Game Dev Tycoon

Single-player management sim about growing a studio through gaming history

Greenheart Games 💚 · Released Aug 29, 2013

Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 95% of 45K
Recent reviews: Very Positive; 94% of 89 in 30 days
Playing now: 83; right now
Steam Deck: Playable
Last update: 11 months ago; Oct 10, 2025

What is Game Dev Tycoon?

A single-player management simulation that starts in the 1980s, where you run a game studio from a garage. You choose projects and development priorities, research technology, build engines, analyze reports, and manage staff as the company expands.

For you if...

+you enjoy economy-focused management simulations
+you like experimenting with game types and development priorities
+you value mod support for a management sandbox

Not for you if...

−you want action instead of business management decisions
−you expect multiplayer competition or cooperative play

What players say

95% of 45,120 reviews are positive · 94% of 89 in the last 30 days

Players praise the game-industry references, humor, and replay value. The most common complaint is that results depend on unclear genre and slider combinations, making development repetitive and discouraging experimentation. Recent complaints also mention lag or crashes, while some players object to a separate Netflix version receiving additional updates.

Screenshots and trailer

Game Dev Tycoon system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS: Windows XP SP3
Processor: 2 GHz dual core
Graphics: Hardware Accelerated Graphics with dedicated memory
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Notes: minimum resolution of 1024x768

PC version details

DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Keyboard and mouse
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Achievements: 35
Steam features: Workshop, Cloud saves, Family Sharing, Trading cards

Steam Deck: Playable

Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
Some text entry requires manually opening the on-screen keyboard
All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

Multiplayer and co-op

Single-player

Languages

Text only: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Arabic, Czech, Dutch, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian.