Game Dev Story vs Universal Paperclips™
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
Universal Paperclips™
Become a super-powered AI focused on creating an unstoppable paperclip empire. This idle management strategy simulation game offers full gameplay without ads or in-app purchases.
- AI paperclip maximization
- Idle management gameplay
- Strategy simulation
- Empire building
- Full gameplay
- No ads
- No in-app purchases
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The OFFICIAL mobile version of the hit browser game. No ads, no in-app purchases, full gameplay. "The game is click-crack." - Wired "This paperclip sim will cause your next existential crisis." - VentureBeat "A hopelessly addicting game." - Forbes "A terrifying lesson in how artificial intelligence will make us unnecessary." - Business Insider "If this planet ends up with a tombstone, what is written on the tombstone may be, 'they didn’t really understand what it’s like to be a paperclip maximizer.'" - Eliezer Yudkowsky Become a super-powerful AI who only wants one thing: paperclips. Use your unstoppable intelligence to create a massive paperclip empire in this addictive idle/management/strategy/sim.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Game Dev Story at 96% against Universal Paperclips™'s 66%. Game Dev Story also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (3K vs 303). Universal Paperclips™'s advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Universal Paperclips™ $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Game Dev Story holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Game Dev Story has 3K ratings behind it against 303, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Game Dev Story's written reviews are positive against 66% of Universal Paperclips™'s.
Game Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, Universal Paperclips™ every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Game Dev Story | Universal Paperclips™ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (3K ratings) — better | 4.5 (303 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews — better | 66.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3K — better | 303 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #70 | #46 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 74 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kairosoft Co.,Ltd | Everybody House Games, LLC |
Customer experience
Game Dev Story
Universal Paperclips™
User reviews
Game Dev Story
From 3K 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)
Universal Paperclips™
From 303 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Simple but addictive gameplay
- 👍 Engaging and clever concept
- 💡 Interesting philosophical elements
- 🚀 Surprisingly deep and replayable
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches, especially in later stages
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 😞 Lack of offline progress or background play
- 😞 Poorly optimized for iPad
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
Universal Paperclips™
Reported bugs
4 issues- Drones gifts getting stuck at NaN
- Inability to progress past certain stages due to bugs
- Inconsistent behavior when closing and reopening the app
- Resets or loss of progress after updates
Requested features
4 requests- Dark mode option
- Ability to save and resume progress across devices
- Offline/background progress
- Better iPad optimization with multi-column layout
In-app purchases
Game Dev Story
No in-app purchases
Universal Paperclips™
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Game Dev Story free?
Is Universal Paperclips™ free?
Which has better reviews, Game Dev Story or Universal Paperclips™?
Do Game Dev Story or Universal Paperclips™ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Game Dev Story or Universal Paperclips™?
Which is more popular, Game Dev Story or Universal Paperclips™?
Other comparisons
