Meh

Meh is a simple idle clicker game centered on a computer theme, where players click on a computer screen to increment a counter and build up numbers. At random intervals, the game drops virtual computers into the player’s Steam inventory, which can then be equipped within the game for enhancements or traded with other players on the Steam marketplace, blending basic idle mechanics with real-world trading integration.

Meh: Review

Introduction

In an era dominated by sprawling open-world epics and narrative-driven masterpieces, where games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Stellar Blade command headlines and hours of investment, the arrival of Meh feels like a deliberate act of subversion—or perhaps indifference. Released on July 4, 2024, as a free-to-play title on Steam, Meh is the brainchild of solo developer Samuel Crevier, clocking in as a bare-bones clicker/idle game that challenges the very notion of what constitutes “fun” in modern gaming. Its title alone evokes apathy, a meta-commentary on the genre’s incremental nature, where progress is measured not in heroic triumphs but in the slow, inexorable tick of numbers on a screen. As a game historian, I’ve chronicled the evolution of idle games from their Cookie Clicker roots to sophisticated hybrids like Adventure Capitalist, but Meh stands out for its unapologetic minimalism. This review posits that while Meh captures the essence of idle gaming’s addictive passivity, its extreme simplicity borders on parody, offering fleeting satisfaction for collectors but little enduring legacy in an industry craving depth.

Development History & Context

Meh emerged from the indie scene’s fertile underbelly, developed and published entirely by Samuel Crevier, a one-person operation with no prior credits listed in major databases like MobyGames. Released just 13 days after its Steam page went live on June 21, 2024, the game’s rapid development cycle suggests a passion project rather than a commercial behemoth—fitting for a title priced at $0.00. Built using Unreal Engine 4, an engine more commonly associated with visually ambitious titles like Fortnite or Gears of War, Meh‘s use of such high-end tech for a fixed/flip-screen idle game highlights the era’s democratization of tools. Indie developers now have access to professional-grade engines without massive budgets, allowing experiments like this to flourish on platforms like Steam, which has flooded the market with over 14,000 games annually.

The gaming landscape in mid-2024 was one of contrast: Sony’s State of Play showcases hyped cinematic blockbusters like Astro Bot and Monster Hunter Wilds, emphasizing charm, innovation, and high production values, while the indie space grappled with saturation. Idle and incremental games, a subgenre rooted in browser-based hits from the early 2010s, had evolved into mobile staples like Idle Miner Tycoon, blending automation with light progression. Yet Meh arrives amid a backlash against “soulless cash grabs,” as seen in critiques of team shooters like Concord or remakes like Until Dawn. Crevier’s vision appears laser-focused: a computer-themed clicker that integrates Steam’s economy, dropping virtual “computers” as inventory items for equipping or trading on the Steam Marketplace. This ties into 2024’s broader trend of games leveraging platform features for retention—think Team Fortress 2‘s hat economy—but in a stripped-down form that echoes the era’s technological constraints for solos devs. With no marketing blitz, Meh relies on word-of-mouth in Steam communities and Discord servers, underscoring how the post-pandemic indie boom favors niche, low-effort releases over polished experiences.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

If Meh has a “story,” it’s one told through absence—a void that mirrors its titular sentiment. There’s no plot to speak of; no characters with backstories, no dialogue to parse, no thematic arcs exploring human emotion or societal critique. Instead, the game’s “narrative” unfolds in a single, unchanging screen: a solitary computer icon against a minimalist backdrop, begging to be clicked. Each tap increments a counter—”the number go up,” as the official MobyGames description wryly puts it—evoking the Sisyphean grind of digital labor. Thematically, Meh delves into the banality of repetition, a microcosm of idle gaming’s philosophical core: progress without purpose, accumulation for accumulation’s sake.

At its heart, the game thematizes consumerism in the Steam ecosystem. Random intervals drop “computer” items directly into the player’s inventory, virtual trinkets that can be equipped in-game (altering… nothing visually discernible) or traded on the Marketplace. This mechanic satirizes loot-driven economies in titles like Destiny 2 or Warframe, where rarity trumps utility. There’s no lore to unpack—no lorebook entries or codex like in Mass Effect—but the computers themselves could be interpreted as metaphors for obsolete tech in a digital age, relics from the 1980s and 1990s (as tagged on Steam). Steam discussions reveal player frustrations with drop rates and broken achievements, hinting at emergent “stories” of persistence: one guide details “128 clicks = 100% conquistas” (achievements), turning tedium into a badge of ironic endurance. Ultimately, Meh‘s themes of apathy and minimalism critique the industry’s bloat; in a year of “meh” announcements like PC ports of God of War: Ragnarok or half-baked VR titles, it embodies the fatigue of endless content, asking players: Is clicking for clicks truly engaging, or just… meh?

