# Mini Metro vs Game Dev Tycoon

The clearest difference is price: Mini Metro at $3.99 against Game Dev Tycoon's $4.99. Mini Metro also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Mini Metro costs $3.99 and Game Dev Tycoon $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Mini Metro against 4.9 for Game Dev Tycoon. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31K and 24K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Mini Metro's written reviews are positive against 91% of Game Dev Tycoon's.

Mini Metro ships an update every 2 months, Game Dev Tycoon every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mini Metro | Game Dev Tycoon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$3.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (31K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-metro/id837860959/reviews) | [4.9 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-dev-tycoon/id1162580001/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **31K** | 24K |
| Positive reviews | 87.6% of reviews | **91.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | #51 |
| Size | 179 MB | 204 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dinosaur Polo Club](https://appshunter.io/developer/1119391227) | [Greenheart Games Pty. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/877999140) |

## What reviewers say

### Mini Metro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-metro/id837860959)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Paid · Simulation, #22 Top Paid · Strategy, #52 Top Paid · Games, #83 Top Paid (US App Store)

Design and manage a subway system for a growing city. Draw lines, start trains, and adapt your network as new stations open. Strategically use limited resources to keep the city moving and achieve the highest score.

**Highlights:** Design subway maps, Draw lines between stations, Manage train routes, Adapt to random city growth, Utilize limited resources, Over two dozen real-world cities, Variety of upgrades

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and relaxing gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist design
- ⏱️ Addictive and time-killing
- 🌐 Wide variety of cities to play
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Trains skipping stations
- 🤯 Overwhelming difficulty at times
- 🔍 Lack of clear instructions
- 🔀 Difficulty removing/rerouting lines
- 🕰️ No ability to save progress

**Reported bugs**

- Leaderboard issues with daily challenges
- Crashes and compatibility problems on certain devices
- Unexpected behavior when trains skip stations

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality
- Ability to create branching lines
- More detailed statistics and analytics
- Additional game modes (e.g. career, scenarios)
- Integration with real-world transit data


### Game Dev Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-dev-tycoon/id1162580001)

**Currently charting:** #51 Top Paid · Simulation, #55 Top Paid · Strategy, #148 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Build your own game development company from the 1980s to the present. Design and create your own games, research new technologies, and manage a team to become a market leader. Enjoy a full simulation experience without ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Start a game development company, Design and create your own games, Research new technologies, Hire and manage a development team, Replay gaming history, Built-in screen recording and streaming

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cheap price
- 👍 No in-app purchases or ads
- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 👍 Realistic game development simulation
- 👍 Detailed and complex mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game crashes on launch for some users
- 🐛 Orientation issues on iPhone X
- 🐛 Difficulty remembering research and specialist information
- 🔋 Game can be very time-consuming
- 🤔 Lack of difficulty options or sandbox mode

**Reported bugs**

- Loan payback amount inconsistency
- Game reports not carrying over knowledge

**Requested features**

- Add more console and game genre options
- Implement employee personalities and interactions
- Provide more detailed game performance history
- Allow simultaneous game development
- Add difficulty settings and sandbox mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mini Metro free?

Mini Metro costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Game Dev Tycoon free?

Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mini Metro or Game Dev Tycoon?

Mini Metro and Game Dev Tycoon are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 31K and 24K ratings respectively.

### Do Mini Metro or Game Dev Tycoon have ads?

Neither Mini Metro nor Game Dev Tycoon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mini Metro or Game Dev Tycoon?

Mini Metro ships an update every 2 months, and Game Dev Tycoon every 3 months. Most recently, Mini Metro was updated on September 29, 2026 and Game Dev Tycoon on September 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Mini Metro or Game Dev Tycoon?

Mini Metro currently peaks at #20 in the App Store charts, and Game Dev Tycoon at #51. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*