Planet Coaster
What to Know
Average Score
- November 17, 2016
- Frontier Developments
- Strategy
Critics Consensus
- Users Interact
- November 17, 2016
- Strategy
- Users Interact
Critics Consensus
# Reviews: 46
An exemplary amusement park management sim that keeps things fun, fast, and endlessly entertaining.
Critic Reviews for Planet Coaster
Reviews
Silver TIER
% of scored reviews fell within the range of 86 to 92 / 100
Matt Wales (Eurogamer)
Recommended
“Despite lackluster management options, Frontier creates one of the finest park construction simulators yet.”
Luke Plunkett (Kotaku)
Recommended
“Planet Coaster is best when treated as a giant LEGO set. A sunny, cheery tabula rasa, lying there waiting for you to go nuts in a never-ending quest to make yourself as happy as the grinning faces of the people lining up to take your rides for a spin.”
Jonathan Leack (Game Revolution)
4.5/5 stars
“Planet Coaster isn’t just a wonderful game, it’s an important one. It’s effectively resurrected a dead genre, providing an act to follow that is as inspiring as it is fun to play. At a reasonable price point, it’s a great pick-up for anyone who enjoys the process of creation and management.”
Outlet | Author | Score | Date | Quote | Read |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ars Technica | Sam White | Recommended | 11-24-2016 | Despite the weak career mode, the depth of Planet Coaster’s tools and the strength of its community make it a thoroughly engrossing experience. Old-school PC gamers can rest easy: this is the theme park game you’ve been waiting for. | Read review |
BaziCenter | آیت سلطانی | 7 / 10 | 11-25-2016 | Offering an incredible amount of freedom in creating your own world, Planet Coaster is simply the best theme-park simulator game available. | Read review |
CGMagazine | Jake Yanik | 8.5 / 10 | 02-06-2017 | It’s not a perfect game, but in its own little way, it sort of is, and I’d expect no less from the team that brought us RCT2 and 3 | Read review |
COGconnected | Thi Chao | 85 / 100 | 11-30-2016 | The real treat to this game is it’s challenge mode, in which players will have to manage their guests happiness, customization, construction and employees all the while trying to stay within your budget. | Read review |
Cubed3 | Sandy Wilson | 9 / 10 | 12-24-2016 | Without a doubt, Planet Coaster is the definitive theme park simulator. The customisability is key; it’s so in-depth and detailed that hours can be spent just crafting the scenery! With intuitive controls and expansive modes, the potential for time sinking is huge for both old-time fans of the genre and those who are willing to venture into this new territory. Polished visuals, as superb soundtrack, and immaculate systems in place, are just the icing on the top. Frontier has excelled itself in almost every way possible, making this not just an easy game to heartily recommend, but one that demands your attention. | Read review |
Destructoid | Patrick Hancock | 7.5 / 10 | 12-21-2016 | For better or for worse, there just isn’t a lot of depth in Planet Coaster. There are a ton of options, however. The process of coming up with coaster ideas and seeing them executed is wonderful, even if the building process is a bit janky. There’s not much to challenge the player after they build a self-sustaining park, so this is definitely an experience for those who can challenge themselves to always think and dream bigger. | Read review |
Digitally Downloaded | Jim S | 5 / 5 stars | 12-23-2016 | Planet Coaster is everything I could want in a simulation game of this type. Good management tools, good building tools, and most of all, it is extremely fun to play. It’s the best amusement park simulation we’ve seen yet, and any complaints that you might have with the variety of rides that it offers are mitigated brilliantly by the use of Steam Workshop to allow the community to broaden the experience. In this way Planet Coaster feels both nostalgic and yet eminently modern. | Read review |
Eurogamer | Matt Wales | Recommended | 11-21-2016 | Despite lacklustre management options, Frontier creates one of the finest park construction simulators yet. | Read review |
Everyeye.it | Angelo De Martini | 8.5 / 10 | 12-11-2016 | Planet Coaster is a hymn to creativity. It is a simulative drug, with the flavor of the old Roller Coaster Tycoon and the beauty of a modern game engine. It’s intuitive, satisfying, and allows the player to make very distinctive and unique parks. | Read review |
Game Informer | Ben Reeves | 8.3 / 10 | 11-22-2016 | This is as close as you can get to visiting an actual theme park without leaving your home | Read review |
Game Rant | John Jacques | 4 / 5 stars | 11-27-2016 | Frontier Developments has produced a fine theme park simulator with Planet Coaster, a polished title which keeps things fun, fast, and consistently entertaining. | Read review |
Game Revolution | Jonathan Leack | 4.5 / 5 stars | 11-17-2016 | Planet Coaster isn’t just a wonderful game, it’s an important one. It’s effectively resurrected a dead genre, providing an act to follow that is as inspiring as it is fun to play. At a reasonable price point, it’s a great pick-up for anyone who enjoys the process of creation and management. | Read review |
