Game Dev Story vs Aqueduct 101
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
Aqueduct 101
This app challenges you to solve intricate water flow puzzles by rearranging pipelines and contraptions. Navigate locked gates and conveyor belts to restore order and master the basics of waterworks. It offers a unique blend of slider and pipe-connecting mechanics for a fresh brain-teasing experience.
- Rearrange pipelines
- Restore water flow
- Solve 48 unique puzzles
- Master contraptions
- Overcome locked gates
- Navigate conveyor belts
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Introducing Aqueduct—a world of jumbled waterways and mixed up pipelines. It's up to you to rearrange the tracks and restore the flow. Aqueduct 101 is an introduction to the basics of this puzzling waterworks world. With 48 unique puzzles, you'll learn to master the various contraptions and concepts of Aqueduct. Locked gates, shifty conveyor belts, floating bridges, and more stand between you and order. Can you reconnect the waterways and pass Aqueduct 101? From the creators of Blockwick, Orba, and Monster Soup—Aqueduct fuses the slider-puzzle and pipe-connecting concepts into something totally new and outlandishly clever. If you're bored of the same old puzzle games, Aqueduct will give your brain the challenge it's looking for.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Aqueduct 101 at Free against Game Dev Story's $4.99. Aqueduct 101 also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.0). Game Dev Story's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (3K vs 222). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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
Aqueduct 101 is free to download; Game Dev Story costs $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 4.7 for Aqueduct 101. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Game Dev Story has 3K ratings behind it against 222, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 96% and 96% positive.
Game Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, Aqueduct 101 every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Game Dev Story | Aqueduct 101 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (3K ratings) — better | 4.7 (222 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | 95.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3K — better | 222 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 13 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #67 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 74 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kairosoft Co.,Ltd | Kieffer Bros. |
Customer experience
Game Dev Story
Aqueduct 101
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)
Aqueduct 101
From 222 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💎 Excellent puzzle game
- 🧠 Challenging and thought-provoking
- 👍 Relaxing and enjoyable experience
- 🎨 Polished and aesthetically pleasing
- 🕹️ Responsive and intuitive controls
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes when completing levels
- 🤔 Lack of hints or solutions for stuck players
- 💰 Desire for more free levels or cheaper full version
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
Aqueduct 101
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes when completing levels
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
3 requests- Add a hint system or ability to view solutions
- Introduce more levels and content in the free version
- Provide an option to reset completed levels
In-app purchases
Game Dev Story
No in-app purchases
Aqueduct 101
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Game Dev Story free?
Is Aqueduct 101 free?
Which has better reviews, Game Dev Story or Aqueduct 101?
Do Game Dev Story or Aqueduct 101 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Game Dev Story or Aqueduct 101?
Other comparisons
