RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 vs Game Dev Tycoon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3
Build and manage your dream theme park in this classic PC strategy simulation, now on mobile. Design thrilling rides, keep guests happy, and explore five unique themes in stunning 3D. Enjoy the full depth of the original game with no in-app purchases.
- Create ultimate theme park in 3D
- Sandbox mode for free building
- 18 original PC scenarios
- Guest happiness management
- Five distinct park themes
- Controllable cameras and Coaster Cam
Read full descriptionHide full description
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 (RCT3) is the classic bestselling PC strategy simulation that now brings the fun of a roller coaster park right to your iPhone or iPad! With a new mobile-friendly UI, the creativity, depth and sophistication of the classic PC game is all here - with NO in-app purchases. · Create your ultimate theme park in stunning 3D! · Let your imagination run free in Sandbox mode. · Play through all 18 scenarios from the original PC game. · Watch your guests react to your park as you try to make them happy. · Happy guests earn you more in-game money to build out your parks even more. · Design your parks using 5 fun themes: Generic, Spooky, Western, Adventure and Sci-fi. · See every spine tingling detail with fully controllable cameras. · Grab a front seat for the ride of your life with the jaw-dropping Coaster Cam. · Cope with challenging objectives, changing weather patterns and enjoy beautiful vistas, sunsets, moonlight, and more.
Game Dev Tycoon
Build your own game development company from the 1980s to the present. Design and create your own games, research new technologies, and manage a team to become a market leader. Enjoy a full simulation experience without ads or in-app purchases.
- Start a game development company
- Design and create your own games
- Research new technologies
- Hire and manage a development team
- Replay gaming history
- Built-in screen recording and streaming
Read full descriptionHide full description
"It’s the perfect sort of game for mobile devices and there’s so much to do here [...]" - 5/5 - Toucharcade Game Dev Tycoon is a casual business simulation game where your success depends on your creativity and willingness to experiment. The game does *not* contain any in-app purchases or ads. Slip into the role of a game developer: start your own company, design your own games and make your way to the top to become a Game Dev Tycoon. - Start your own game development company in the 80s - Replay gaming history - Design and create your own games - Hold your breath and wait for reviews to come in - Research new technologies - Hire and manage a world-leading development team - Become the leader of the market - Gain worldwide fans Game Dev Tycoon for iPhone and iPad introduces: - An updated story line - New topics to enable even more varied games - A challenging (but optional) ‘pirate mode’ - Built-in screen recording and streaming support Game Dev Tycoon does not require an internet connection so go ahead and build your gaming empire in Airplane Mode.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Game Dev Tycoon at 4.9 against RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3's 3.9. Game Dev Tycoon also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 58%) and ratings volume (24K vs 1.7K). RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 costs $4.99 and Game Dev Tycoon $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Game Dev Tycoon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Game Dev Tycoon has 24K ratings behind it against 1.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3's written reviews are positive against 91% of Game Dev Tycoon's.
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 ships an update every 3 weeks, Game Dev Tycoon every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.
| Parameter | RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 | Game Dev Tycoon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Rating | 3.9 (1.7K ratings) | 4.9 (24K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.5% of reviews | 91.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | 24K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #75 | #49 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 672 MB | 204 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Atari | Greenheart Games Pty. Ltd. |
Customer experience
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3
Game Dev Tycoon
User reviews
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3
From 1.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Exactly like the PC version
- 👍 Great value for money
- 👍 Intuitive touch controls
- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 👍 Faithful port of a beloved game
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔇 No background audio support
- 🚫 Lacks expansion packs
- 🚫 Object limit in sandbox mode
- 🚫 Outdated graphics and UI
Game Dev Tycoon
From 24K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Cheap price
- 👍 No in-app purchases or ads
- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 👍 Realistic game development simulation
- 👍 Detailed and complex mechanics
Room to improve
- 🐛 Game crashes on launch for some users
- 🐛 Orientation issues on iPhone X
- 🐛 Difficulty remembering research and specialist information
- 🔋 Game can be very time-consuming
- 🤔 Lack of difficulty options or sandbox mode
Bugs and requests
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes when park gets too large
- Path and queue connections issues
- Saving and loading problems
- Unresponsive buttons and UI elements
Requested features
5 requests- Add expansion packs (Soaked, Wild)
- Improve path and terrain editing
- Increase object limit in sandbox mode
- Add support for custom music
- Optimize for newer devices and iOS versions
Game Dev Tycoon
Reported bugs
2 issues- Loan payback amount inconsistency
- Game reports not carrying over knowledge
Requested features
6 requests- Add more console and game genre options
- Implement employee personalities and interactions
- Provide more detailed game performance history
- Allow simultaneous game development
- Add difficulty settings and sandbox mode
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Implement mod support and custom content
In-app purchases
RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3
No in-app purchases
Game Dev Tycoon
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 free?
Is Game Dev Tycoon free?
Which has better reviews, RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 or Game Dev Tycoon?
Do RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 or Game Dev Tycoon have ads?
Which is updated more often, RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 or Game Dev Tycoon?
Which is more popular, RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 or Game Dev Tycoon?
Other comparisons
