# Machinarium vs Human Resource Machine

The clearest difference is price: Human Resource Machine at $4.99 against Machinarium's $9.99. Human Resource Machine also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 69%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Machinarium costs $9.99 and Human Resource Machine $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 — 4.4 for Machinarium against 4.5 for Human Resource Machine. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 992 and 416 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Machinarium's written reviews are positive against 80% of Human Resource Machine's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Machinarium | Human Resource Machine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$4.99** |
| Rating | [4.4 (992 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinarium/id459189186/reviews) | **[4.5 (416 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/human-resource-machine/id1005098334/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **992** | 416 |
| Positive reviews | 69.3% of reviews | **80.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#66** | #85 |
| Size | 302 MB | 133 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Amanita Design s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/423984213) | [Experimental Gameplay Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/423269933) |

## What reviewers say

### Machinarium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinarium/id459189186)

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Paid · Puzzle, #94 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on an adventure as a robot named Josef to rescue his girlfriend, Berta, who has been kidnapped by a criminal gang. Explore a unique robot city and solve puzzles to achieve your goal.

**Highlights:** Robot protagonist, Story-driven adventure, Puzzle solving, Unique robot city setting, Award-winning visuals

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and graphics
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack and sound design
- 🤖 Cute and engaging main character
- 🧠 Challenging and rewarding puzzles
- 👍 Immersive and atmospheric game world

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficulty in seeing small details on mobile screens
- 🕹️ Clunky or unresponsive touch controls
- 🤔 Puzzles can be overly obscure or unintuitive
- 🕰️ Repetitive gameplay in some areas
- 💤 Slow pacing can feel tedious at times

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes on certain devices
- Glitches preventing progress in key areas
- Inconsistent responsiveness of interactive elements

**Requested features**

- Difficulty settings or customization options
- Ability to skip or bypass certain mini-games
- Improved save/resume functionality
- Expanded story or sequel content


### Human Resource Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/human-resource-machine/id1005098334)

**Currently charting:** #85 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Solve puzzles by programming office workers to automate tasks. Progress through levels by successfully completing jobs and getting promoted. This game makes programming accessible and fun for everyone, even those new to coding.

**Highlights:** Program office workers, Solve logic puzzles, Automate tasks, Progress through levels, Learn programming concepts, Extra challenges for experts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Challenging puzzles
- 👍 Engaging gameplay
- 💡 Teaches programming concepts
- 🎨 Quirky visuals and humor

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs in certain levels
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔇 No option to play own music
- 🔀 Issues with screen rotation

**Reported bugs**

- Level 20 expecting incorrect output
- Scrolling issues causing commands to move
- Crashing on iOS 14 update

**Requested features**

- More levels and challenges
- Ability to save progress across devices
- Hints or solution guides for stuck players


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Machinarium free?

Machinarium costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Human Resource Machine free?

Human Resource Machine costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Machinarium or Human Resource Machine?

Human Resource Machine is rated higher. Machinarium averages 4.4 out of 5 from 992 ratings, while Human Resource Machine averages 4.5 from 416 ratings.

### Do Machinarium or Human Resource Machine have ads?

Neither Machinarium nor Human Resource Machine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Machinarium or Human Resource Machine?

Machinarium ships an update every 5 weeks, and Human Resource Machine every 5 weeks. Most recently, Machinarium was updated on September 26, 2026 and Human Resource Machine on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Machinarium or Human Resource Machine?

Machinarium currently peaks at #66 in the App Store charts, and Human Resource Machine at #85. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*