How wrinklers work
Wrinklers appear once the Grandmapocalypse starts (after you buy One mind). They latch onto the big cookie and each one withers 5% of your CpS, so ten wrinklers cut your visible CpS in half. When you pop one, it returns 110% of everything it ate.
The key detail is that every wrinkler digests the full withered amount, not just its own 5%. With ten wrinklers, each one eats 50% of your CpS, and popping all ten returns 10 × 50% × 1.1 = 550% of your CpS on top of the 50% you still earn. That is about 6× your normal income, which is why idle players keep wrinklers on screen.
What changes the numbers
- Elder spice: a heavenly upgrade that allows 2 more wrinklers (12 total).
- Dragon Guts: a dragon aura that allows 2 more wrinklers and makes them digest 20% more.
- Sacrilegious corruption: a heavenly upgrade that makes wrinklers return 5% more.
- Shiny wrinklers: rare variants that return 3.3× as much. Not covered by this calculator, and worth keeping when you get one.
When to pop
Since wrinklers keep a running total, waiting longer before popping never loses cookies. Pop them when you need the cookies for a big purchase, before you ascend (otherwise the stored cookies are lost), or when you want to switch to a combo setup that needs your full CpS. The projections show how much you would collect after 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours.
Active players often run without wrinklers, because a full CpS makes golden cookie combos stronger. Our Grandmapocalypse guide compares the two approaches.
Frequently asked questions
Are wrinklers worth it?
For idle play, yes. Ten wrinklers raise your effective income to about 6 times your normal CpS when you pop them.
Do I lose wrinkler cookies when I ascend?
Yes. Pop your wrinklers before ascending so the cookies they ate count toward your bank and all-time total.