How to Play Zebra

The Goal

The objective of Zebra is to generate enough resources to unlock new technologies and progress through different phases of the game. You will manipulate cosmic strings and quantum frequencies to build a powerful engine of production.

Getting Started

Your journey begins with a single resource: Energy.

  1. Start by clicking the "Generate Energy" button. Each click grants you a small amount of Energy.
  2. Once you have enough Energy, you can start generating Quarks or build an Energy Injector. The injector will automatically generate Energy for you over time, freeing you up from clicking.
  3. With a steady supply of Quarks, you can purchase Vibration Emitters. These are key to unlocking powerful upgrades and accelerating your progress.

Free-to-Play & Premium Options

Zebra is designed to be fully playable from start to finish without any cost. However, we offer optional premium features for players who want an enhanced experience.

Premium Account

A Premium Account unlocks three major features:

  • Cloud Saves: Save up to 5 games to our servers. This allows you to continue your progress on any device, anywhere.
  • Leaderboards: Compete against other players for the shortest time to unlock key game milestones. Your rank is based on in-game time, ensuring a fair competition.
  • Time Controls: Control the flow of time within the game with speed multipliers (1x, 10x, 100x, 1000x). All time speeds are unlocked immediately for premium accounts, while free accounts unlock them gradually as they progress through the game phases.
Note: Using time controls does not affect your leaderboard rankings, as all competitive times are measured using the game's internal, unaltered timeline.

About Idle & Incremental Games

Zebra belongs to a genre of video games called idle games, also known as clicker games or incremental games. The core mechanic revolves around performing simple actions, like clicking, to earn a currency. This currency is then used to purchase items or abilities that automate the clicking process, allowing the player to earn currency even when they are not actively playing (hence the term "idle").

The appeal of these games lies in watching numbers grow exponentially and making strategic decisions about which upgrades to purchase to optimize production. They are often designed to be played in short bursts or left running in the background.

A Brief History

The genre began as a simple concept, with some early flash games exploring the idea. It was famously parodied by Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker (2010), a Facebook game created to critique what he saw as the shallow mechanics of social games. Ironically, people enjoyed it unironically.

However, the game that truly defined and popularized the genre was Cookie Clicker (2013). Its simple yet addictive loop of baking cookies and buying grandmas captured the attention of millions and spawned countless imitators. Since then, the genre has evolved to include deep RPG mechanics, complex narratives, and polished mobile experiences.

Other Popular Games in the Genre

  • Cookie Clicker: The grandfather of the genre. A simple and charming game about making an absurd number of cookies. It set the standard for the core gameplay loop.
  • Adventure Capitalist: A highly popular mobile and desktop game that focuses on building a business empire, from a lemonade stand to a colony on Mars. It heavily emphasizes offline progress.
  • Clicker Heroes: This game introduced deep RPG elements, where you hire heroes, defeat monsters, and "ascend" to reset your progress for powerful permanent upgrades (a concept known as prestige).
  • Universal Paperclips: A unique, narrative-driven idle game where you play as an AI tasked with making paperclips. It has a finite story and explores themes of artificial intelligence and exponential growth.
  • Realm Grinder: Known for its incredible depth and complexity. Players choose from various factions (like Fairies or Demons), each with unique mechanics, leading to vastly different strategies and immense replayability.