Idle and clicker games are built around one simple action: click, watch a number go up, spend it on something that makes the number go up faster. They are fun for a while, and then your hand gets tired. This guide shows a safe, simple way to set up an auto clicker for one, using OtterTap as the example.
Check the rules first. Many clicker games are happy for you to automate, and some have leaderboards or rewards where it isn't fair. Read the game's rules before you start. Our guide on checking a game's rules shows how.
Before you start
- Run the game in a window (a browser tab or a windowed game) so it stays on screen. Clicks go to whichever window has focus.
- Find the thing you click most. In a clicker game it's usually one big button.
- Decide a sensible speed. Faster isn't always better: some games ignore clicks that come too quickly, and a slower pace is gentler on your computer.
Step by step in OtterTap
- Make a profile for the game. In the profile bar at the top, click New and type the game's name. Its settings stay separate from every other game. (There's more in game profiles explained.)
- Open the Clicker tab and tick Enable the auto clicker.
- Choose where to click. Pick A fixed spot on the screen, click Pick on screen, move your mouse over the big button, and press F7. OtterTap fills in the position for you. Press Esc to cancel.
- Set the speed. Next to Time between clicks (ms), type how long to wait between clicks. 1000 is one click a second; 100 is ten a second.
- Set a limit. On the Hotkeys & limits tab, under Limits, fill in Stop after (seconds), for example 600 for ten minutes. A clicker that stops itself can't run away while you're out of the room.
- Start it. Press the big Start button. A short countdown gives you time to switch to the game. After that, F6 starts and stops it from inside the game.
The emergency stop is F8. It always works, even if something has gone wrong. Learn more in hotkeys, limits and the emergency stop.
Tips for clicker games
- Test with a small limit. Set Stop after this many clicks to 50 and watch what happens before you let it run.
- Add a little randomness. The ± % box beside the click time varies each wait, so clicks don't land on a perfect beat. See random click intervals explained.
- Use a Sequence for upgrades. Many clicker games also need you to buy upgrades. On the Sequence tab you can chain steps such as click the big button, wait, click an upgrade button. See the auto clicker guide for the basics.
- Let a screen trigger buy upgrades. If an upgrade button changes colour when you can afford it, a screen trigger can click it only when it's ready.
- Don't run it unattended for hours. Check in now and then, and keep the window visible.
If it isn't working
- Nothing happens in the game. Click inside the game window first, so it has focus, then press F6.
- The click lands in the wrong place. If you moved or resized the window after picking the spot, pick it again.
- The game ignores clicks. Some games lock the mouse to the centre of the screen, and a fixed spot means nothing to them. Switch to Wherever the mouse is.
- It runs too fast for the game. Increase the time between clicks.
The getting-started guide covers the first run in more detail, and OtterTap is free to download for Windows 10 and 11.