Comparison

Human Resource Machine vs Shotgun King

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Human Resource Machine

Solve puzzles by programming office workers to automate tasks. Progress through levels by successfully completing jobs and getting promoted. This game makes programming accessible and fun for everyone, even those new to coding.

Highlights
  • Program office workers
  • Solve logic puzzles
  • Automate tasks
  • Progress through levels
  • Learn programming concepts
  • Extra challenges for experts
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Program little office workers to solve puzzles. Be a good employee! The machines are coming... for your job. - Included in the 'App Store Best of 2016'. - A worldwide App Store Editors’ Choice. - Winner of Excellence in Innovation by the International Mobile Gaming Awards. Human Resource Machine is a puzzle game for nerds. In each level, your boss gives you a job. Automate it by programming your little office worker. If you succeed, you'll be promoted up to the next level for another year of work in the vast office building. Congratulations! Don't worry if you've never programmed before - programming is just puzzle solving. If you strip away all the 1's and 0's and scary squiggly brackets, programming is simple, logical, beautiful, and something that anyone can understand and have fun with! Are you already an expert? There will be extra challenges for you. From the creators of World of Goo and Little Inferno. Have fun! Management is watching. REVIEWS: “Amidst the trend of instant gratification that the internet and gaming as a whole has perpetuated, having a game that both excels in its puzzles and also challenges your wider perception of it is commendable, and makes Human Resource Machine exponentially essential.” - Touch Arcade 5/5 “Sometimes a game catches you by surprise. Be it with its ingenuity, its style, or its sense of humor. Other times a game catches you with all three, like Human Resource Machine.” - Gamezebo 9/10 "Human Resource Machine Could Be The App Of The Year” - Mobile n’ Apps

About

Shotgun King

Experience a unique twist on chess where you command a king armed with a shotgun. Fight your way through enemy pieces, strategically reload, and upgrade your abilities to reclaim your kingdom. This roguelike chess adventure offers challenging gameplay and extensive replayability.

Highlights
  • Chess with a shotgun mechanic
  • Roguelike progression with upgrades
  • 15 difficulty ranks
  • Unlockable cards
  • Over 100 achievements
  • Endless and chase modes
Features
Read full description

Chess, but all your army has gone over to the white side, leaving you with nothing but your royal shotgun and your wounded pride. Carried by your dark folly, you decide it's time to teach those white pieces to fear the Shotgun King. Every turn, you may either move your king or shoot at enemy pieces, after what you'll need to move again to reload your shotgun. Avoid checkmate and kill the enemy king to complete the floor. After each floor, you may choose between two random combinations of one upgrade for you and one upgrade for the other side. Choose wisely and keep on winning floors and you just may get your kingdom back. Runs may take ~20 minutes to complete. The game features 15 ranks of difficulty, unlockable cards, over 100 achievements to complete, an endless mode, and now a chase mode where you get continually assailed from all sides!

Screenshots

Human Resource Machine4 screens
Shotgun King4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shotgun King at every 5 days against Human Resource Machine's every 5 weeks. Shotgun King also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Human Resource Machine's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 66%) and price ($4.99 vs $6.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Human Resource Machine costs $4.99 and Shotgun King $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shotgun King holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 416 and 709 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Human Resource Machine's written reviews are positive against 66% of Shotgun King's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Human Resource Machine ships an update every 5 weeks, Shotgun King every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Human Resource Machine versus Shotgun King: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHuman Resource MachineShotgun King
Price$4.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.5 (416 ratings)4.8 (709 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.1% of reviews — better66.1% of reviews
Number of ratings416709 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#53 — better#125
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size133 MB468 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperExperimental Gameplay GroupPlug In Digital

Customer experience

Human Resource Machine

All ratings416 ratings
Positive85.1%
Neutral6.7%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews387 reviews
Positive80.1%
Neutral7.8%
Negative12.1%

Shotgun King

All ratings709 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive66.1%
Neutral11.0%
Negative22.9%

Bugs and requests

Human Resource Machine

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Level 20 expecting incorrect output
  • Scrolling issues causing commands to move
  • Crashing on iOS 14 update

Requested features

3 requests
  • More levels and challenges
  • Ability to save progress across devices
  • Hints or solution guides for stuck players

Shotgun King

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Human Resource Machine

No in-app purchases

None

Shotgun King

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Human Resource Machine free?
Human Resource Machine costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shotgun King free?
Shotgun King costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Human Resource Machine or Shotgun King?
Shotgun King is rated higher. Human Resource Machine averages 4.5 out of 5 from 416 ratings, while Shotgun King averages 4.8 from 709 ratings.
Do Human Resource Machine or Shotgun King have ads?
Neither Human Resource Machine nor Shotgun King shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Human Resource Machine or Shotgun King?
Human Resource Machine ships an update every 5 weeks, and Shotgun King every 5 days. Most recently, Human Resource Machine was updated on October 19, 2026 and Shotgun King on October 18, 2026.
Which is more popular, Human Resource Machine or Shotgun King?
Human Resource Machine currently peaks at #53 in the App Store charts, and Shotgun King at #125. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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