Comparison

Plant Tycoon ® vs Wacky Genes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Plant Tycoon ®

Nurture a virtual greenhouse, breeding and cross-breeding plants to discover rare species and solve a genetic puzzle. Manage your plants' health, sell creations to fund research, and customize your garden. This simulation game offers a persistent world and real-time gameplay.

Highlights
  • Breed and cross-breed plants
  • Discover rare and magic plant species
  • Manage plant health and growth
  • Sell plants to fund research
  • Customize virtual garden
  • Collectible insects
  • Genetic puzzle solving
Features
Read full description

Plant Tycoon® is a gardening sim game where you nurture plants and experiment with increasingly rare and valuable species. The object is to breed and cross breed plants until you find the 6 Magic Plants of Isola and solve the genetic puzzle. You start with limited cash, a handful of seeds, some soil and water. Grow plants, organize and harvest seeds, monitor your plants' health, age and maturity, and protect your plants from dehydration and infestations. Sell some of your creations to fund your research, buy better supplies to use in your Nursery, and purchase ornaments to customize your virtual garden. This is the same best-selling Mac and Windows game, now in a universal app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, so you can take your greenhouse full of plants with you wherever you go! More about Plant Tycoon * There are many approaches to solving the game, with over 500 different species of plants to discover. * Inhabited by a wide variety of collectible insects to catch and display. * There are dozens of different seeds to experiment with. * Gorgeous artwork with detailed, dynamically-generated plants. * You can prune your plants to customize the look of your creations. * It's a genetic puzzle: discover which combinations will create the 6 Magic Plants. * It's a simulation game: grow virtual plants in a persistent world. * It’s a virtual pet: care for your plants in your own virtual greenhouse. * It’s a tycoon game: test your business skills and horticultural skills at the same time! * The built-in snapshot feature allows you to capture photos of your favorite plants in various display settings. * Experience real-time game play, with new surprises every time you turn on the game! Visit our Official Plant Tycoon site at www.PlantTycoon.com for instructions, strategy guides, and much more!

About

Wacky Genes

Engage in a fantasy-based animal genetics game where you breed creatures with billions of gene variations. Nurture, breed, and explore to discover rare forms, fortify your lab, and uncover treasures. Challenge yourself to breed out illnesses and ascend rarity tiers.

Highlights
  • Billions of gene variations
  • Selective breeding
  • Punnet square science
  • Animal expeditions for treasures
  • Breeding out illnesses
  • Ascend rarity tiers
Features
Read full description

Embark on an extraordinary adventure in Wacky Genes, the captivating fantasy-based animal genetics game! Step into the fascinating laboratory of Wacky Genes, where fantasy animals with real-life genetics await. Are you ready to embrace the role of a geneticist and unravel the mysteries of the Wacky Genes Lab? With an astonishing array of over 17 billion gene variations, prepare yourself for an unparalleled genetics and animal breeding experience. Cultivate your animal pack through selective breeding, utilizing the principles of punnet square science. Unearth the extraordinary rarities hidden within your Wacky Genes animals. NURTURE, BREED, EXPLORE, AND FORTIFY YOUR LAB Hatch your Wacky Gene animals and witness their growth into the rarest forms imaginable. Make informed breeding decisions and mutate their genes to enhance their strength. With billions of combinations at your disposal, the possibilities are endless! EXPLORE FOR TREASURES! Send your animals on thrilling expeditions to scavenge for food, eggs, or coins. Anticipation builds as you await the surprises they will bring back to you! BE VIGILANT AGAINST AILING ANIMALS Strive to breed out illnesses from your sickly animals and ensure the health and well-being of your precious creatures. EMBARK ON THE QUEST FOR RARE ANIMALS Challenge yourself to ascend the ranks of rarity, from Common to Ultra Rare. Discover the captivating genetic combinations that give birth to some of the most breathtaking animals you've ever laid eyes upon.Climb through the rarity tiers from Common to Ultra Rare. Discover the genetic combinations that create some of the most beautiful animals you’ve ever seen. Follow us on Instagram or Twitter for updates on what’s coming next! Twitter: @WackyGenes Instagram: WackyGenes

Screenshots

Plant Tycoon ®4 screens
Wacky Genes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Wacky Genes at 3.9 against Plant Tycoon ®'s 3.1. Wacky Genes also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 19 months) and review sentiment (68% vs 39%). Plant Tycoon ®'s advantage is ratings volume (292 vs 37) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Plant Tycoon ® sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Wacky Genes sells 23 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wacky Genes holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plant Tycoon ® has 292 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Plant Tycoon ®'s written reviews are positive against 68% of Wacky Genes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plant Tycoon ® ships an update every 19 months, Wacky Genes every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Plant Tycoon ® versus Wacky Genes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlant Tycoon ®Wacky Genes
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (292 ratings)3.9 (37 ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.7% of reviews68.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings292 — better37
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLDW Software, LLCJoel Brecker

Customer experience

Plant Tycoon ®

All ratings292 ratings
Positive47.9%
Neutral9.9%
Negative42.1%
Written reviews305 reviews
Positive38.7%
Neutral18.0%
Negative43.3%

Wacky Genes

All ratings37 ratings
Positive75.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative21.6%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive68.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative32.0%

Bugs and requests

Plant Tycoon ®

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game resets progress after in-app purchases
  • Crashes and freezes, especially when handling magic plants
  • Nursery sales not registering correctly

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to earn plant bucks through gameplay (e.g. watching ads, completing challenges)
  • Option to purchase the full game upfront without in-app purchases
  • Plant catalog/encyclopedia to track discovered species
  • Increased seed storage capacity
  • Faster growth rates for plants
Show 1 more
  • More frequent updates and new content

Wacky Genes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Plant Tycoon ®

One-time3
  • 10 Plant Bucks$0.99
  • 60 Plant Bucks$4.99
  • 150 Plant Bucks$9.99
23 purchases

Wacky Genes

One-time23
  • 100 Wacky Coins$0.99
  • 1 Breed Cooldown$0.99
  • 1 Breed Count$0.99
Show 20 more
  • 1 Baby Now$0.99
  • 5 Birth Now$1.99
  • Expert Arena Token$1.99
  • 250 Wacky Coins$1.99
  • 500 Wacky Coins$2.99
  • Starter Bundle$2.99
  • Rare Egg$2.99
  • 5 Breed Cooldown$2.99
  • Rare Egg (3-pack)$4.99
  • 3 Expert Arena Tokens$4.99
  • Ultimate Arena Token$4.99
  • 1000 Wacky Coins$4.99
  • Breeder Bundle$6.99
  • Legendary Egg$7.99
  • 3 Ultimate Arena Tokens$9.99
  • 2500 Wacky Coins$9.99
  • Legendary Egg (3-pack)$9.99
  • Ultimate Bundle$9.99
  • 10,000 Wacky Coins$39.99
  • 5000 Wacky Coins$49.99

Questions

Is Plant Tycoon ® free?
Plant Tycoon ® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wacky Genes free?
Wacky Genes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Plant Tycoon ® or Wacky Genes?
Wacky Genes is rated higher. Plant Tycoon ® averages 3.1 out of 5 from 292 ratings, while Wacky Genes averages 3.9 from 37 ratings.
Do Plant Tycoon ® or Wacky Genes have ads?
Neither Plant Tycoon ® nor Wacky Genes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plant Tycoon ® or Wacky Genes?
Plant Tycoon ® ships an update every 19 months, and Wacky Genes every 5 days. Most recently, Plant Tycoon ® was updated on October 18, 2026 and Wacky Genes on October 17, 2026.

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