Games like RollerCoaster Tycoon for coaster builders and park managers

Planet Coaster 2 and Parkitect are the best modern takes on RollerCoaster Tycoon: build coasters piece by piece and keep a crowd happy and spending. For something smaller on a phone, Roam has water park, resort and zoo tycoons.

What made RollerCoaster Tycoon a classic

RollerCoaster Tycoon was created by Chris Sawyer and released in 1999. He wrote most of it alone in assembly language, which is part of why it ran so smoothly on modest PCs. You lay track, set prices, hire mechanics and janitors, and watch thousands of tiny guests react to every choice.

The loop is simple: build a ride, guests pay, spend the money on a bigger ride. Park rating, nausea stats and the guest who wants to go home keep the money machine honest.

Theme park and tycoon games to try

Planet Coaster 2. Frontier's 2024 sequel for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Deep coaster tools plus water parks with pools and slides.
Planet Coaster. The 2016 original from Frontier. Still a great pick on PC for detailed scenery and custom coasters.
Parkitect. An indie park builder by Texel Raptor, released in 2018. It feels closest to RCT, with a focus on staff paths and hiding the backstage from guests.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic. Atari's version of the first two games in one package, on phones and PC. The same parks you remember.
Theme Park. Bullfrog's 1994 park sim. Older and simpler, and one of the first games of this kind.
Two Point Hospital. Not a park, but the same tycoon feel: build rooms, hire staff, keep patients moving. Funny and easy to learn.

Tips for a park that makes money

Put the first coaster far from the entrance so guests walk past food stalls and smaller rides on the way. Keep queues short at the start and raise ride prices once a ride has a long line.

Place toilets and benches near the exits of intense rides. Most of these games reward slow growth: one ride at a time, a little profit each month.

Roam tycoon games

Splash or Splat (Roam). A water park tycoon. Draw a slide, then fill it with paying guests.
Sell Me Paradise (Roam). An island resort tycoon. Build the beach, bring the guests, count the cash.
Mutant Zoo (Roam). A zoo builder and creature breeding tycoon. Open the gate and breed something weird.

Play it on Roam

Make your own park tycoon with Roam

Say what the park is and what guests want. Roam builds the rides, the guests and the money loop, and you add a new ride by asking.

Try: "theme park tycoon on the moon, low gravity coasters, guests pay in cheese, my friends are the VIP visitors"

Create it with Roam See Roam

Questions people ask

Is RollerCoaster Tycoon on mobile?

Yes. RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic from Atari brings the first two games to iPhone and Android.

What is the best game like RollerCoaster Tycoon?

Planet Coaster 2 has the most building tools. Parkitect has the closest classic feel.

Who created RollerCoaster Tycoon?

Chris Sawyer, a Scottish game developer who also made Transport Tycoon.