Game Dev Tycoon vs Pocket City
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
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"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.
Pocket City
Become a mayor and construct your own thriving metropolis. Design residential, commercial, and industrial areas, add recreational spaces, and manage challenges like crime and disasters to see your city flourish.
- Build residential, commercial, and industrial zones
- Create parks and recreation areas
- Respond to crime and disasters
- No microtransactions or wait times
- Unlock content through gameplay
- Classic city building simulation
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Build your own city as the new mayor. Create residential, commercial, and industrial zones. Build parks and recreation spots. Respond to crime and disasters. Watch your city come alive! No microtransactions or long wait times! Everything is unlocked and rewarded through gameplay. Pocket City re-imagines classic city building simulation gameplay for iOS devices. Note: Landscape and portrait mode can be toggled in the settings menu during gameplay, or by tapping the icon at the top right of the start screen.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Pocket City at monthly against Game Dev Tycoon's every 3 months. Pocket City also leads on price ($2.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). Game Dev Tycoon's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (91% vs 80%). On ads, in-app purchases, chart position and device support 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
Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99 and Pocket City $2.99 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 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24K and 5.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Game Dev Tycoon's written reviews are positive against 80% of Pocket City's.
Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, Pocket City monthly. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.
| Parameter | Game Dev Tycoon | Pocket City |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (24K ratings) — better | 4.7 (5.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 91.1% of reviews — better | 79.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24K — better | 5.1K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #45 — better | #47 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 204 MB | 64 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Greenheart Games Pty. Ltd. | Codebrew Games Inc. |
Customer experience
Game Dev Tycoon
Pocket City
User reviews
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
Pocket City
From 5.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 No in-app purchases
- 🚀 Fast building times
- 🎨 Charming graphics
- 🕹️ Enjoyable gameplay
- 🔓 Offline playable
Room to improve
- 🔍 Limited map size
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔧 Lack of customization options
Bugs and requests
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
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- Implement mod support and custom content
Pocket City
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes when placing buildings
- Power plants not connecting to grid properly
- Blurry textures on high-end devices
- Difficulty navigating map when placing buildings
Requested features
6 requests- Larger map sizes
- More building and upgrade options
- Ability to rotate buildings
- Day/night cycle and weather effects
- Expanded transportation options (e.g. subways, trains)
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- More disaster types and challenges
In-app purchases
Game Dev Tycoon
No in-app purchases
Pocket City
No in-app purchases
