Comparison

Iron Roads vs Payroll Dice

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

Head to head
About

Iron Roads

Optimize and grow your railway network in this challenging 2D train management game. Lay tracks, buy trains, and set routes to efficiently transport passengers and cargo. Enjoy board game-inspired mechanics for a cerebral optimization experience.

Highlights
  • 2D top-down train management
  • Lay tracks and set routes
  • Transport passengers and cargo
  • Board game-inspired mechanics
  • Resource token system
  • Universal purchase for iOS and macOS
Features
Read full description

"Finally, a deep and fun train management game designed perfectly for phones. Iron Roads is so much more than just a desktop game crammed onto a small screen!" Optimise and grow your railways in this challenging train management game. Earn resource tokens by refining your network until your towns are thriving. Avoid queues, jams, or angry passengers to be recognised as the unsung train hero you know you are. Iron Roads is a top-down 2D train management game in which you lay tracks, buy trains, and set their routes until you have an efficient network carrying passengers and cargo between your towns and factories. With board game-inspired mechanics such as resource tokens, geographically-induced space constraints, and innovative track order systems, Iron Roads will appeal to players who relish the more cerebral, optimisation elements of train simulation games, as opposed to more realistic business sim/tycoon-type games. Ultimately, your goal is to set up an efficient rail network that keeps your passengers happy and on-time. Features: - "Try before you buy" model. Download for free, and unlock the entire game with a one off purchase - Universal purchase. Buy once for iOS, macOS, tvOS - iCloud saves, enabling seamless gameplay across your devices

About

Payroll Dice

Strategically manipulate dice rolls to score points and pay off debts. Build unique dice combinations with new faces and synergies to overcome challenges. Face a loan shark in boss rounds with random modifiers and test your skills in an endless mode.

Highlights
  • Strategic dice manipulation
  • Dice face customization
  • Synergy crafting
  • Boss rounds with modifiers
  • Unlockable dice sets
  • Endless mode
  • Bite-sized runs
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

CONTROL THE CHAOS This isn't a luck simulator. This is strategic dice manipulation. Throw 3 dice. Rotate each die to any visible face. Score to pay your debts. BUILD YOUR PERFECT DICE Spend pips in the shop after each roll. Add new faces, craft synergies, and build something that probably shouldn't work — until it does. Every decision compounds. Every run feels different. FACE THE LOAN SHARK Clear your debts and the shark himself shows up. He doesn't play fair. Boss rounds twist the rules with random modifiers. 8 DICE SETS TO UNLOCK Different starting faces, unique passive abilities, and entirely new combo potential — every unlocked die opens a fresh tactical rabbit hole. Over 100 Unique Dice Faces Rotate Dice to Control Your Luck 7 Unlockable Dice — each transforms how you play Boss Rounds with Random Modifiers Endless Mode — difficulty scales infinitely 15–30 Minute Runs — perfect bite-sized sessions True Roguelike — no permanent upgrades, pure skill Strategic Combo Crafting High Replayability NO SAFETY NETS. NO EXCUSES. No meta-progression. No permanent upgrades. Every run starts from zero. Build from blank dice to devastating combos in 10 rounds. Think you've figured it out? Endless Mode is waiting. Simple to learn. Impossible to master. Throw. Rotate. Score. Shop. Survive. Can you pay off the loan shark before he cashes in?

Screenshots

Iron Roads4 screens
Payroll Dice4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Iron Roads at Free against Payroll Dice's $4.99. Iron Roads also leads on ratings volume (29 vs 5) and device support (5 vs 3). Payroll Dice's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (80% vs 42%). On ads and iOS requirement 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

Iron Roads is free to download; Payroll Dice costs $4.99 up front. Iron Roads sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Payroll Dice asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Payroll Dice holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Iron Roads has 29 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of Iron Roads's written reviews are positive against 80% of Payroll Dice's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Iron Roads ships an update fortnightly, Payroll Dice every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Iron Roads versus Payroll Dice: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIron RoadsPayroll Dice
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.3 (29 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.7% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings29 — better5
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#162 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB136 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCowleyfornia StudiosGeorge Timms

Customer experience

Iron Roads

All ratings29 ratings
Positive82.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative13.8%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative50.0%

Payroll Dice

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Iron Roads

One-time10
  • Horseshoe Isle$1.99
  • Forgotten Valley$1.99
  • Desert Dew$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Mistra$1.99
  • Futura$1.99
  • Full game$2.99
  • Full game$4.99
  • Full game$6.99
  • Full Game$6.99
  • Full game$8.99
None

Payroll Dice

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Iron Roads free?
Iron Roads is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Payroll Dice free?
Payroll Dice costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Iron Roads or Payroll Dice?
Payroll Dice is rated higher. Iron Roads averages 4.3 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Payroll Dice averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Iron Roads or Payroll Dice have ads?
Neither Iron Roads nor Payroll Dice shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Iron Roads or Payroll Dice?
Iron Roads ships an update fortnightly, and Payroll Dice every 4 days. Most recently, Iron Roads was updated on September 24, 2026 and Payroll Dice on September 10, 2026.

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