GameGrin | Tyler Spectre | 9 / 10 | 12-01-2016 | Planet Coaster isn’t innovative. It doesn’t change up the gameplay from Roller Coaster Tycoon, and it definitely doesn’t shy away from sticking close to its roots. What it is, is a modern take on the theme park management genre, and a spectacular one at that. Planet Coaster feels like RCT, even if it isn’t. Frontier has delivered an incredible followup to their past games. Unfortunately, it’s a little light on content at the moment. Despite this, I’m confident in saying that Planet Coaster has a great core game, and even though it doesn’t have as much in it as it should, it’s the best theme park game out there. | Read review |
Gameplanet | Toby Berger | 9 / 10 | 11-18-2016 | Planet Coaster is a celebration of everything Frontier Developments did well back in the Rollercoaster Tycoon days, with new mechanics and systems piled on top. Its variety of customisable buildings, scenery, objects, coasters, and rides make for an incredibly special game. | Read review |
Gamerheadquarters | Jason Stettner | 8.6 / 10 | 11-21-2016 | Planet Coaster is a beautiful and special experience allowing players the ability to create an amusement park however they’d like. | Read review |
GameSkinny | Autumn Fish | 10 / 10 | 11-19-2016 | Revolutionary creative sandbox tools make Planet Coaster the best theme park simulation game ever to hit PC. And when we say ever, we mean it. | Read review |
GameSpew | Jack Bampfield | 8 / 10 | 11-25-2016 | Planet Coaster gives you such an incredible degree of freedom in creating what you want that any obstacles just become part of that meticulous process of building the perfect park. | Read review |
GameSpot | Edmond Tran | 9 / 10 | 12-05-2016 | Planet Coaster is an exemplary amusement park management simulation with fantastic construction tools and a wealth of high-quality user-created content. | Read review |
GameWatcher | Christian Vaz | 9 / 10 | 11-17-2016 | As someone who started playing Planet Coaster without any real expectations, I can safely say that the game is well worth your time if you are the least bit interested in a game reminiscent of the classic Rollercoaster Tycoon games. Frontier have created one of the best games in the genre, and judging by their support of Elite Dangerous post-launch, it seems that there’s still more to come from the developers. | Read review |
Gaming Nexus | Michelle Morris | 9 / 10 | 01-04-2017 | Planet Coaster is well at the top of the list for roller coaster games. It is easy to get lost in for hours on end and lets you explore the depths of your imagination with nearly limitless creation and design. | Read review |
GamingTrend | Ron Burke | 90 / 100 | 11-26-2016 | There are very few games that consume me like this. Frontier has made a game where obsession over every detail is somehow fun. While there are a few elements that need improvement, such as the staff management and some much-needed heat maps or location services, Planet Coaster delivers in terms of rollercoaster customization and sandbox flexibility. Let inspiration be your guide and check out this incredible thrill ride. | Read review |
Hardcore Gamer | Kyle LeClair | 4 / 5 stars | 11-28-2016 | Planet Coaster clearly has aspirations of expanding itself through a larger base of players, embracing user-created content to the fullest and allowing players to show off their various parks to each other. | Read review |
IGN | T.J. Hafer | 8.5 / 10 | 11-23-2016 | While it may not be an amazing capitalism simulator, Planet Coaster is a fantastic theme park-building sandbox that rarely ever took an idea I had and told me, “No, you can’t do that.” | Read review |
IGN Italy | Tommaso Campion | 8.5 / 10 | 11-20-2016 | Creative, intuitive and long lasting: Planet Coaster is the best park-builder on the market. | Read review |
Impulsegamer | Chris O’Connor | 3.9 / 5 stars | 11-30-2016 | The safest way to experience an amusement park… and to make the scariest ride you can subject other people to. | Read review |
Kinglink Reviews | Unknown | 3.5 / 5 stars | 08-03-2018 | An excellent roller coaster builders. Build theme parks or amusement parks, share your creations online, explore other’s and have fun. However, the career mode is brought down by micromanagement. | Read review |
Kotaku | Luke Plunkett | Recommended | 11-21-2016 | Planet Coaster is best when treated as a giant LEGO set. A sunny, cheery tabula rasa, lying there waiting for you to go nuts in a never-ending quest to make yourself as happy as the grinning faces of the people lining up to take your rides for a spin. | Read review |
LevelUp | Guillermo Navarrete | 8.5 / 10 | 11-25-2016 | Although Planet Coaster belongs to a niche genre, it is a well-crafted product that we hope will keep being polished. Despite imperfections that certainly affect the experience, its achievements and potential are worthy of admiration and it is a game worth playing. | Read review |
