RollerCoaster Tycoon announced for the Xbox Infogrames announces that it will release an Xbox version of its best-selling PC management game in March. First screens inside.
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Roller Coaster & theme park simulators have been some of the most addicting and fun games I have ever played. When I was a kid I used to love the RollerCoaster Tycoon series on PC. It was a joy building giant crazy coasters, overcharging for food, and watching people get sick on my awesome creations. Moving forward almost 20 years, those games are still great. Since then, newer and even more impressive games have been released. This article covers the 10 best roller coaster video games released so far. When new worthy games are released, this article will be updated!
10. AirCoaster (IOS)
Aircoaster is the most realistic Roller Coaster build and ride simulation game available for Apple devices. There is no theme park management in Aircoaster. Simply create a Roller Coaster with the editor provided, save it, and then test it out. The 3D engine and graphics are pretty impressive considering it’s playable on mobile devices. The editor is not too complicated to learn, but it does take some practice and is not the most user-friendly. The editor is also not too restrictive, allowing you to create huge coasters with a massive amount of track lengths. Special effects and unique scenery can also be added to your coaster designs. If you are itching to create realistic roller coasters on your iPhone or IPad, AirCoaster is a great option.
– See It On Itunes
– Gameplay Video
Rollercoaster Tycoon On Xbox One Pc
9. RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch & 4 Mobile (Android, IOS)
– See It On Marketplaces:Amazon | Google Play | Itunes
Both Rollercoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile and RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch are good games, however, they don’t evolve the series enough and they lack the amount of content that earlier games in series have. The micro-transactions can be annoying in these titles, especially in Rollercoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile. It’s not too bad, but it does take away from the game a bit knowing some rides, items and card packs cost real money unless you are prepared to wait and grind. Besides the micro-transactions and thinner content, these games are fun to play. They do provide the entire theme park management experience and the roller coaster creator is easy to use and works well. The in-game HUD works great with mobile devices. Out of these two titles, I would recommend playing RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch, but both games are pretty good.
– Gameplay Video
8. Thrillville: Off The Rails (PC, Xbox 360)
– See It On Amazon
What’s most fun about Thrillville: Off The Rails is the 100 plus amusement park missions. Some missions will teach you how to play, while others provide a good challenge. You get to play as a visitor in your park, so after you build rides or coasters, you can test them out first hand. You can also talk to other visitors to find out how they feel about your park. This game is extremely easy to play, and performing basic tasks is newbie friendly. The coaster building mechanics are easy to use, however they are a little limited in variety. There are also tons of mini-games to play, they are ok I guess because they do add some variety to the gameplay. Thrillville is not the most serious roller coaster game on this list, but it’s fun to play and does provide a solid amount of content in every aspect of a theme park management simulator. Thrillville can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. It’s the best roller coaster game on this list for family play.
– Gameplay Video
7. RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic (Android, IOS, PC)
– See It On Marketplaces:Google Play | Itunes | Steam
If you are a PC gamer you will probably be underwhelmed by RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, because it’s basically the first game with a lot of content from Rollercoaster Tycoon 1 & 2 and their expansions added in. For some longtime RollerCoaster Tycoon players, this is a dream come true, while others see it as a quick cash grab. As far as mobile devices go, I think this is the best Rollercoaster game available. Unlike other RollerCoaster Tycoon games on Android or IOS devices, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic has no micro-transactions and more content that can be easily unlocked. RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic does cost $6 but it’s well worth the price and avoiding any micro-transactions makes this feel like a real game. The games camera view can now zoom in and out at any time, which is a nice addition. This is a great buy if you have never played a RollerCoaster Tycoon game, and only play games on mobile devices. If you game on a PC, keep reading this top list, there are many better options available.
– Gameplay Video
6. Screamride (Xbox One, Xbox 360)
– See It On Amazon
Screamride is a unique action Roller Coaster simulator that’s available exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Screamride allows you to build some of the craziest and fastest roller coasters in any game. You will progress in the game by completing jobs in each level. If cars fly off the track, it’s back to editing your roller coasters track or speed. Some of the mission objectives are pretty challenging and all levels have there own online leaderboards. This game is not all about building coasters. Some objectives are based on how well you can crash them and how much destruction you can cause. Sandbox mode is a lot of fun if you feel like messing around. Building crazy tracks or planning the ultimate doomsday collision is a great time killer in sandbox mode. You can share your coaster creations or download other player creations via Xbox Live. I actually really enjoyed this game, probably because it was different from any other roller coaster simulator I have ever played.
