Game Dev Tycoon vs Rebel Inc.
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.
Rebel Inc.
Engage in a deep political and military simulation to stabilize a country after conflict. Balance military and civilian needs to gain public support and defeat insurgents. This critically acclaimed game offers a strategic challenge inspired by modern counter-insurgency.
- Stabilize 10 richly modeled regions
- Counter insurgency tactics
- Fund local government initiatives
- Hyper-realistic world
- Intelligent AI
- 9 unique governors
- Campaign mode operations
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Can you stop the Insurgency? From the creator of Plague Inc. comes a unique and deeply engaging political/military strategic simulation. The war is ‘over’ - but we all know that doesn’t mean anything. To stabilise the country, you need to balance military and civilian priorities to win the hearts and minds of the people, whilst also stopping insurgents from seizing power! Rebel Inc. is the brand new game from the creator of ‘Plague Inc.’ - one of the most popular paid games ever with over 200 million players. Brilliantly executed with beautiful graphics and critically acclaimed gameplay - Rebel Inc. offers a deeply engaging, strategic challenge inspired by the complexities and consequences of modern counter insurgency. ◈◈◈ #1 top paid game globally ◈◈◈ ▶ “Rebel Inc. lets everyone wrestle with the messy challenges of post-conflict recovery and better understand the complex realities of building peace.” - World Bank Global Lead for Stability, Peace and Security ▶ "Highly rewarding spiritual sequel to one of the App Store's biggest hits." - Pocket Tactics ▶ "Surprisingly sophisticated... even better than some of the stabilization training software I have seen in government use" - PAXsims ▶ "Rebel Inc. is fascinating and fun" - 148Apps.com ▶ "Another great game and a worthy successor to Plague Inc" - App Store review ▶ "If you love strategy games then this is the game for you" - App Store review ▶ "Brilliant game, the gameplay is interesting and the strategy is intuitive!" - App Store review ▶ "Unlike anything I’ve played on here before" - App Store review ◈◈◈ Features: ● Stabilise 10 richly modeled regions ● Innovative representation of counter insurgency tactics ● Fund realistic initiatives to empower the local government ● Highly detailed, hyper-realistic world based on extensive research ● Intelligent strategic and tactical AI ● Sophisticated narrative algorithms shaped by your decisions ● 9 unique governors with radically different abilities ● Conduct large-scale Operations in Campaign mode ● Play new generated Challenges every week ● 23 Official Scenarios including disease outbreaks, helicopters and advanced insurgents ● Comprehensive in-game help and tutorial system ● Full Save/Load functionality ● Internet connectivity not required An important note: Although a fictional game, Rebel Inc. looks at important real world issues and we have made every effort to deal with them sensitively. The game has been extensively researched and has been developed in cooperation with leading regional politicians, business people and journalists as well as international charities, experts and governments. Special sale price to celebrate the launch of the game! ◈◈◈ I’ve got lots of plans for updates! Get in touch and let me know what you want to see. James (the designer) Contact me here: www.ndemiccreations.com/en/1-support
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Game Dev Tycoon at none against Rebel Inc.'s 10. Rebel Inc.'s advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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 Rebel Inc. $1.99 up front. Rebel Inc. sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Game Dev Tycoon asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Game Dev Tycoon against 4.8 for Rebel Inc.. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24K and 42K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Game Dev Tycoon's written reviews are positive against 89% of Rebel Inc.'s.
Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, Rebel Inc. monthly. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.
| Parameter | Game Dev Tycoon | Rebel Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (24K ratings) — better | 4.8 (42K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 91.1% of reviews — better | 89.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24K | 42K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #54 | #38 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 204 MB | 259 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Greenheart Games Pty. Ltd. | Ndemic Creations |
Customer experience
Game Dev Tycoon
Rebel Inc.
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
Rebel Inc.
From 42K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great game
- 🚀 Solid gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics
- 🧠 Challenging and strategic
Room to improve
- 🐛 Insurgents too powerful
- 🕰️ Slow progress/reputation loss
- 💰 Difficult without paying for extras
- 🤯 Overwhelming difficulty
- 🤖 Unbalanced AI/mechanics
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
Rebel Inc.
Reported bugs
3 issues- Insurgents escaping too easily
- Reputation loss issues
- Inconsistent difficulty scaling
Requested features
6 requests- More map/scenario options
- Ability to play as insurgents
- Customizable military units
- Improved tutorial/explanations
- Ability to save/continue games
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- More variety in gameplay/events
In-app purchases
Game Dev Tycoon
No in-app purchases
Rebel Inc.
- The Black Caves Expansion$1.99
- The Azure Dam Expansion$1.99
- Region Tour$3.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Early Unlock Cheats (discount)$4.99
- Campaign + Challenge$4.99
- Command Pack$6.99
- Command Pack$8.99
- Early Unlock Cheats$9.99
- All Advisors Unlock$9.99
- Command Pack$10.99
Questions
Is Game Dev Tycoon free?
Is Rebel Inc. free?
Which has better reviews, Game Dev Tycoon or Rebel Inc.?
Do Game Dev Tycoon or Rebel Inc. have ads?
Which is updated more often, Game Dev Tycoon or Rebel Inc.?
Which is more popular, Game Dev Tycoon or Rebel Inc.?
Other comparisons















