There have been a large number of roller coaster games announced recently, so I thought it would be helpful to put together a comprehensive roller coaster game guide listing the features, prices, and release dates of all of them. Below you’ll see as much information about each coaster creator that is currently available and will be updated as more details are known.
RollerCoaster Tycoon World brings co-op multiplayer to theme park management in 2015. By Andy Chalk. Rollercoaster Tycoon 4 on PC will be 'completely different' to mobile, Atari say.
RollerCoaster Tycoon World
Release Date as of 2/28/16: According to Amazon.com, RollerCoaster Tycoon World will be released on March 30, 2016. Atari has not yet confirmed this date as they are still stating an “early 2016 release.”
Operating system: PC
Developer: Pipeworks Software and Atari
Official website: http://www.rollercoastertycoon.com/
Description: The fourth installment and long anticipated PC follow-up to RCT3.
Pros: The new multiplayer mode will also allow four players to manage the same park online.
Cons: No micro-transactions! Atari’s recent track record is not good, and RCT4M has gotten terrible reviews
Price: $49.99
RollerCoaster Tycoon World Trailer:
RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile
Release Date: April 10, 2014
Operating system: iOs devices (Android coming soon)
Developer: On5
Official website: http://www.rollercoastertycoon.com/
Description: Return of the beloved RCT franchise after a ten year absence!
Pros: RCT4M returns to the isometric view used in the first two games. Exchange roller coaster blueprints with friends.
Cons: Terrible reviews. Micro-transactions. Cartoon-y, non-realistic graphics.
Price: Free
RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile Trailer:
Read more about RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile.
Theme Park Studio
Release Date: Early release Feb 27, 2014
Operating system: PC
Developer: Pantera Entertainment
Official website: http://www.themeparkstudio.com/
Description: Theme Park Studio will allow users to design and build their own roller coasters and flat rides; similar to Roller Coaster Tycoon 3.
Pros: Custom build flat rides as well as coasters.
Cons: Probably no money management system at launch date. Development time has been slow and the full release date has been pushed back several times.
Price: Early release version is $29.99
Theme Park Studio Trailer:
NoLimits 2
Release Date: January 10, 2014
Operating System: PC
Developer: Ole Lange
Rollercoaster Tycoon World Download
Official Website: http://www.nolimitscoaster.com/
Description: NoLimits focus is on reality, this program will let you design your favorite roller coaster, and of course will let you ride it. Every kind of element that you could imagine is possible to design. There are no limits. You can even select from 24 different coaster-styles including inverted, hyper, spinning, flying, and wooden rollercoasters.
Pros: NoLimits is the most realistic coaster simulator on the market. NoLimits 2 has flat rides!
Cons: Not really a game – no objectives, no money management system. Not as easy to use as RollerCoaster Tycoon.
Price: Standard: $39.99, Professional: $89.99
NoLimits 2 Trailer:
ScreamRide
Release Date: Spring 2015
Operating System: Xbox One, Xbox 360
Developer: Microsoft, Frontier
Official Website:
Description: Build your craziest theme park ride then destroy it.
Pros: Unique game
Cons: Gimicky, could get old fast, more of a time waster than a serious game. No PS4?!
Price: Xbox One: $39.99, Xbox 360:$29.99.
ScreamRide Trailer:
Find out more about ScreamRide.
Theme Parkitect
Release Date:Fall 2015
Operating System: PC, MAC, LINUX
Developer: Happy Texel
Official Website: http://www.themeparkitect.com/
Description: Design roller coasters, install shops and thrill rides, and top it all off with incredible scenery and dynamic landscapes. Management is key: you’ll have to look after employees, resources, and park infrastructure. Fail at that and face the consequences! Unhappy cashiers might annoy guests, unhappy custodians will leave your park a mess, and unhappy ride maintenance teams will leave your guests a mess.
Pros: build an efficient transport infrastructure to ensure the shops in your park don’t run out of stock and you’ll need to maintain the illusion by hiding the “behind the scenes” parts of the park using scenery.
Cons: Release date after RCTW
Price: Unknown
Theme Parkitect Trailer:
Find out more about Theme Parkitect.
FreeRCT
Release Date: Unknown
Operating System: PC
Developer: Open source
Official Website: http://www.freerct.org/
Description: a free and open source theme park simulation game inspired by our beloved Roller Coaster Tycoon franchise
Pros: The ultimate goal is to capture the look, feel and gameplay of the popular games RollerCoaster Tycoon 1 and 2.
Cons: Still has a long way to go.
Price: Free
FreeRCT Test video:
Find out more about FreeRCT.
WaterPark Tycoon
Release Date: March 19, 2014
Operating System: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / XP
Developer: Excalibur Publishing
Official Website:
Description: In “Waterpark Tycoon” you will be able to build the park of your dreams with breathtaking slides, gigantic waterfalls and entertaining pool scapes to be enjoyed by visitors big and small.
