Comparison

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.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Manage game company
  • Develop own game console
  • Train staff members
  • Unlock new genres
  • Discover popular combinations
  • Develop for latest platforms
Features
Read full description

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

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.

Screenshots

Game Dev Story4 screens
Game Dev Tycoon4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Game Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, Game Dev Tycoon every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Game Dev Story versus Game Dev Tycoon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGame Dev StoryGame Dev Tycoon
Price$4.99$4.99
Rating4.9 (2.9K ratings)4.9 (24K ratings)
Positive reviews95.7% of reviews — better91.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2.9K24K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#92#53 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB204 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKairosoft Co.,LtdGreenheart Games Pty. Ltd.

Customer experience

Game Dev Story

All ratings2,943 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews1,427 reviews
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.5%

Game Dev Tycoon

All ratings24,004 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.6%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews1,109 reviews
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative5.0%

User reviews

Game Dev Story

From 2.9K App Store ratings

What 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 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

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
Show 1 more
  • Implement mod support and custom content

In-app purchases

None

Game Dev Story

No in-app purchases

None

Game Dev Tycoon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Game Dev Story free?
Game Dev Story costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Game Dev Tycoon free?
Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Game Dev Story or Game Dev Tycoon?
Game Dev Story and Game Dev Tycoon are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.9K and 24K ratings respectively.
Do Game Dev Story or Game Dev Tycoon have ads?
Neither Game Dev Story nor Game Dev Tycoon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Game Dev Story or Game Dev Tycoon?
Game Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, and Game Dev Tycoon every 3 months. Most recently, Game Dev Story was updated on September 24, 2026 and Game Dev Tycoon on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Game Dev Story or Game Dev Tycoon?
Game Dev Story currently peaks at #92 in the App Store charts, and Game Dev Tycoon at #53. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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