– Gameplay Video
5. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum (PC)
– See It On Amazon
Back in the day, I remember drooling over screenshots of RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 I saw in magazines before it was released. The new coaster cam feature looked so awesome. The ability to go on coasters that I built in a first-person perspective was a dream come true, along with the completely 3D visuals. The older Roller Coaster Tycoon games were all in 2D. So 3D graphics were a big deal and a nice upgrade. I had a lot of fun with this game, even though I still prefer Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 and it’s expansions packs more. Compared to part 2, Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 has better graphics, improved visitor AI, and the coaster cam is a nice addition. Besides those few improvements, I like everything else about part 2 more. This one is different enough from other games in the series to still recommend it though. After you play a few better Roller Coaster games, you might want to check out RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, it’s still worth playing.
– Gameplay Video
4. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack (PC)
– See It On Amazon
Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 (Including expansions) was my personal favorite Rollercoaster/theme park simulation game for almost 15 years. Even though the graphics are outdated, everything in this game is so alive and the compact 2D camera view works so well. The music, track creator, visitors, screams, barf spots, shops, food places, janitors, cost management, and most importantly the premade rides and roller coasters are all impressive. This game features 25 real-life six flags roller coaster designs along with 5 real-life six flag theme park designs. When I started to get bored expanding my parks, me and my older brother used to love building death coasters. Watching people get sick or flying off of coaster tracks to there death, provided hours of entertainment (in my immature teen years, lol). When playing RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 again recently, I realized it has aged decently well and is still fun to play. There is so much content packed into RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, that once you start playing you probably won’t want to stop.
– Gameplay Video
3. Parkitect (PC, Early Access)
– See It On Steam
Parkitect is the spiritual successor to Rollercoaster Tycoon 1 & 2, it is similar to those games in many ways. Like Rollercoaster Tycoon 1 & 2, Parkitect is also a 2D game and it nails the theme park vibe perfectly. It is built on a modern gaming engine, so the resolution, sound, guest AI, track builder, and overall design is more impressive compared to dated RollerCoaster Tycoon titles. The game is in early access (Beta) on Steam, but already has tons of content. The development for this game is very active, with the devs dropping updates almost weekly. MODS are also gaining popularity within the community via steam workshop. Eventually, I think they should create a tutorial for this game, not that it’s hard but a few tools could use a little guidance for newbies. It was difficult to rank this game because I like it so much despite it being early access. I can only imagine how good the final game will end up becoming. It’s possible Parkitect could be the king of Roller Coaster theme park sims in the future.
– Gameplay Video
2. NoLimits 2 Roller Coaster Simulation (PC)
– See It On Steam
Nolimits 2 is the most realistic roller coaster creator/simulator. This software is actually used by real-life roller coaster engineers. Warning though, this is not a theme park simulation game and it won’t appeal to everyone. It’s more of a Roller Coaster/landscape builder and test ride tool. The Roller Coaster creator tools are very professional, and they’re not too easy to use for newbies. It’s best to check out some Youtube videos, to learn some of the basics before creating Roller Coasters. There is a lot of premade coasters to test out and even more, user-created ones available at the Steam Workshop. NoLimits 2 is at the top when it comes to graphics, physics, and realism. If you happen to own an HTC VIVE or an Oculus Rift it is a blast riding coasters in virtual reality. If you care only about roller coaster building/riding and nothing else, you got to check out Nolimits 2.
– Gameplay Video
1. Planet Coaster (PC)
– See It On Steam
Planet Coaster is by far the best Rollercoaster/theme park simulator and management game on this list. Planet Coaster was created by Frontier Developments, the same developers that worked on many of the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon games. This game screams high quality on every level. The graphics, physics, ride designs, visitor AI, track/landscape creators, economy, sandbox, and management system are on another level compared to any other game in the genre. There is a large variety of different premade rides and coasters to build. Modifying and creating your own coasters, landscapes, and buildings are so addicting because there is so many items and options to work with. The games tools are very inviting and fun to use. If you wanted to recreate your favorite rides from real-life theme parks, Planet Coaster’s sophisticated engine and tools can turn your thoughts into reality. This game still receives updates regularly and has an extremely active Steam workshop community, with thousands of MODs and DLC to check out. Planet Coasters only major con is, it does require a high spec PC to run, so everyone with outdated potato PC’s will have to skip this game for now.
