# Game Dev Tycoon vs Captain's Bluff

The clearest difference is price: Captain's Bluff at Free against Game Dev Tycoon's $4.99. Captain's Bluff also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Game Dev Tycoon's advantage is chart position (#59 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Captain's Bluff is free to download; Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, Captain's Bluff every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Game Dev Tycoon | Captain's Bluff |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-dev-tycoon/id1162580001/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 91.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#59** | — |
| Size | 204 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Greenheart Games Pty. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/877999140) | [John Cyrus Espiritu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1861816128) |

## What reviewers say

### Game Dev Tycoon

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

**Currently charting:** #59 Top Paid · Simulation, #64 Top Paid · Strategy, #179 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


### Captain's Bluff

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captains-bluff-liars-dice/id6756616343)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Game Dev Tycoon free?

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

### Is Captain's Bluff free?

Captain's Bluff is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Game Dev Tycoon or Captain's Bluff have ads?

Neither Game Dev Tycoon nor Captain's Bluff shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Game Dev Tycoon or Captain's Bluff?

Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, and Captain's Bluff every 2 weeks. Most recently, Game Dev Tycoon was updated on September 26, 2026 and Captain's Bluff on September 18, 2026.

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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.*