Game Dev Tycoon. 32 best tycoon and economic video games in 2023

As our studio expands, we are working on more ambitious projects, such as our own digital distribution platform.

Released in 2013, Game Dev Tycoon is one of the first and, in the opinion of many, of the best modern titles devoted to the theme of video game development. The developers responsible, Greenheart Games (interestingly enough, the studio is built by authors working remotely from various parts of the world), managed to score an impressive 95% of positive reviews on Steam and boast an excellent reception of iOS and Android mobile devices and Nintendo Switch handheld ports.

The game begins in 1980s, with players assuming the role of a video game fan who decides to establish his own development studio in his parents' garage with an intent to transform it into a video game powerhouse. The roadmap of such aspirations leads through the design and production of games. The gathered income lets you invest further amount of cash on the prosperous business. However, this task is not an easy one, because at the beginning of our activity the budget is quite limited, and we have to decide which aspect of the game should receive our attention. What is worse, our activities are evaluated by the gaming industry press, and the requirements of gamers are growing every year. This in turn forces us to conduct a research on new technologies or graphics engines. With time, it is also necessary to hire more developers and move to a larger location.

Game Dev Tycoon in an interesting way simulates the changes that have taken place in the gaming industry over several decades of its history. This item is has simple but colourful and legible graphics set in isometric projection. In addition, it is constantly being developed by the authors who successively publish subsequent updates, eliminating bugs and enriching the game with new content.

Mad Games Tycoon is also a recommended and slightly better in terms of graphics alternative to Game Dev Tycoon.

It is worth noting that the success of this title contributed to the literal flood of similar products on the market. Notable here is Mad Games Tycoon, developed and released in 2016 by German Eggcode Game (90% of positive reviews on Steam).

1. Official website of the game
2. The game's page on Steam
3. Game's page on the Microsoft Store

Industry Giant 2

The graphics design of Industry Giant II, released in the 2015, does not differ significantly from the original version from 13 years ago.

The Austrian JoWood Entertainment, before its unfortunate demise, has marked its presence on the tycoon market with multiple more or less successful brands, such as Traffic Giant, Transport Giant, or Hotel Giant. However, the most successful of them was the 90's spawned Industry Giant series, which includes two main installments, released between 1997 and 2002, and received well by both critics and gamers.

Thirteen years after the release of the second part of the series, two development teams, Reactor and Fancy Bytes, prepared a refreshed version of the game. One and a half years later it was also released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The action of Industry Giant II takes place in America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and player's task is to create a well-functioning company with a global reach. You can, for example, purchase and transport raw materials, manufacture various goods, manage logistics and then sale finished products. The story begins in 1900 - you, equipped with a small amount of cash, begin to lay the foundation of an industrial empire.

The gameplay is based mainly on a realistic representation of real economic dependencies - so while playing, as in the real world, there are seasonal fluctuations in the global economy, as well as various historical events, such as the Prohibition Period.

Commodity trade includes more than 150 different products that actually appeared on the market in different periods and more than 50 vehicle types that are specific to a given period of time. There is also a plethora of opportunities to interact with competitors with whom we can cooperate or compete.

Industry Giant II is the second best-selling title on our list and represents a refreshed version of the highly acclaimed tycoon from years ago. It should be emphasized that this game cannot boast of the same level of quality as most modern titles of this genre. This is especially true because, apart from more details and support for higher resolutions, it does not differ much from the original from thirteen years ago. If you are a retro fan, you can also try the original version of the game. Try to search for it via some auction trading services.

1. The game's page on Steam
2. Game's page on the Microsoft Store
3. Game's page on the GOG.com