I've embraced my worst loot-goblin desires in a new incremental RPG as the terror of a Stardew Valley-style town

If you need proof that videogames don't teach us to misbehave in the real world, look no further than the fact most people don't walk into each other's houses and immediately start smashing their furniture in search of loose change and trinkets. Breaking pots to snatch what's inside has become a fundamental tenet of RPGs, and in most cases characters won't so much as blink an eye as you rob them blind. That's fortunate, because in new indie idler Eldor'idle, that's exactly what you're going to be doing.

"You are very tired of working for so little pay," the new Eldor'idle demo immediately tells me. Taking the boat abroad, I land in the cozy town of Eldor'idle, which has the same easygoing charm that makes Stardew Valley so enticing. Admittedly, the shine comes off just a touch when I'm greeted by Quentin, a young man who warns me that a spate of robberies in the area have forced everyone to keep their doors locked.

The good news is that my new friend Quentin is the locksmith, and he's willing to part with their matching keys for the right price. Within a beat, I've walked rudely into the living room of retired couple Gideon and Nora, who ask me if I'm here to take a step back from the hustle and bustle. Instead of offering an answer, I break their pots and scarper out with their coins, tipping them into Quentin's hand for entrance to another residence.

Next, I meet potsmith Harvey. He's actually the start of Eldor'idle's upgrade system; by investing in his shop, you're able to increase the number of pots that residents keep in their home at a time, and the speed with which they replace them. Later, I make my way over to the bank, where I can spend money on a campaign to encourage the locals to invest (in pot-based storage options) rather than spend, raising the cash that I can find in each broken vessel.

Before long, my coin-grabbing escapades have caught the attention of a mysterious individual, who sends me a discreet invitation to their office, "designed for minds that have already realized that the business game goes by unwritten rules." They turn out to be Gael, who praises me on learning "the art of getting gold more effectively than most people." To help me out, they offer the ability to hire an army of gnomes to do the hard work for me.

Gnomes are naturally mischievous creatures, so they take to the job well, but I'm warned to be careful with how many I hire. Overstock and they'll find themselves with idle time on their hands, which is likely to result in them deciding to pocket some of the change for themselves. Still, profits are up, and that's what counts. But if I'm to earn the "billion gold coins" Eldor'idle has tasked me with racking up, I need to think even bigger.

As with any idler, the progression starts to blend between actively doing the clicking work yourself and investing in upgrades to keep the money passively rolling in. Before long, you'll be mining for ore, or planting additional resources. It's also brought together with some knowing wink-and-nudge dialogue that elevates the whole experience beyond simply watching the numbers go up.

The Eldor'idle demo is out now on Steam. You can get it here if you're ready to cast aside your social inhibitions and start raking in the big bucks. There's no release date for the full game yet, but you can wishlist it if you want to be notified when it arrives.