Comparison

Subway Train Simulator vs Retro Tower

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

Head to head
About

Subway Train Simulator

Experience realistic subway train driving. Operate trains, transport passengers to their destinations, and explore different cities. Choose from various game modes, including missions and free play, to hone your driving skills.

Highlights
  • Realistic subway train operation
  • Passenger transport
  • Multiple cities (NY, London, Tokyo, Moscow)
  • Free mode and missions
  • Train horn and door controls
  • Realistic physics
Features
Read full description

* NO subscription and NO annoying nag screens Try yourself as a real subway train driver! Drive the train, take passengers to the right station and improve your skills as a subway train driver. Different game modes are available in the game: you will be able to drive the train as a driver, and also take the role of a passenger to make an unforgettable journey through all available stations. In addition, players will be able to choose between free mode and exciting missions, while striving to improve the physical parameters of the train to achieve maximum speed and improve their subway train driving skills. In addition, you'll be able to drive the train in several cities - New York, London, Tokyo and Moscow, with more cities to come in future updates. Step into the role of a driver and pump up your skills in our realistic subway simulator! Carry passengers, open and close doors at stations, use the train horn and enjoy realistic physics of train movement on underground sections.

About

Retro Tower

Features
Read full description

Build your own skyscraper and turn your first floors into a lively city in miniature. In Retro Tower, you plan apartments, offices, hotels and attractions, manage your income and watch daily life unfold in a detailed pixel world. GROW YOUR TOWER, FLOOR BY FLOOR Bring homes, workplaces, restaurants and shops together. Expand to new floors and make room for a cinema, swimming pool, ice rink and more. You decide how your skyscraper takes shape. BUILD, MANAGE AND IMPROVE Keep track of income, costs and satisfaction. Provide the services your residents and visitors need. Find bottlenecks and turn your building into a well-run tower. KEEP YOUR TOWER MOVING Watch residents, workers and guests follow their daily routines. Connect your floors with local elevators, express elevators and escalators. Add parking and a subway station to bring people into your tower. PLAY AT YOUR OWN PACE Play offline and pause to plan your next move. Three separate save slots give you room for your towers. An in-game guide and wiki help you get started. START FOR FREE Both tutorials and three buildable floors of your own tower above the lobby are free to play. Building the fourth floor above the lobby requires a one-time full-game purchase. It unlocks further expansion across all three save slots. Keep your existing tower: you can continue playing it without buying, or expand it after purchasing. One purchase. No subscriptions. No ads. Game languages: English and German.

Screenshots

Subway Train Simulator4 screens
Retro Tower4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Retro Tower at none against Subway Train Simulator's shown. Retro Tower also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks). Subway Train Simulator's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Subway Train Simulator sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Retro Tower sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Subway Train Simulator ships an update every 5 weeks, Retro Tower daily. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Subway Train Simulator versus Retro Tower: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubway Train SimulatorRetro Tower
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (245 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews84.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings245 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size363 MB32 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperAnatoly KocherginThomas Rhode

Bugs and requests

Subway Train Simulator

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Restore purchases feature not working
  • Trains not stopping at certain stations
  • Camera issues when leaving stations
  • Inconsistent train announcements and call signs

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more subway systems (e.g. San Francisco, Toronto, etc.)
  • Implement train signals and speed limits
  • Allow players to enter train depots and yards
  • Improve realism with station announcements and passenger animations
  • Introduce train scheduling and timetables

Retro Tower

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Subway Train Simulator

One-time3
  • 10 Diamonds$0.99
  • 120 Diamonds$7.99
  • 1400 Diamonds$79.99
1 purchases

Retro Tower

One-time1
  • Retro Tower Full Game$3.99

Questions

Is Subway Train Simulator free?
Subway Train Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Retro Tower free?
Retro Tower is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Subway Train Simulator or Retro Tower have ads?
Subway Train Simulator shows ads; Retro Tower does not.
Which is updated more often, Subway Train Simulator or Retro Tower?
Subway Train Simulator ships an update every 5 weeks, and Retro Tower daily. Most recently, Subway Train Simulator was updated on November 7, 2026 and Retro Tower on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons