Comparison

Tower Sim 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

Tower Sim

Design and manage a multi-story skyscraper, from offices to penthouses. Balance your budget, optimize elevator logistics, and keep diverse tenants happy. Experience a dynamic day/night cycle and handle challenging events in this ultimate tower simulation.

Highlights
  • Complex simulation and budget management
  • Vertical logistics and elevator optimization
  • Diverse tenant needs and building types
  • Dynamic day/night cycle
  • Challenging events and emergencies
Features
Read full description

Reach for the Sky in the Ultimate Tower Simulation! Become the architect and manager of a world-class skyscraper. From humble offices to luxury penthouses and bustling shopping malls, every floor is yours to design. But building is only half the battle, can you keep your tenants happy? KEY FEATURES: Complex Simulation: Balance your budget as you grow from a one-star building to a five-star landmark. Vertical Logistics: Master the art of elevator management. Design shafts and program cars to minimize wait times and prevent tenant stress. Diverse Tenants: Build offices, condos, restaurants, and retail shops—each with unique needs and peak hours. Dynamic Day/Night Cycle: Watch your tower come to life as the sun sets and the city lights flicker on. Challenging Events: Handle everything from VIP visits to unexpected emergencies that put your management skills to the test. Do you have what it takes to manage a vertical city? Download now and start building!

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

Tower Sim4 screens
Retro Tower4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Retro Tower at daily against Tower Sim's every 2 weeks. Tower Sim's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, 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. Tower Sim sells 6 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

Tower Sim ships an update every 2 weeks, Retro Tower daily. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Tower Sim versus Retro Tower: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTower SimRetro Tower
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB32 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperChristian PuellThomas Rhode

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Tower Sim

One-time6
  • Basic Access$0.99
  • 100.000 Budget$0.99
  • 250.000 Budget$1.99
Show 3 more
  • Advance Access$2.99
  • Pro Access$4.99
  • All Access$9.99
1 purchases

Retro Tower

One-time1
  • Retro Tower Full Game$3.99

Questions

Is Tower Sim free?
Tower Sim 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 Tower Sim or Retro Tower have ads?
Neither Tower Sim nor Retro Tower shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tower Sim or Retro Tower?
Tower Sim ships an update every 2 weeks, and Retro Tower daily. Most recently, Tower Sim was updated on October 31, 2026 and Retro Tower on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons