Comparison

Idle Code Tycoon vs Beacon

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

Head to head
About

Idle Code Tycoon

Build and automate a coding empire from intern to tycoon. Tap to write code, upgrade your gear, and hire developers to generate lines of code even while offline. Prestige to unlock permanent perks and climb the leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Tap to write code
  • Automate workflow
  • Hire developers
  • Prestige for permanent bonuses
  • Unlock permanent perks
  • Redesigned interface
Features
Read full description

[AD FREE] Write code. Automate production. Build a software empire. Idle Code Tycoon is an incremental idle game where every tap grows your company. Start with WRITE_CODE(), unlock automatic production, upgrade your tools, complete contracts, ship releases and keep earning while you’re away. BUILD AND AUTOMATE • Tap or hold to generate code • Unlock offline production • Upgrade developers, IDEs, servers, cloud systems, AI tools and more • Build your Tech Stack with permanent upgrades SHIP NEW RELEASES • Complete Roadmap objectives • Launch major releases and minor patches • Earn permanent bonuses • Track your deployment history MERGE AND GROW • Merge your codebase for Prestige Points • Strengthen future runs • Reach upgrades faster • Keep pushing toward the next milestone MORE WAYS TO PROGRESS • Timed backlog contracts • Sprint Focus strategies • Production boosts • Surprise bugs with extra rewards • Game Center achievements and leaderboards • iCloud sync and offline earnings • No ads There is always another upgrade, release, contract, achievement or Merge waiting. Write. Automate. Merge. Repeat. Made by a solo developer :)

About

Beacon

Guide ships to safety and repel pirates using a lighthouse beam in this arcade game. Manage your light to save vessels without panicking them, while fending off attackers. Features one-thumb controls, permanent upgrades, and daily challenges.

Highlights
  • One-thumb triage gameplay
  • Dual-purpose lighthouse beam
  • Guide friendly ships
  • Repel pirate raiders
  • Permanent upgrades
  • Daily challenges and missions
  • Colorblind-first design
Features
Read full description

The storm is rising and the harbor lights have failed. You are the keeper of the last lighthouse on a drowned coast — and your beam is the only thing standing between the lost ships and the rocks. Drag to sweep your warm amber beam across the sea. Light a ship and it finds the courage to sail home to the glowing harbor. But the same light is a weapon: it blinds the pirate raiders charging your harbor and drives them back into the dark. Hold the beam too long on one ship and it dazzles into panic — so sweep, don't stare. Ships arrive from every direction as the storm escalates. One beam. One thumb. Endless triage. BEACON: STORM HARBOR is a moody, modern nautical arcade game built around a single, fresh idea — a lighthouse beam that both saves and repels — and a pure "one more run" high-score chase. — FEATURES — • One-thumb triage you learn in seconds and never master • A dual-purpose beam: guide friendly ships home, blind the raiders • Over-light a ship and it dazzles into panic — sweep, don't stare • Escalating storms with telegraphed surges and power-up crates • A Harbor Office of permanent upgrades, plus unlockable lighthouses and beam colors • Voyages: a daily challenge run, missions to chase, and a login streak • Game Center leaderboard — climb the keepers' ranks • Original art, sound, and a calming storm soundtrack • Free to play. One simple "Remove Ads" purchase. Rewarded videos are always optional. — DESIGNED COLORBLIND-FIRST — Beacon was built by a colorblind developer, so nothing important is ever shown by color alone. Friendly ships and raiders are told apart by shape, motion, and icon; danger by silhouette and light; your harbor and shields by form and position. A Colorblind Mode and full Reduce Motion support are built in from the first launch. Light the way. Save the fleet. Outlast the storm. A nautical arcade by Bleach Games.

Screenshots

Idle Code Tycoon4 screens
Beacon3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Idle Code Tycoon at none against Beacon's shown. Idle Code Tycoon also leads on ratings volume (335 vs 1). Beacon's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Idle Code Tycoon sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Beacon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Beacon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Code Tycoon has 335 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Idle Code Tycoon versus Beacon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdle Code TycoonBeacon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (335 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings335 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMariana BrasilBenjamin Leach

Customer experience

Idle Code Tycoon

All ratings335 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive67.6%
Neutral5.4%
Negative27.0%

Beacon

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Idle Code Tycoon

One-time8
  • 25 Points$0.99
  • Starter Developer Kit$1.99
  • First Merge Bundle$1.99
Show 5 more
  • 50 Points$1.99
  • 90 Points$2.99
  • Double Productivity$3.99
  • 200 Points$4.99
  • 500 Points$9.99
1 purchases

Beacon

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Idle Code Tycoon free?
Idle Code Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Beacon free?
Beacon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Idle Code Tycoon or Beacon?
Beacon is rated higher. Idle Code Tycoon averages 4.8 out of 5 from 335 ratings, while Beacon averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Idle Code Tycoon or Beacon have ads?
Beacon shows ads; Idle Code Tycoon does not.

Other comparisons