Comparison

CBB Simulator vs Hardwood Empire

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

Head to head
About

CBB Simulator

Build and manage your college basketball team to national championship glory. Recruit top talent, develop players, and strategize rotations. Navigate the transfer portal and customize your league for ultimate control.

Highlights
  • Recruit elite talent
  • Develop players and manage rotations
  • Navigate the transfer portal
  • Coach progression and skill tree
  • Detailed game simulation
  • Postseason tournament play
  • Custom league creation
Features
Read full description

Build your college basketball dynasty in the most immersive and strategic College Basketball Simulation available. Recruit elite talent, develop players, manage rotations, and chase national championships. COACH: Start at any program and turn it into a national powerhouse. Manage seasons, rotations, minutes, injuries, and long-term player development as you build a team that dominates year after year. RECRUIT: Scout high school prospects, evaluate skill sets, uncover hidden gems, and compete with rival programs for top talent. Recruit high school players using scouting, interest tracking, and scholarship offers. TRANSFER PORTAL: Navigate the modern era of college basketball by recruiting proven players to fill immediate needs. Retain your core, replace departures, and reshape your roster every offseason through the portal. COACH PROGRESSION: Choose your coaching background and grow through a skill tree. Earn XP from season goals and achievements to unlock perks that enhance recruiting, player development, and offensive/defensive strategy. GAME SIMULATION: Experience detailed action driven by pace and matchups. POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT: Compete in realistic postseason formats, from conference tournaments to the national tournament. Survive single-elimination pressure, neutral-site battles, and Cinderella runs on the road to cutting down the nets. NEWS FEED: Follow the college basketball world through an in-game social feed reacting to all things in your world. CUSTOM LEAGUES: Create custom conferences or use a built-in college basketball structure. Import teams, realign leagues, and design the competitive landscape you want to dominate. Start your dynasty today. Build your roster. Control the tempo. Make history.

About

Hardwood Empire

Manage a college basketball program, from recruiting top talent to simulating seasons and chasing championships. This deep simulation offers detailed player stats and a dynasty mode spanning over 20 seasons.

Highlights
  • 365 teams across 23 conferences
  • Full recruiting system
  • Season simulation with detailed stats
  • Player development and career tracking
  • Dynasty mode for 20+ seasons
  • Conference tournaments and championship bracket
Features
Read full description

Build a college basketball dynasty from the ground up. Choose from 365 teams across 23 conferences, recruit top prospects, manage your roster, and chase championship glory season after season. If you've been waiting for a deep, modern college hoops sim on iOS — this is it. Hardwood Empire puts you in full control of your program. Scout and recruit the best players, set your lineup, develop talent, and make the tough decisions that separate contenders from rebuilds. Every season plays out with full game logs, box scores, and detailed player stats — so your dynasty actually feels like a dynasty. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT Most basketball sims are either shallow, abandoned, or loaded with microtransactions. Hardwood Empire is none of those. It's built by a solo developer who plays his own game, takes community feedback seriously, and ships updates regularly. FEATURES - 365 teams across 23 conferences - Full recruiting system — scout, pitch, and sign top prospects - Season simulation with box scores, game logs, and player stats - Player development, awards, and career tracking - Dynasty mode spanning 20+ seasons of program history - Detailed player profiles with bios, ratings, and performance data - Conference tournaments and a full championship bracket - Season awards including Player of the Year, All-Conference, and more YOUR FEEDBACK SHAPES THE GAME Join the community on Reddit at r/HardwoodEmpire to share ideas, report bugs, and help shape what gets built next. This game is actively developed and updated — your voice matters. Whether you're taking over a mid-major and grinding your way to relevance or defending a title at a powerhouse, every decision you make echoes across seasons. How long can you keep your empire standing?

Screenshots

CBB Simulator4 screens
Hardwood Empire4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: CBB Simulator at none against Hardwood Empire's shown. Hardwood Empire's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. CBB Simulator sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Hardwood Empire sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for CBB Simulator against 4.8 for Hardwood Empire. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 703 and 863 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of CBB Simulator's written reviews are positive against 78% of Hardwood Empire's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CBB Simulator ships an update fortnightly, Hardwood Empire every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
CBB Simulator versus Hardwood Empire: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCBB SimulatorHardwood Empire
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (703 ratings)4.8 (863 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better77.8% of reviews
Number of ratings703863 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMani ForoughiFinn keating

Customer experience

CBB Simulator

All ratings690 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews60 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative11.7%

Hardwood Empire

All ratings851 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

CBB Simulator

One-time3
  • 1 Checkpoint Token$0.99
  • 5 Checkpoint Tokens$2.99
  • Pro Edition$3.99
2 purchases

Hardwood Empire

One-time2
  • Remove Ads.$3.99
  • God Mode$4.99

Questions

Is CBB Simulator free?
CBB Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hardwood Empire free?
Hardwood Empire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CBB Simulator or Hardwood Empire?
Hardwood Empire is rated higher. CBB Simulator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 703 ratings, while Hardwood Empire averages 4.8 from 863 ratings.
Do CBB Simulator or Hardwood Empire have ads?
Hardwood Empire shows ads; CBB Simulator does not.
Which is updated more often, CBB Simulator or Hardwood Empire?
CBB Simulator ships an update fortnightly, and Hardwood Empire every 3 days. Most recently, CBB Simulator was updated on October 25, 2026 and Hardwood Empire on October 23, 2026.

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