Comparison

Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon vs Startup to Empire

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

Head to head
About

Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon

Build a game development empire from humble beginnings to a world-famous studio. Design games, manage your team, research technology, and react to market trends to achieve chart-topping success.

Highlights
  • Build a game studio empire
  • Design games across genres and platforms
  • Hire, train, and manage a team
  • Research new technology
  • React to market trends
  • Idle-tycoon gameplay
Features
Read full description

From a one-person garage to a world-famous studio, build your game development empire one hit at a time. In Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon you start with nothing but a desk, a computer, and a big idea. Design your first game, choose its genre and platform, set the vibe, and release it to the world. Nail the trends and watch the sales and the hype roll in. Reinvest your profits to grow: hire talented developers, artists, and designers, train your team, upgrade your office, and research new engines and technology. Balance speed, quality, and budget as you chase chart-topping launches and legendary review scores. FEATURES - Start small and grow into a AAA powerhouse - Develop games across dozens of genres and platforms - Hire, train, and manage your dream team - Research new tech to stay ahead of the competition - React to market trends, hype cycles, and reviews - Simple, addictive idle-tycoon gameplay you can pick up anytime Can you build the greatest game studio of all time? Your empire starts now. Some features require in-app subscription Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Startup to Empire

Features
Read full description

What if building a digital marketing agency was a game? Startup to Empire puts you in the founder's seat. Start with $500 and a laptop on a bedroom desk. Find leads. Close clients. Deliver great work. Hire a team that works while you sleep. Then sell your agency for millions and do it all again, even stronger. But growth comes with tradeoffs. Take on too many clients without enough support and your reputation suffers. Hire too fast and payroll eats your profit. Scale the right way and your agency starts running without you. BUILD YOUR EMPIRE • Run outreach, take sales calls and deliver campaigns • Climb a 10-tier offer ladder, from $100 gigs to $10,000/mo retainers • Hire Setters, Closers, Media Buyers and Account Managers • Unlock 7 offices, from a bedroom desk to a beachfront HQ • Balance revenue, payroll, capacity, reputation and Owner Freedom • Buy 21 business upgrades that change how your agency runs SELL IT. START AGAIN. GO BIGGER. • Grow to $1M in monthly recurring revenue and sell your agency • Earn Legacy Points and spend them on 8 permanent perks • Unlock the secret Founder Legacy stage REWARDS EVERY DAY • Daily rewards with a 7-day streak • Your agency keeps earning while you're away • Surprise opportunities like viral posts, rush projects and angel investors • 46 trophies, each boosting your income forever • Optional 2× Cash boosts and Fast Cash rewards • Share your exits and milestones with friends LEARN WHILE YOU PLAY Startup to Empire is built on real concepts used by digital marketing agencies: MRR, close rate, client capacity, fulfillment, churn, payroll, automation and agency valuation. Whether you're already an entrepreneur or just curious how an agency works, the game turns business fundamentals into a satisfying progression challenge. Play offline. No account needed. Ads are always optional. How far can you build your empire?

Screenshots

Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon4 screens
Startup to Empire4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Startup to Empire at none against Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon's 2. Startup to Empire also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Startup to Empire asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 2 months, Startup to Empire fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon versus Startup to Empire: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUltimate Game Dev TycoonStartup to Empire
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRichard DeBanksEvan Dawson

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Pro Yearly1 Month trial$39.991 Year
None

Startup to Empire

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon free?
Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Startup to Empire free?
Startup to Empire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon or Startup to Empire have ads?
Startup to Empire shows ads; Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon does not.
Which is updated more often, Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon or Startup to Empire?
Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 2 months, and Startup to Empire fortnightly. Most recently, Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon was updated on November 5, 2026 and Startup to Empire on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons