FAQ

Common questions about playing Primal Idle. For deeper detail, follow the links — and see the Beginner's Guide for a full walkthrough and Gameplay for the mechanics.

Progress and offline

Do I lose progress when I close the game? No. Primal Idle keeps advancing while you're away, using the exact same rules as live play. When you return you'll see a "While you were away" summary of what you earned.

How long does offline progress last? 18 hours by default. Time beyond the cap isn't simulated, so check in at least once a day. Buying ranks of the Offline Satchel in the Shop raises the cap to 24 hours.

Can I run more than one action at a time? Your survivor runs one action at a time — starting a new one replaces the old. But other systems run in parallel: hired hands, Homestead producers, Dispatch squads, and (later) your Tribe camp all tick alongside your active action.

Saving and devices

How do I save? The game auto-saves continuously; there's no save button. Creating an account (from the login page) turns on cloud saves that back up and sync across devices.

Can I play on more than one device? Yes, with cloud sync — but only one tab plays at a time. Opening a second tab shows a takeover screen so two copies never race over your save.

It says "two saves found" — which do I keep? The game compares them side by side and recommends one (by progress — XP, mastery, tames, and so on). If both hold progress the other lacks, it tells you. When in doubt, keep the one it highlights. The cloud also archives older copies (Settings → Cloud save) that you can restore.

My dinos' nicknames changed — is that a bug? No. A v0.36.10 update expanded the name pools, which reshuffled existing derived nicknames once. Your creatures and their stats are unchanged.

"Why did my action / dino stop?"

My action stopped on its own. Usually one of: the Bank had no free slot for a guaranteed drop ("Bank full"), you ran out of a required input (e.g. no ore to smelt), or you took an injury. The game shows a banner explaining which.

"Bank full" — what do I do? Your Bank limits distinct item types, not quantities. Free a slot by selling something, or raise your slot count (Reinforced/Master Vault in the Shop/Exotic Broker, or the Storage Hut at your Homestead). Note some drops convert to Amber instead of blocking you when the Bank is full — see Bank.

Why is my companion's buff switched off? A companion only buffs while it's assigned to its skill's slot and fed. If the Bank runs out of food it eats, it goes hungry and its buff pauses until you restock — nothing is lost.

A hired hand stopped gathering. Hired hands can only gather what you've unlocked. If a task was biome-locked (coal before the Cavern Depths, etc.), it's stopped until you clear that biome.

Creatures and combat

How do I get my first dino? Brew a Calming Tonic (Alchemy), stock Crimson Berries (Foraging), then run Tame Glyptodon in Taming (8 berries + 1 tonic). See the Beginner's Guide.

Why can't I gather coal / sulfur / other materials? They're biome-locked — clear the biome that holds them (via Expeditions) and the option unlocks.

Can my creatures die? While actively playing, if a hit would drop you to 0 HP and auto-eat has no food, you can die — you lose that fight's spoils and one equipped item drops where you fell (reclaimable). Offline, combat always stops safely before a knockout. Camp workers and companions never die — they only get wounded and rest.

How do I unlock Breeding? Reach Taming 50.

Economy

How do I make Amber? Sell gathered materials from your Bank. Don't hoard raw junk you'll never process — that's Amber you haven't collected.

What should I buy first? Bank slots, then the Offline Satchel. See Spending Amber for a full priority list.

Progression

What's the maximum level? Every skill runs 1 to 99. Beyond that, power comes from Mastery, Breeding, gear, and the collection systems.

Where does the game "end"? The frontier is the Sundered Vale and the Rifts beyond it, plus long-tail goals — Mastery, the Museum, Chronicles, the Material Ages, and perfect bred creatures. See the Endgame Guide.