PC garage
- Engine tier and feature scope
- Small-team workload caps
- Genre fit on a tight budget
- First-office upgrade timing
tech routes
Tech routes
Game Dev Tycoon plays differently across research eras: garage PC builds, console licensing, later hardware waves, and the marketing stack you unlock. The tech route is part of every strategy check.
comparison matrix
Research friction by route
Console unlock
- Dev kit research order
- Platform-exclusive contract risk
- Audience size vs. dev cost
- Sequel loyalty on new hardware
Later hardware
- Generation jumps and engine lag
- Multi-platform release planning
- Graphics vs. gameplay focus trade-offs
- Save continuity across eras
Marketing stack
- Hype timing before launch
- Target audience research depth
- PR spend vs. review score floor
- Franchise momentum after a hit