I drink a lot of boba, so I made myself a boba shop game

I drink a lot of boba, so I made myself a little boba shop to run. It is called Idle Clicker: Boba Tea Shop, a cozy pixel art idle game for iPhone. You tap a giant cup to shake drinks, choose what your shop serves from 63 drinks, and watch a street cart grow into a busy café. It is free on the App Store, with no forced ads and no account.

Watch the video

Here is the shop in a short video: picking a drink, finding a secret combo and seeing the cart turn into a night market stall. When I post more videos about the shop, they go here.

Play the video: I drink way too much boba, so I made myself a boba shop

Why I made a boba shop game

I order boba more than I would like to admit, and I wanted something cozy to tap on between cups. So I made a little pixel boba shop for myself: a tea shop where I pick the menu, customers line up for their cups, and my staff keep brewing while I am away. I am sharing it in case anyone else wants one too.

How do you play?

1. Shake. Tap the giant cup. Every 10 shakes seal a cup for a waiting customer, who picks it up and tips.
2. Grow. Spend cups on buildings that brew for you. Each one appears in your shop, and your cart fills with staff, machines and lights. Golden pearls roll by now and then; tap one for a short rush of extra cups.
3. Franchise. When your shop has grown enough, start a new one with stars that multiply everything you make, and grow faster every time.

If you are new to the genre, our guide to what an idle game is and how to play one explains the loop and how to play it well.

What is on the menu?

The menu has 63 drinks across milk teas, teas and specialty drinks: brown sugar, taro, Thai tea, Hong Kong milk tea, black sesame and more. There are 8 toppings, from golden pearls to cheese foam. Pair the right drink with the right topping and you find one of 24 secret combos, each a boost to your shop that lasts. In the video, taro with egg pudding turns out to be one of them.

Does the shop keep brewing while you are away?

Yes. Close the game and your staff keep brewing for up to 2 hours. Night Shift, a one-time unlock, extends that to 24 hours. Either way, your cups are waiting when you come back.

How big does the shop get?

It starts as a street cart. As you buy buildings, it grows into a night market stall, then a mall kiosk, then a flagship café. Every sprite is original pixel art and every sound was made for the game.

How the game treats you

• Ads never interrupt play. There are no banners and no interstitials, and no ads in your first session. The only ads are optional offers you choose to watch for a bonus.
• Nothing is locked behind paying. Every building, drink and combo can be reached for free. There are no loot boxes and no subscription.
• No account. Your progress is saved on your iPhone as you play. Leaderboards and achievements use Game Center: 5 leaderboards and 40 achievements, including a weekly board for drinks shaken by hand that no purchase can raise.

What does it cost?

The game is free. These purchases are optional, and the unlocks are yours for good:

• Night Shift, $9.99 once. Your staff keep brewing for up to 24 hours while you are away, not 2.
• Double Brew, $4.99 once. Every cup counts twice, forever, even after you franchise.
• Tea Patron, $2.99 once. Every ad bonus without watching an ad.
• Boosts, $0.99, $4.99 or $19.99. 2 hours, 1 day or 1 week of your shop's cups, added the moment you buy and used up at once.

Frequently asked questions