Comparison

Game Dev Story vs Rebel Inc.

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

Rebel Inc.

Engage in a deep political and military simulation to stabilize a country after conflict. Balance military and civilian needs to gain public support and defeat insurgents. This critically acclaimed game offers a strategic challenge inspired by modern counter-insurgency.

Highlights
  • Stabilize 10 richly modeled regions
  • Counter insurgency tactics
  • Fund local government initiatives
  • Hyper-realistic world
  • Intelligent AI
  • 9 unique governors
  • Campaign mode operations
Features
Read full description

Can you stop the Insurgency? From the creator of Plague Inc. comes a unique and deeply engaging political/military strategic simulation. The war is ‘over’ - but we all know that doesn’t mean anything. To stabilise the country, you need to balance military and civilian priorities to win the hearts and minds of the people, whilst also stopping insurgents from seizing power! Rebel Inc. is the brand new game from the creator of ‘Plague Inc.’ - one of the most popular paid games ever with over 200 million players. Brilliantly executed with beautiful graphics and critically acclaimed gameplay - Rebel Inc. offers a deeply engaging, strategic challenge inspired by the complexities and consequences of modern counter insurgency. ◈◈◈ #1 top paid game globally ◈◈◈ ▶ “Rebel Inc. lets everyone wrestle with the messy challenges of post-conflict recovery and better understand the complex realities of building peace.” - World Bank Global Lead for Stability, Peace and Security ▶ "Highly rewarding spiritual sequel to one of the App Store's biggest hits." - Pocket Tactics ▶ "Surprisingly sophisticated... even better than some of the stabilization training software I have seen in government use" - PAXsims ▶ "Rebel Inc. is fascinating and fun" - 148Apps.com ▶ "Another great game and a worthy successor to Plague Inc" - App Store review ▶ "If you love strategy games then this is the game for you" - App Store review ▶ "Brilliant game, the gameplay is interesting and the strategy is intuitive!" - App Store review ▶ "Unlike anything I’ve played on here before" - App Store review ◈◈◈ Features: ● Stabilise 10 richly modeled regions ● Innovative representation of counter insurgency tactics ● Fund realistic initiatives to empower the local government ● Highly detailed, hyper-realistic world based on extensive research ● Intelligent strategic and tactical AI ● Sophisticated narrative algorithms shaped by your decisions ● 9 unique governors with radically different abilities ● Conduct large-scale Operations in Campaign mode ● Play new generated Challenges every week ● 23 Official Scenarios including disease outbreaks, helicopters and advanced insurgents ● Comprehensive in-game help and tutorial system ● Full Save/Load functionality ● Internet connectivity not required An important note: Although a fictional game, Rebel Inc. looks at important real world issues and we have made every effort to deal with them sensitively. The game has been extensively researched and has been developed in cooperation with leading regional politicians, business people and journalists as well as international charities, experts and governments. Special sale price to celebrate the launch of the game! ◈◈◈ I’ve got lots of plans for updates! Get in touch and let me know what you want to see. James (the designer) Contact me here: www.ndemiccreations.com/en/1-support

Screenshots

Game Dev Story4 screens
Rebel Inc.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Game Dev Story at none against Rebel Inc.'s 10. Game Dev Story also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). Rebel Inc.'s advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (42K vs 3K). On rating, review sentiment, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Game Dev Story costs $4.99 and Rebel Inc. $1.99 up front. Rebel Inc. sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Game Dev Story asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Game Dev Story against 4.8 for Rebel Inc.. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rebel Inc. has 42K ratings behind it against 3K, 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 89% of Rebel Inc.'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Game Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, Rebel Inc. monthly. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Game Dev Story versus Rebel Inc.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGame Dev StoryRebel Inc.
Price$4.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.9 (3K ratings) — better4.8 (42K ratings)
Positive reviews95.8% of reviews — better89.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3K42K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#88#45 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB259 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKairosoft Co.,LtdNdemic Creations

Customer experience

Game Dev Story

All ratings2,943 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews1,437 reviews
Positive95.8%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.4%

Rebel Inc.

All ratings41,551 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews2,382 reviews
Positive89.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative7.8%

User reviews

Game Dev Story

From 3K 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)

Rebel Inc.

From 42K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great game
  • 🚀 Solid gameplay
  • 💡 Unique concept
  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics
  • 🧠 Challenging and strategic

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Insurgents too powerful
  • 🕰️ Slow progress/reputation loss
  • 💰 Difficult without paying for extras
  • 🤯 Overwhelming difficulty
  • 🤖 Unbalanced AI/mechanics

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

Rebel Inc.

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Insurgents escaping too easily
  • Reputation loss issues
  • Inconsistent difficulty scaling

Requested features

6 requests
  • More map/scenario options
  • Ability to play as insurgents
  • Customizable military units
  • Improved tutorial/explanations
  • Ability to save/continue games
Show 1 more
  • More variety in gameplay/events

In-app purchases

None

Game Dev Story

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Rebel Inc.

One-time10
  • The Black Caves Expansion$1.99
  • The Azure Dam Expansion$1.99
  • Region Tour$3.99
Show 7 more
  • Early Unlock Cheats (discount)$4.99
  • Campaign + Challenge$4.99
  • Command Pack$6.99
  • Command Pack$8.99
  • Early Unlock Cheats$9.99
  • All Advisors Unlock$9.99
  • Command Pack$10.99

Questions

Is Game Dev Story free?
Game Dev Story costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Rebel Inc. free?
Rebel Inc. costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Game Dev Story or Rebel Inc.?
Game Dev Story is rated higher. Game Dev Story averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Rebel Inc. averages 4.8 from 42K ratings.
Do Game Dev Story or Rebel Inc. have ads?
Neither Game Dev Story nor Rebel Inc. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Game Dev Story or Rebel Inc.?
Game Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, and Rebel Inc. monthly. Most recently, Game Dev Story was updated on November 7, 2026 and Rebel Inc. on November 7, 2026.
Which is more popular, Game Dev Story or Rebel Inc.?
Game Dev Story currently peaks at #88 in the App Store charts, and Rebel Inc. at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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