– Gameplay Video
* Honorable Mentions *
The following games are too outdated or barely missed our top list.
Rollercoaster Tycoon Deluxe – The first game in the Rollercoaster Tycoon series and it’s still fun to play. I love the two expansions also, especially Loopy Landscapes. I could have easily added this game to the top 10 list, but I already had too many RollerCoaster Tycoon games listed xD.
Coaster (MS-DOS PC) – The first mainstream Roller Coaster build & ride game released. Graphics are really outdated, coaster builder is CAD style, but if you are rocking an MS-DOS machine it might be worth playing at least for gaming history’s sake.
Coaster Works (Dreamcast) – A decent CAD style roller Coaster build and ride game released exclusively for the SEGA Dreamcast.
Theme Park Inc (PC) – A bit better than Theme Park World, and is a pretty good game overall.
Theme Park World (PS2, PC) – The best theme park simulator on the PS2.
3D Rollercoaster Rush (iOS, Android) – A simple 2D roller coaster arcade style game kids will probably love.
Coaster Crazy (IOS) – A nice beginner or kids roller coaster creator game.
Theme Park (MS-DOS PC) – Before there was RollerCoaster Tycoon, Theme Park was an awesome game to play.
RollerForce (PC, HTC Vive or Oculus Rift Required) – A decent Roller Coaster VR simulation game.
RollerCoaster Legends (PC, HTC Vive or Oculus Rift Required) – Another pretty good Roller Coaster VR simulator.
Shallow simulation and lingering bugs make Rollercoaster Tycoon World a poor alternative to Planet Coaster.
My experience playing Rollercoaster Tycoon World began with confusion. Upon launching, it presented me with an entirely black screen, and remained that way for the duration of my mid-afternoon coffee-break. As black screens go it's a very good one, the kind of fathomless void you'd expect Lovecraftian horrors to float around in. In fact, I briefly wondered if this was Rollercoaster Tycoon World's new, avant-garde direction, a theme-park sim set in a dimension where the rides drive you insane.
Alas, it was merely a bug, something to do with the game failing to sync with the Steam cloud, and one of a litany of issues that has Tycoon fans worked up to a level of frenzy usually reserved for hungry sharks. Indeed, a common refrain amongst Steam user reviews is that it's 'Worse than No Man's Sky', which in the language of High Internet means 'Worse than the Tay Bridge Disaster.'
Rollercoaster Tycoon World is worse than No Man's Sky, but not in the way that the Steam users mean that. A nasty part of me wishes it was 'car-crash into an orphanage for bush-babies' levels of awful, because it would be more interesting to write about. Yet developer Nvizzio has put in a fair amount of work since the game's atrocious Early Access debut, and the result is a game that is merely a bit shit.
What we're faced with is the boggiest of bog standard theme-park builders. You are Alton, God of Rollercoasters, and from your lofty position in the skybox, you're tasked with transforming a prime piece of wilderness into an offensively expensive way for weary parents to alleviate the mithering for a few hours. You lay pathways, plonk down rides, scatter a few toilets around for your punters to vomit their twelve-dollar hotdogs into, before raking in enough money to buy a four-year stay in the White House.
There are three ways to play Rollercoaster Tycoon World. Career mode, sandbox, and unlimited sandbox. The career mode essentially acts as a tutorial for the game's systems, with each of the eight stages setting a new challenge that instructs you on a different mechanic. One stage asks you to return a run-down theme park to its rails by installing some basic facilities, while another has you building a park around a deep gorge, thus introducing you to the terrain sculpting mechanics.
It's a nice idea, save for one cavernous flaw. Most of these stages don't require you to build a theme park of any kind. All you need to do is complete the basic objectives and you can scurry off to the next stage. Hence, you can whiz through the entire career mode in about two-to-three hours.
You may think this a good thing, as it means you can swiftly move on to sandbox, which is where the fun of these types of games is ultimately to be had. Except, you can only unlock new rides and coasters by completing 'optional' challenges in the career mode, a baffling design decision that defeats the point of having a progressive sandbox mode in the first place. Nevertheless, if you want to just dive-in and construct a great-big theme park, Unlimited Sandbox offers all the rides and infinite funds to do so.
