runs, used for brain upgrades), and Nu (Neurons, premium currency, earned slowly from achievements/ads or bought).

The premium currency (Nu) buys cosmetic boosts, premium chassis, and time-savers — none of it is required to reach endgame. You can fully progress without spending money.

Small optional boosts (e.g. Air Duster) are earned by completing a short Packet Filter minigame round. Quick reflex play for a modest bonus — never required.

79 achievements, synced to Google Play Games when you sign in.

Yes — four global leaderboards covering total earnings, best single sale, brains sold, and Black Market activity.

Yes, via Google Play Games Services. Your progress syncs across devices when you sign in.

Yes. Online features (sign-in, leaderboards, cloud save) are opt-in. The full game works offline.

Locally on your device. Online data (cloud save, leaderboards) is handled by Google Play Games Services. See the privacy policy for full details.

Yes — the game is actively developed. See the devlog for the current roadmap.

On the roadmap: an in-run chat module, player-to-player brain market, season cycles, intermediate hardware tiers, more knowledge domains, and a custom rig background selector. Order and timing may change.

No plans at the moment.

Through Play Store reviews, or by email to [email protected].