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Meh‘s core loop is the epitome of idle simplicity: click the central computer to increment a counter, watch numbers rise passively over time, and await random drops of inventory items. Lacking combat, exploration, or puzzles, it deconstructs the idle genre to its fundamentals—no auto-clickers needed beyond manual taps, no branching paths or upgrades beyond the thrill of accumulation. Progression is linear and unforgiving: the counter climbs endlessly, but without milestones or rewards beyond the drops, it risks monotony. Steam tags like “Action-Adventure” and “Simulation” feel like tongue-in-cheek misdirection; this is pure incremental drudgery, where “advancing” means leaving the game open for hourly drops, as queried in community chats (“Надо ли кликать, что бы дропались предметы или достаточно держать игру открытой?”).

The UI is Spartan: a fixed-screen view with the clickable computer dominating, a numeric display, and subtle notifications for drops. No menus clutter the experience, but this purity exposes flaws—buggy achievements (e.g., delays in radio calls or instant guard-like triggers in unrelated discussions, but here manifesting as unreliable unlocks) and opaque drop mechanics frustrate players. Community guides offer “subtleties,” like clicking medals or boxes for bonus items, adding faint layers to the system: one lists “all ways to get items” via 100/1,000 clicks or hidden interactions. Innovative? Hardly. But its Steam integration is a clever hook, turning passive play into economic potential—tradeable computers could yield real value, echoing Dota 2‘s cosmetic trading. Flaws abound: low player counts (peaking at 8 active in 24 hours, per VG Insights) suggest burnout, and the lack of progression trees (no prestige modes or meta-upgrades like in NGU Idle) renders it feeling unfinished. For veterans of the genre, it’s a palate cleanser; for newcomers, a potential gateway to questioning why we play.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Meh‘s “world” is a non-space: a static, flip-screen void punctuated by a single computer sprite, evoking retro CRT monitors from the 1980s-1990s. This fixed perspective reinforces isolation, with no horizons or lore-infused environments like the foggy towns of Silent Hill 2 or the vibrant realms of Infinity Nikki. Atmosphere arises from negation—endless clicking against silence, building a meditative tedium akin to staring at a loading screen. Visually, Unreal Engine 4’s power is underutilized; the 2D art is basic pixel art (or approximations), with drops manifesting as generic computer icons. Screenshots from Steam show whimsical touches—like a “Детка, ты просто космос!” (Baby, you’re just space!) award or cat emojis—but no evolving aesthetics. It’s charming in its restraint, contributing to a hypnotic experience where the “world” is your imagination (or Steam inventory).

Sound design is equally minimalist: faint click feedback (implied, as no audio specs are detailed) and perhaps subtle chimes for drops, but community complaints about lacking ambient noise (e.g., no traffic hums in unrelated critiques) highlight the void. No soundtrack swells like in Astro Bot‘s platforming joyrides; instead, it’s ambient quiet, broken by the player’s own taps. This austerity enhances the idle vibe—leave it running in the background, like a digital white noise machine—but fails to immerse. Overall, art and sound serve the theme of indifference, creating an experience that’s atmospheric in its emptiness, much like the “meh” category in Sony showcases: functional, but forgettable.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, Meh garnered scant attention, with MobyGames listing no critic reviews and a solitary player rating of 1.0/5—harsh, but telling of its niche appeal. Metacritic echoes this void, with zero scores, while Steam boasts a middling 50.7% positive review rate from limited feedback. Commercial metrics via VG Insights estimate 6,450 “units sold” (despite being free), suggesting downloads driven by curiosity or item farming, but active players hover at 4-8 daily, a far cry from blockbusters like Helldivers 2. Community discourse on Steam and Discord focuses on practicality: queries about drops, broken achievements (promised fixes in updates), and ironic guides (“how to launch meh: click ‘play’ button (or delete game)”). Players praise its brevity—one calls it “fun” amid expectations of RDR2-level polish—but criticize trigger-happy mechanics (metaphorical here, for instant frustrations).

Legacy-wise, Meh is unlikely to influence the industry profoundly; it’s too embryonic, a footnote in idle evolution rather than a Cookie Clicker milestone. Yet, in 2024’s landscape of “meh” reveals—like Path of Exile 2‘s console ports or Dynasty Warriors Origins‘ teasers—it embodies indie experimentation, potentially inspiring Steam-integrated idlers. Reddit threads on “meh games with potential” (e.g., for sequels) could apply: expand drops, add meta-layers, and it might evolve. For now, its reputation is one of ironic cult curiosity, preserved in databases like MobyGames as a snapshot of solo-dev minimalism.

Conclusion

Meh distills idle gaming to its purest, most apathetic form: a clickable computer yielding numbers and Steam trinkets, devoid of narrative flair, mechanical depth, or sensory spectacle. Samuel Crevier’s solo effort captures the genre’s addictive passivity while critiquing excess, but its flaws—buggy systems, absent progression, and echoing silence—render it more novelty than necessity. In video game history, it slots as a quirky artifact of 2024’s indie saturation, a reminder that not every release need be epic; sometimes, meh is enough for a quick click. Verdict: 2/10—intriguing for item hunters, but ultimately as engaging as its name suggests. Play if you’re curious; uninstall if you’re not.