At an elementary level, Rollercoaster Tycoon World works adequately. Creating paths and placing rides is straightforward and intuitive. Sculpting terrain is also very easy, enabling you to flatten mountains or create vast lakes within minutes. My only gripe about the basics is having to manually remove trees and rocks that obstruct building projects, a chore which is both fiddly and, for larger rides, time-consuming.
Meanwhile, the game's main attraction, the ability to create your own rollercoasters, is largely enjoyable. RTW's coasters are built using a node-system. Stretches of track are pulled out with the mouse and fixed into place with a click. These can be manipulated later by selecting emplaced nodes or adding new ones to the track. Twists and elevations can be tweaked with the mouse-wheel. Perhaps most importantly, testing the coaster always provides clear feedback on things like safety, intensity, and entertainment.
Like a knock-off Rolex, Rollercoaster Tycoon World is cheap but functional. And that would be fine, if I was using Rollercoaster Tycoon World to keep time. But this is a simulator, and you simply cannot cheap out on good simulation.
The problems begin at an aesthetic level. It's worth noting Nvizzio have made efforts to improve the look of RTW, and some of that has paid off. Rides tick and whirr in a way that is pleasing enough to watch, and up-close, your park-goers look considerably more detailed than they used to. From a distance, however, the crowds clip and judder in an extremely unsightly fashion, while individual animations are rudimentary to say the least. Transitions from queue to ride usually involve your peeps vanishing entirely, before reappearing in their seats as if they're all empowered with Corvo Attano's Blink ability. In addition, the overall aesthetic remains flatter than a salt-plain. There's no verve or life to any of the art, it's all gaudy lumps of colour, blandly sugary like circus candyfloss.
More problematic is the simulation itself, which offers little to no challenge in running your park. As an example, I started the coaster-building stage of the career mode, and immediately had to leave my PC for baby-related reasons, leaving the game unpaused. When I returned half an hour later, I'd made ten-thousand dollars, despite having only one unfinished ride in the park which was unconnected to any paths. I reckon your park could consist of a sign reading 'Trespassers will be shot' and you'd still make money in Rollercoaster Tycoon World. It doesn't seem to matter how many rides break down, how deep the pools of litter are, how many deathcoasters you've built, peeps roll up in ever-increasing numbers, to the point where your PC can't take it anymore.
Yes, performance is still an issue. The more objects you place in a park, the longer it takes to place the next object. Once you've built a park that covers several landscape tiles, each new ride causes the game to stagger like a peep who scoffed one too many Four-Gals burgers before hopping in line for the Gut-Wrencher. Eventually, it reaches the point of unplayability, meaning that constructing large parks is virtually impossible.
A step back in time.
Even at its best, Rollercoaster Tycoon is utterly derivative. Its sole hint of a novel idea is that from time to time your park will be visited by 'Influencers', bratty social-media stars who come to the park with a specific objective, such as eating at an Italian restaurant, or buying a balloon. Amusing these obnoxious fleshbags provides you with a significant visitor boost. Personally, I'd rather be subjected to a surprise visit from Mistress Closeride the safety inspector than cater to these grinning, entitled oiks. But perhaps that's just me.
Any other new ideas RTW sports have been cribbed from Planet Coaster. I was trying to avoid comparisons with Frontier's stab at theme-parkery, but RTW's blatant copycatting makes it unavoidable. For example, Planet Coaster sports extensive customisation of almost every ride and object in the game, a feature which RTW lacked until recently. Even the basic 'skeletons' of stalls are almost identical in look to those featured in Planet Coaster. Frankly, I find this more irritating than any of the flaws RTW exhibits. It's like a reverse Cities: Skylines, copying the best ideas of another game, but doing them worse instead of better.
That, coupled with how RTW suddenly announced its launch date as the day before Planet Coaster, in a cynical bid to piggyback a few extra sales off befuddled Steam users, is what ultimately earns Rollercoaster Tycoon World the dubious award I'm giving it. It isn't universally terrible, and if it was a noble failure I'd be more inclined to forgiveness. But the way it sidles up a vastly superior game wearing similar clothes is like a celebrity impersonator trying to sell his act at said celebrity's funeral, scurrilous and underhanded. Don't be fooled. Rollercoaster Tycoon World is Dismaland without the irony, a machine designed to fleece your pockets and offer the bare minimum in return.
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