Pros: Cool story mode and relaxing sandbox mode
Cons: Not affiliated with Atari or RCT series.
Price: $14.99 instant download on Amazon
WaterPark Tycoon Gameplay:
Find out more about WaterPark Tycoon.
SimCity Amusement Park Expansion Set
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Operating System: PC
Developer: Maxis Emeryville
Official Website:
Description: In addition to managing your city like always, running a successful Amusement Park is almost a mini-game in itself!
Pros: Money management system.
Cons: Must own SimCity, not a stand alone game, not devoted entirely to theme parks.
Multiplayer Roller Coaster Tycoon
Price: $9.99 on Amazon
SimCity Amusement Park Trailer:
Planet Coaster
(Originally called Coaster Park Tycoon)
Release Date: Q4 of 2016
Operating System: PC
Developer: Frontier
Official Website: https://www.planetcoaster.com/
Description: Combine the aspect of tycoon style games we all love with a sophisticated simulation environment. Not a direct, but more of a spiritual successor to RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. The game was announced on January 29, 2015 by Frontier Developments.Originally called Coaster Park Tycoon, the game was renamed into Planet Coaster on June 16, 2015 during the PC Gaming Show at E3 2015.
Pros: IP owned by Frontier, Frontier developed RCT3
Cons: How will it stand out against all the other games? TBD
Price: $67.99
Planet Coaster Trailer:
DreamPark Tycoon
Release Date: Cancelled
Developer: Red Coin Games
Systems: PC, Mac, Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4
Description: Supposed to be similar to RCT series.
Pros: Release date was announced as March 2014 but no screenshots had been released. On August 14, 2014 Red Coin Games Twitter tweeted that the game has been cancelled.
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publisher: Atari / Infogrames
Game mode: single / multiplayer
Multiplayer mode: Internet
RollerCoaster Tycoon World is another installment in the economic strategy game series, RollerCoaster Tycoon, in which we assume the role of a theme park manager. It is the first full-fledged production since 2004, when RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 was released. The title was developed by Nvizzio Creations and is the first major game in the studio’s portfolio. Alas, Chris Sawyer, the creator of RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 as well as a consultant for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, was not involved in the development. The game was published on PC by Atari which used to be a large company in the gaming industry.
Gameplay
Our task in RollerCoaster Tycoon World for PC is to build the best of theme parks, offering various attractions and, obviously, rollercoasters. The developers placed a number of different tools at our disposal, thanks to which we can create a true entertainment empire. Within the park’s area, we can do pretty much anything: starting from shaping the terrain, through setting rollercoaster tracks, to placing any other element. One of the most important features is the new fully 3D editor that allows us to freely manipulate rails. Moreover, there are numerous kinds and styles of tracks to choose from.
Of course, it is not everything, for a theme park has to offer other attractions that encourage people to visit. First and foremost, we can create thematic areas that attract various kinds of clients. It is also a good practice to provide a variety of stores and vending machines available on the spot, so that visitors’ cash keeps flowing into our wallet. All of this has to be complemented by medical, cleaning and other necessary services. However, while developing the theme park, one must pay attention to finances, otherwise excessive investments might drive us into bankruptcy.
Extensive maps and environments in which we build our theme parks are also noteworthy features. Furthermore, thanks to the UGC Tools, we can modify the available sceneries. We can also take a ride in any rollercoaster we built.
Game modes
RollerCoaster Tycoon World on PC allows to play in Sandbox mode in which we can freely shape the terrain and build the theme park of our dreams. The developers also provided special scenarios as well as a dedicated campaign.
The game, despite the presence of single player modes, puts a great emphasis on multiplayer, including player cooperation and social interaction. It is possible to visit our friends’ theme parks and compare our statistics with theirs. We can also seamlessly share everything we managed to create.
Technicalities
RollerCoaster Tycoon World is the most technically advanced installment of the RollerCoaster Tycoon series. The game boasts a realistic physics engine which forces us to carefully design our rollercoasters, because misaligned tracks could be the cause of a serious accident. What's more, we have full control over the camera, which now can be set at any angle.
Other information
The game supports the Steam Workshop service, thanks to which the players can download new scenarios, theme parks, designs and other elements created by the community.
What is interesting, the launch of RollerCoaster Tycoon World was preceded by the debut of RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile, a mobile game.
Game score 4.2 / 10 calculated out of 91 players' votes.
Expectations before the premiere: 9.4 / 10 calculated out of 164 players' votes.
Similar games:
System requirements
PC / Windows
Recommended: Intel Core i7 2.0 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce GTX 460 or better, 10 GB HDD, Windows 7
Minimum: Intel Core i5 2.3 GHz, 4 GB RAM, graphic card Intel HD Graphics 4000 or better, 10 GB HDD, Windows 7