Summary
We’ve seen our fair share of theme park sims come and go over the years, from the classic oldies to the latest and most hi-tech thrill rides money can buy, but as theme park sim veterans know all too well these days, there are also a lot of rides out there that just aren’t worth the price of admission.
If you’re looking to be sure you’re building the best thrills you can this year, you’ve come to the right place. These are the best currently available theme park sims for coaster enthusiasts and gamers alike.
8Jurassic World Evolution 2
Life Finds A Way
Jurassic Parkis absolutely the most dangerous theme park ever conceived, and that’s exactly whya park sim with the blockbuster film series’ coat of paintis so much fun. Maybe today is the day you’ll screw up, the dinos will run loose, and your entire park will meet its tragic end, or maybe today will be just another pleasant day inJurassic World Evolution 2.
Either way, the ups and downs of building a dinosaur park have already proved successful enough to warrant a sequel where even more can go wrong. The killer concept and quality execution is impressive enough to easily recommend to anybody who’s ever wanted to run their own Jurassic Park.
7Park Beyond
Where Dreams Come To Life
Park Beyondcan be a little lacking in places but can deliver some real excitement with its frankly absurd but nonetheless charming “impossification” mechanic that’s unique in theme park games.
It’s a true delight to see previously normal rides and attractions shift before your eyes into wondrously imaginative ride experiences which feel as if they’ve leapt right out of your childhood imagination.
Though serious park builders may struggle putting together more intricate designs with the coaster builder, Park Beyond’s playful spirit and exciting DLC crossovers (one of which is literallyPac-Man, and that’s amazing) make it worthy of your time.
6Thrillville: Off The Rails
LucasArts Meets Theme Parks
In the same vein as Park Beyond,Thrillville: Off The Railsleans heavily into the fantasy side of theme park building. The character and style of the game, coupled with the creative coaster building options at your disposal, make the game feel like some sort of odd mix between The Sims and Roller Coaster Tycoon. The myriad of playable arcade games and lengthy story campaign don’t hurt, either.
The game’s dialogue features early 2000s trash talk including outdated social views, so keep that in mind if you’re looking to give this one a shot.
Thrillville isn’t really about customization, but what it lacks in sandbox activities, it makes up for in polish and variety. We’d argue it’s the most unique video game to carry the theme park sim tag, and though it’s a bit older now, the clever novelty the game exudes still feels just as creative and fresh to play as it did back when the game launched.
5Roller Coaster Tycoon 2
Classic Thrills That Still Hold Up
Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 was once the great king of all things theme park. It was easy to understand and interact with, had a simplistic and visually appealing isometric presentation, and it knew exactly what a theme park sim should be.
Some of the best roller coasters, after all, are the oldest ones, and RCT2 is easily worth going back to today. It still feels great to play, and you can still spend hours and hours that feel like minutes putting together incredible theme parks, and it’s never been more convenient to do, either, with the game’sSteamrelease.
4Parkitect
Playmobil Meets Roller Coaster Tycoon 2
Parkitect may seem humble on the surface, but this classic-style isometric theme park sim is everything we love modernized in a loving and faithful way that had us smiling ear to ear from the moment we hit start.
Parkitect is also incredibly accessible, so if you’re interested in the genre but don’t know where to start, Parkitect might be just the ticket you’re looking for. The game’s variety of scenario challenges, coasters, and flat rides make for a wonderfully robust theme park creation tool which hides behind an approachably humble presentation, making itthe perfect spiritual successorto the isometric Roller Coaster Tycoon games of years past, and a great choice for theme park sim fans new and old.
3Indoorlands
Internal Screaming On Internal Coasters
You might have missedthis indie gemwhen it first showed up but now is the time to give this adorable park sim a go. The game, which sees you tackling indoor theme parks and building on a much smaller scale than in larger, more robust theme park sims, makes for a great cool-down experience for those looking to just have fun without committing to a massive project.
Having said that though, in our experience, all our builds ended up becoming massive on their own. We found ourselves losing track of time as we built park after park, joyfully putting together the indoor theme parks that malls of today can only dream of. We’d go so far as to say that if you’re burnt out on your current favorite, Indoorlands might be just the thing to bring the magic back to the park sim genre.
2Roller Coaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition
The Platinum Package
Frontier practically reinvented the theme park sim with their release ofRoller Coaster Tycoon 3, and later expanded the experience with zoo and water park DLC packs, meaning that when all is said and done, RCT3 Platinum, is the most all-inclusive theme park sim available on the market, hands down and Atari has made an optimized port available on Steam in Roller Coaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition.
The game has more coaster types than any other theme park sim by far, including a mix of fantastical prototype coasters and more grounded coaster types like your classic woodies, B&M’s, and inverts. Add to that some of the video game industry’s most incredible water effects to date and a mind-boggling amount of flat rides, scenery themes,single player scenarios, and more, and what you’re left with is one of the genre’s greatest achievements.
1Planet Coaster
A Theme Park Experience That’s Out Of This World
From the moment Jim Guthrie’s “The Light in Us All” plays, and you see that gloriously simple start-up menu, you know you’ve reached the pinnacle of amusement park simulators, and we’d expect nothing less from a game whose tagline is literally “simulation evolved”. Sure,Planet Coastermight be a little intimidating to newcomers, but if you are willing to put in the time to learn the game’s tools, you’re able to create anything you can imagine inPlanet Coaster.
The game still looks great thanks to a wonderful mix of cartoon and realism in its art direction, and if that wasn’t enough on its own, there are also several meaty post-game DLC’s and free updates making it the king of theme park sims, with content galore and character to spare. There’s even a console specific version, with controls and menus tailored to controllers, meaning it doesn’t get much better than Planet Coaster.
