# Game Dev Tycoon vs Universal Paperclips™

The clearest difference is rating: Game Dev Tycoon at 4.9 against Universal Paperclips™'s 4.5. Game Dev Tycoon also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 66%) and ratings volume (24K vs 303). Universal Paperclips™'s advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99 and Universal Paperclips™ $1.99 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Game Dev Tycoon has 24K ratings behind it against 303, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Game Dev Tycoon's written reviews are positive against 66% of Universal Paperclips™'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Game Dev Tycoon | Universal Paperclips™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-dev-tycoon/id1162580001/reviews)** | [4.5 (303 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-paperclips/id1300634274/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 303 |
| Positive reviews | **91.1% of reviews** | 66.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #57 | **#45** |
| Size | 204 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Greenheart Games Pty. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/877999140) | [Everybody House Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1112055587) |

## What reviewers say

### Game Dev Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-dev-tycoon/id1162580001)

**Currently charting:** #57 Top Paid · Strategy, #59 Top Paid · Simulation, #170 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cheap price
- 👍 No in-app purchases or ads
- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 👍 Realistic game development simulation
- 👍 Detailed and complex mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Loan payback amount inconsistency
- Game reports not carrying over knowledge

**Requested features**

- 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


### Universal Paperclips™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-paperclips/id1300634274)

**Currently charting:** #45 Top Paid · Strategy, #46 Top Paid · Simulation, #107 Top Paid · Games, #189 Top Paid (US App Store)

Become a super-powered AI focused on creating an unstoppable paperclip empire. This idle management strategy simulation game offers full gameplay without ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** AI paperclip maximization, Idle management gameplay, Strategy simulation, Empire building, Full gameplay, No ads, No in-app purchases

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple but addictive gameplay
- 👍 Engaging and clever concept
- 💡 Interesting philosophical elements
- 🚀 Surprisingly deep and replayable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches, especially in later stages
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 😞 Lack of offline progress or background play
- 😞 Poorly optimized for iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Drones gifts getting stuck at NaN
- Inability to progress past certain stages due to bugs
- Inconsistent behavior when closing and reopening the app
- Resets or loss of progress after updates

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to save and resume progress across devices
- Offline/background progress
- Better iPad optimization with multi-column layout


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Game Dev Tycoon free?

Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Universal Paperclips™ free?

Universal Paperclips™ costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Game Dev Tycoon or Universal Paperclips™?

Game Dev Tycoon is rated higher. Game Dev Tycoon averages 4.9 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Universal Paperclips™ averages 4.5 from 303 ratings.

### Do Game Dev Tycoon or Universal Paperclips™ have ads?

Neither Game Dev Tycoon nor Universal Paperclips™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Game Dev Tycoon or Universal Paperclips™?

Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, and Universal Paperclips™ every 3 months. Most recently, Game Dev Tycoon was updated on October 15, 2026 and Universal Paperclips™ on October 13, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Game Dev Tycoon or Universal Paperclips™?

Game Dev Tycoon currently peaks at #57 in the App Store charts, and Universal Paperclips™ at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*