Comparison

Game Dev Tycoon vs After Inc.

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read 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.

About

After Inc.

Rebuild civilization after a zombie apocalypse by building a settlement, exploring, and scavenging for resources. Make difficult societal decisions and defend against zombie threats in a persistent campaign.

Highlights
  • Build and expand settlements
  • Explore a post-apocalyptic world
  • Scavenge for resources
  • Make difficult societal decisions
  • Defend against zombie infestations
  • Research new technologies
  • Persistent campaign with multiple settlements
Features
Read full description

Can you rebuild civilization after a zombie apocalypse? From the creator of Plague Inc. comes a unique blend of strategic simulation, survival city builder and ‘mini 4X’. Decades after the Necroa Virus ravaged humanity, a few survivors emerge. Build a settlement, explore, scavenge resources and expand as you shape your post-apocalyptic society. The world is green and beautiful but danger lurks in the ruins! After Inc. is the brand new game from the creator of ‘Plague Inc.’ - one of the most popular games ever with over 190 million players. Brilliantly executed with beautiful graphics and critically acclaimed gameplay - After Inc. is engaging and easy to learn. Build multiple settlements and gain abilities in a persistent campaign to lead humanity out of the darkness. Public Service Announcement: Unlike our other games, I’m pleased to say that After Inc. is not based on any real world situation. No need to start worrying about a real life zombie apocalypse yet… ◈◈◈ What happens after Plague Inc.? ◈◈◈ Features: ● Make difficult decisions - Are children an unaffordable luxury? Are dogs pets or a food source? Democracy or Authoritarianism? ● Explore a beautiful post-apocalyptic United Kingdom ● Exploit the ruins of the past to scavenge / harvest resources ● Expand your Settlement with housing, farms, lumberyards and much more ● Exterminate zombie infestations and defend humanity ● Uncover old technologies and research new ones ● Shape your society and provide services to keep your people happy ● Build multiple settlements in a persistent campaign and level up abilities ● Ultra realistic modelling of Zombie behaviour based on real life studies… :P ● Sophisticated narrative algorithms shaped by your decisions ● 5 unique leaders with radically different abilities ● Internet connectivity not required ● No ‘consumable microtransactions. Expansion Packs are ‘buy once, play forever’ ●Will be updated for years to come. 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 www.twitter.com/NdemicCreations

Screenshots

Game Dev Tycoon4 screens
After Inc.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Game Dev Tycoon at none against After Inc.'s 14. After Inc.'s advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and price ($1.99 vs $4.99). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99 and After Inc. $1.99 up front. After Inc. sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Game Dev Tycoon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Game Dev Tycoon against 4.8 for After Inc.. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24K and 16K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Game Dev Tycoon's written reviews are positive against 88% of After Inc.'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, After Inc. fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Game Dev Tycoon versus After Inc.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGame Dev TycoonAfter Inc.
Price$4.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.9 (24K ratings) — better4.8 (16K ratings)
Positive reviews91.1% of reviews — better88.5% of reviews
Number of ratings24K — better16K
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#55#9 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size204 MB276 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperGreenheart Games Pty. Ltd.Ndemic Creations

Customer experience

Game Dev Tycoon

All ratings24,004 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.6%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews1,110 reviews
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative5.0%

After Inc.

All ratings16,484 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews2,408 reviews
Positive88.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative7.8%

User reviews

Game Dev Tycoon

From 24K App Store ratings

What 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

After Inc.

From 16K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great game
  • 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
  • 💡 Interesting concept and mechanics
  • 👍 Offline play
  • 👍 Good value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔒 Content locked behind paywall
  • 🔒 Lack of free play mode
  • 🔒 Limited number of missions
  • 🐛 Scrolling issues in menus

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
Show 1 more
  • Implement mod support and custom content

After Inc.

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Sudden zombie attacks crippling settlements
  • Moral system being too punishing
  • Difficulty balancing issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Endless/sandbox mode
  • More varied mission types
  • Ability to customize settlement
  • Improved camera controls
  • More content updates and expansions

In-app purchases

None

Game Dev Tycoon

No in-app purchases

14 purchases

After Inc.

One-time14
  • Survival Guide$2.99
  • New Leaders$4.99
  • Cheats & Punishment$4.99
Show 11 more
  • Ultimate Pack (big discount)$4.99
  • Season 2 Pass (Discount)$6.99
  • Critical Mass$6.99
  • Season 1 Pack (discount)$6.99
  • Beyond the Bunkers$6.99
  • Shadows of the Past$6.99
  • Season 2 Pass$9.99
  • Season 1 Pack$9.99
  • Ultimate Pack (discount)$11.99
  • Ultimate Pack$14.99
  • Season 1 Pack (full)$19.99

Questions

Is Game Dev Tycoon free?
Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is After Inc. free?
After Inc. costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Game Dev Tycoon or After Inc.?
Game Dev Tycoon is rated higher. Game Dev Tycoon averages 4.9 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while After Inc. averages 4.8 from 16K ratings.
Do Game Dev Tycoon or After Inc. have ads?
Neither Game Dev Tycoon nor After Inc. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Game Dev Tycoon or After Inc.?
Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, and After Inc. fortnightly. Most recently, Game Dev Tycoon was updated on October 17, 2026 and After Inc. on October 16, 2026.
Which is more popular, Game Dev Tycoon or After Inc.?
Game Dev Tycoon currently peaks at #55 in the App Store charts, and After Inc. at #9. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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