App Studio
$996Qa base cost · $103B/sec
Business Overview
One tap, endless downloads.
Every tycoon's portfolio eventually includes a App Studio — reliable, scalable, and easy to reason about.
Cost Scaling
Every business in Tycoon Cards uses the same cost curve: each copy costs 15% more than the last. For the App Studio, that looks like this:
| Copies owned | Cost of next copy | Total spent to reach this many |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.14Qi | $996Qa |
| 10 | $4.03Qi | $20.2Qi |
| 25 | $32.8Qi | $212Qi |
| 50 | $1.08Sx | $7.19Sx |
| 100 | $1.17Sp | $7.79Sp |
Income Scaling
Income scales linearly with copies owned — no diminishing returns, ever. Owning more of the App Studio always earns proportionally more:
| Copies owned | Income per second |
|---|---|
| 1 | $103B/s |
| 10 | $1.03T/s |
| 25 | $2.57T/s |
| 50 | $5.13T/s |
| 100 | $10.3T/s |
Profit Calculations
| Payback period (1st copy) | 9,695,015 seconds |
| Income per dollar spent | $0.0/s per $1 |
| Efficient switch point | Around copy #4 (when the next copy costs more than Video Game Studio) |
See the Business Tier List for how this business ranks against all other 99 tiers by payback period.
Unlock Requirements
There is no gating system on businesses in Tycoon Cards — the App Studio is available to purchase from the very start of any run, the moment you can afford its $996Qa base cost. The only realistic "requirement" is reaching that amount of money, either by clicking, by owning cheaper businesses, or by carrying prestige and card bonuses from a previous run.
Best Upgrades
Individual businesses don't have their own upgrade trees in Tycoon Cards — the App Studio always earns exactly $103B per copy at base rate. What actually "upgrades" its value are the game's shared systems: levelling supporting cards (below), earning achievement bonuses, and increasing your prestige multiplier. Each of these applies as a percentage on top of every business you own, including this one.
Best Supporting Cards
At this tier, all-income and passive-income cards deliver the biggest absolute gains, since a percentage bonus on a high-earning business is worth far more in raw dollars than the same percentage on a cheap early tier.
Prestige Recommendations
Reaching this tier comfortably in a fresh run is a good sign your prestige multiplier and card bonuses are pulling their weight. If it takes a long time to get here after resetting, consider levelling more cards before your next prestige.
Read the full Prestige Guide for general reset timing, or the Prestige Point Planning guide to calculate exactly how many points your next reset will earn.
Research Interactions
Tycoon Cards does not currently include a research-tree system — the App Studio cannot be researched or unlocked through any mechanic beyond simply affording it. A research tree is listed as a possible future system on our Updates & Roadmap page; this section will be updated if that ever changes.
Evolution Path (Tier Progression)
Businesses in Tycoon Cards don't evolve or transform — each tier is a permanent, independent business. What we can show honestly is this business's place in the overall 100-tier progression:
- Previous tier: 💾 Software Company ($642Qa base cost)
- This tier: 📱 App Studio ($996Qa base cost)
- Next tier: 🎮 Video Game Studio ($1.54Qi base cost)
Visual Progression
The five tiers surrounding the App Studio in the business roster:
Best Strategies
- By this stage, alternate between buying this tier and opening card packs — both compound your long-term growth.
- Consider using the MAX buy button here to quickly convert a cash surplus into permanent income.
- Remember that all businesses share the same 15%-per-copy cost curve, so the fundamental buy/hold maths never changes — only the absolute numbers do.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the App Studio cost?
+
How much does the App Studio cost?
+The first copy costs 995,563,967,571,473,900 in-game dollars. Each subsequent copy costs 15% more than the last, following the same cost curve used by every business in Tycoon Cards.
How much does the App Studio earn?
+
How much does the App Studio earn?
+Each copy of the App Studio earns 102,688,233,745.134 per second, before any card, achievement, or prestige bonuses are applied.
How long does it take for the App Studio to pay for itself?
+
How long does it take for the App Studio to pay for itself?
+At base rates, one copy pays back its own cost in approximately 9,695,015 seconds — though bonuses from cards and prestige typically shorten this in practice.
When should I switch from the App Studio to Video Game Studio?
+
When should I switch from the App Studio to Video Game Studio?
+Once you own around 4 copies of the App Studio, the cost of your next copy will exceed Video Game Studio's base price — a reasonable signal to start diversifying into that tier instead.
Does prestige reset my App Studio count?
+
Does prestige reset my App Studio count?
+Yes. Prestiging resets all business ownership, including the App Studio, back to zero. However, any cards or achievements that boost this business's income remain permanently in effect on your next run.
Related Businesses
Related Guides
- Business Guide — full roster, cost curves and buy order
- Business Tier List — every business ranked by return on investment
- Economy Guide — how growth curves and inflation work game-wide
- Prestige Guide — when and how to reset for permanent bonuses
Changelog
- v1.2.0 (April 2026) — Added as part of the business expansion from 10 to 100 tiers.
Business data verified against the live game configuration · Part of the 100-business encyclopedia · Written by the Tycoon Cards development team