What is Alpaca Valley?
Alpaca Valley is a text-based web game where you take care of a herd of alpacas — harvest wool, craft and sell the yarn for money, and buy more alpacas to grow your valley. The idea is for it to be something calm and idle — you can open it up, check in on your alpacas, leave it running in the background, and come back to it later.
Problem
Users previously engaged in idle or casual games often face stress and burnout from high-pressure or time-intensive gameplay, lacking a truly calming experience that requires minimal active interaction.
Solution
A text-based idle browser game where users manage alpacas, harvest wool, craft goods, and expand their valley. It operates passively in the background, allowing occasional check-ins (e.g., selling yarn for in-game currency to buy more alpacas).
Customers
Casual gamers and working professionals (ages 18–35) seeking stress-free entertainment, fans of farming simulators, and users nostalgic for text-based interfaces.
Unique Features
Passive, background gameplay; minimalist text-based design; zero competitive pressure; soothing alpaca-themed environment.
User Comments
Relaxing and simple mechanics
Perfect for multitasking
Nostalgic text-based charm
Low time commitment
Calming escape from stress
Traction
Launched April 2023 on Product Hunt; no explicit revenue or user stats, but idle games often achieve 1M+ downloads (e.g., AdVenture Capitalist: 10M+ installs).
Market Size
The global casual gaming market is projected to reach $19.6 billion by 2030 (Allied Market Research).
