Worth waiting?
Melvor Idle 2 vs Melvor Idle
Melvor Idle, released 18 November 2021, is $9.99 USD on US Steam as checked on 29 October 2026; its web and mobile clients have separate storefronts. Melvor Idle 2 enters Early Access on 17 November 2026 with a FAQ-announced price of $14.99 USD. No first-game save import has been announced.
If you want to play this week
Play Melvor Idle if you want the complete 2021 game, including its phone apps and the browser client at melvoridle.com. Play the Melvor Idle 2 demo if you want to see the new client before 17 November. Those are different products. The demo will not give you the first game’s expansion content, and the first game will not give you Mastery Guilds or the new quest line.
This comparison does not assign a review score or claim comparative playtime. The free sequel demo offers a way to evaluate its advertised interface without buying either game; it is not the complete sequel or a replacement for the first game.
What the sequel adds, in the developer’s words
Official posts describe a visual overhaul, day and night, weather, a quest line with quest bosses, Mastery Guilds instead of per-item mastery, and new skills. Ranching, Hunting and Beastcrafting are the named new skills. The full-game target is 29 skills and level 120. Early Access is 25 and 99. The demo is Act 1 and cap 60.
The first game’s wiki lists 9 combat skills and 20 non-combat skills. Its base cap is 99, and Throne of the Herald raises it to 120. Saying “Melvor Idle caps at 99 and the sequel invented 120” is wrong.
A conditional answer, not a rating
If you have never played the series and you own a PC, the free demo is the cheapest way to see whether the new interface suits you. If you only have a phone, the sequel is not available, and the first game is. If you are mid-save on Melvor Idle, nothing official says that save moves. Keep playing it, or start the demo as a separate character. Both can be true.
| Melvor Idle | Melvor Idle 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Steam release | 18 Nov 2021 | EA 17 Nov 2026 |
| US Steam / announced USD price | $9.99 USD on US Steam; not a mobile price | $14.99 USD in the FAQ; no Steam price yet |
| Publisher on Steam | Jagex Ltd | Jagex (from 29 Oct 2026) |
| Developer | Games by Malcs | Games by Malcs |
| Platforms now | Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux at EA; mobile and web later, no date |
| Level cap | 99, or 120 with TotH | Demo 60 / EA 99 / full 120 |
| Quests | Not the sequel’s quest line | Act 1 in the demo; Act 2 at EA |
| Save import | — | MI1 to MI2 not announced; demo to EA yes |
| Microtransactions | None on the base game | FAQ says none; expansions paid |
Editorial notes
This comparison uses published store fields and developer plans, not personal playtime or benchmark results. The US Steam price is not a mobile price, and a full-game target is not an Early Access feature guarantee. Device availability drives the conditional advice.
Questions
Should I wait for Melvor Idle 2?
Wait if you specifically want the sequel’s quests and the new client, and you can play on desktop. Do not wait if you need a phone game this month.
Is Melvor Idle 2 worth it?
The demo is free, so you can answer that for yourself before 17 November. This page does not publish a score.
Do I lose my Melvor Idle progress?
Nothing says your 2021 save is deleted or imported. It stays on the first game until an official post says otherwise.
Keep reading
- Price — Why $14.99 and “no Steam price” are both true.
- Multiplayer — The friends list is not co-op.
- Mobile — Which game actually has a phone app.
- Demo — Try the sequel without buying either game again.
In this collection
- Is Melvor Idle 2 multiplayer? — Melvor Idle 2 is single-player and offline by default. The FAQ describes friends, optional cloud profiles and Presence, not co-op, trading or PvP.
Sources, checked 29 October 2026
Source status: game facts rely on the developer's public material and its Steam listings unless an independent source is explicitly named below. Studio posts and Steam mirrors count as one source family. Several official URLs alone do not establish independent corroboration. Unknown values and conflicting statements remain identified in the text.
- Melvor Idle appdetails — 18 Nov 2021, $9.99, Jagex Ltd
- Melvor Idle 2 appdetails — 17 Nov 2026, Jagex, no price yet
- Coming Soon FAQ — $14.99, no MTX, scope
- Wiki skills — MI1 combat and non-combat skill split
- Wiki level — MI1 base and Throne of the Herald level caps
- Full Version wiki — MI1 mobile app ids
- Early Access announcement — 25 skills, cap 99, Act 2 and demo save transfer
- Demo announcement — Act 1 and cap 60
- November 2025 progress — Ranching, Hunting, Beastcrafting and task-based Guilds