Game Dev Story vs Game Dev Tycoon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Game Dev Story
Build your own game development studio from the ground up. Hire and train staff, research new genres, and develop hit games to conquer the industry. Create your own consoles and aim for a million-selling title.
- Manage game company
- Develop own game console
- Train staff members
- Unlock new genres
- Discover popular combinations
- Develop for latest platforms
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Manage your own game company and try to create a million-selling game in this unique simulation. Features the ability to develop your company's own game console, plus a system for changing your staff members' professions. Hire talented people and train them to develop their skills. As your staff gets more experience, you will unlock a wider array of game genres and content to develop. Try to find the most popular combinations and develop for the latest platform! Your staff members can have a variety of game-related professions, from programmer to sound engineer. Work hard and you may reach the top of the video game industry! -- Try searching for "Kairosoft" to see all of our games, or visit us at https://kairopark.jp. Be sure to check out both our free-to-play and our paid games! https://twitter.com/kairokun2010
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.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Game Dev Tycoon at 24K against Game Dev Story's 2.9K. Game Dev Story's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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 Story costs $4.99 and Game Dev Tycoon $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Game Dev Story against 4.9 for Game Dev Tycoon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Game Dev Tycoon has 24K ratings behind it against 2.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 96% of Game Dev Story's written reviews are positive against 91% of Game Dev Tycoon's.
Game Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, Game Dev Tycoon every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Game Dev Story | Game Dev Tycoon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (2.9K ratings) | 4.9 (24K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews — better | 91.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.9K | 24K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #92 | #53 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 74 MB | 204 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kairosoft Co.,Ltd | Greenheart Games Pty. Ltd. |
Customer experience
Game Dev Story
Game Dev Tycoon
User reviews
Game Dev Story
From 2.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fun game
- 👍 Simple, creative, and fun
- 👍 Nostalgic and fun
- 👍 Relaxing and enjoyable
- 👍 Great time-killer
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes on newer devices
- 🐛 Lack of explanation for some mechanics
- 🐛 Difficulty in obtaining certain resources (e.g. hardware engineer)
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
Bugs and requests
Game Dev Story
Reported bugs
3 issues- Blackouts causing loss of progress
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Difficulty in obtaining certain resources
Requested features
5 requests- More consoles and game genres
- Ability to customize console designs
- Expanded content and longer playtime
- More staff and office options
- Improved late-game progression and challenges
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
In-app purchases
Game Dev Story
No in-app purchases
Game Dev Tycoon
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Game Dev Story free?
Is Game Dev Tycoon free?
Which has better reviews, Game Dev Story or Game Dev Tycoon?
Do Game Dev Story or Game Dev Tycoon have ads?
Which is updated more often, Game Dev Story or Game Dev Tycoon?
Which is more popular, Game Dev Story or Game Dev Tycoon?
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