Metro GameCentral | GameCentral | 8 / 10 | 11-22-2016 | The best theme park sim of the modern era, even if a few underdeveloped elements mean it’s not quite the ultimate roller coaster ride yet. | Read review |
PC Gamer | Jody Macgregor | 75 / 100 | 11-21-2016 | Better than RollerCoaster Tycoon World, but doesn’t do much to innovate on the formula. | Read review |
PC Invasion | Paul Younger | 8 / 10 | 11-21-2016 | A cracking sim for coaster fans that embraces creativity and a passion for theme parks. | Read review |
PCGamesN | Robert Zak | 8 / 10 | 11-16-2016 | Planet Coaster isn’t Rollercoaster Tycoon, nor is it Theme Park. This may put off those looking for a simpler, more nostalgic take on the genre, but it’s nonetheless the most creative, technically intricate theme park sim to date. | Read review |
PCWorld | Hayden Dingman | 4.5 / 5 stars | 11-22-2016 | Planet Coaster is one of the most player-centric builder games ever made, setting you loose with its tools to create the theme park of your dreams. And then some. | Read review |
Press Start | Mehdi Zadnane | 8 / 10 | 11-21-2016 | Planet Coaster isn’t perfect yet, but what’s there is just incredibly fun. There’s a lot of learning to do along the way, but with all of the customization and freedom, Frontier Developments has delivered one of the best possible successors to the Rollercoaster Tycoon franchise. | Read review |
pressakey.com | Tim Bissinger | Recommended | 11-27-2016 | Planet Coaster ist ein wahnsinnig starker Editor für großartige Achterbahnen, dem es aber noch etwas an anderen Attraktionen, Feintuning und Herausforderung mangelt. | Read review |
Rock, Paper, Shotgun | Fraser Brown | Recommended | 11-17-2016 | Like Cities: Skylines, Planet Coaster gives new life to the management genre, and even if the launch version does little to improve what I’ve played during the beta, this would still be essential for anyone who dreams of packing in their old job and running a theme park. | Read review |
Saving Content | Harry Harrison | 5 / 5 stars | 12-13-2016 | Planet Coaster captures that real-life theme park feeling, bakes it into one hell of a delicious cake and offers you, and a growing community, a slice with a smile and a balloon. | Read review |
SpazioGames | Daniele Spelta | 8 / 10 | 11-17-2016 | Planet Coaster manages to be a worthy heir of RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, with a powerful rollercoaster editor and thanks to its beautiful graphics. Least successful is the management part. | Read review |
Stevivor | Andrew Harrison | 8 / 10 | 11-18-2016 | Frontier has done a wonderful job of maintaining the excitement, visual appeal and overall happiness of both a theme park and a theme park builder. If you’re at all interested in the genre, then Planet Coaster is a game you should be picking up today. | Read review |
TechRaptor | Robert N. Adams | 8.5 / 10 | 11-28-2016 | While Planet Coaster has some flaws with management and automation, it is nonetheless an excellent theme park simulator that adds many new tools for the aspiring rollercoaster tycoon. | Read review |
The Digital Fix | Edd Harwood | 9 / 10 | 12-28-2016 | With its incredible level of customisation Planet Coaster is the pinnacle of theme park management games, however be warned that this depth comes with a vicious learning curve. | Read review |
TheSixthAxis | Dave Irwin | 8 / 10 | 11-29-2016 | Planet Coaster feels like a step into more modern times for the genre. There are bugbears when it comes to the camera and the subsequent patience required to build your perfect theme park, but should one have the stamina to intricately design features for their park, the possibilities are nigh on endless. Managing can feel simplistic at times, but for those who want to have the amusement park of their dreams, even if they use mods from Steam Workshop to supplement their masterpiece, Planet Coaster has it in spades. | Read review |
Twinfinite | Yamilia Avendano | 4.5 / 5 stars | 11-17-2016 | Planet Coaster truly is the spiritual successor to the king of tycoon games. You’ll have as much of a blast playing it as your park attendees will (hopefully) have riding your rides. | Read review |
Wccftech | Emma Matthews | 9.5 / 10 | 11-25-2016 | It’s an understatement to say that Frontier Developments have outdone themselves with Planet Coaster. With its beautiful cartoon-style, incredible levels of customization and a small selection of fun modes to choose from, Planet Coaster has set a new standard for the genre. Nonetheless, it’s still early days and with the foundations of the game being so solid, it’s likely that we’ll see the developer continue expanding the game so that it can reach its full potential. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Planet Coaster and can’t wait to get back to my parks. Despite its long-awaited release, Planet Coaster does not disappoint and is well worth at least a few hours of your time. | Read review |
About Planet Coaster
Planet Coaster is a construction and management simulation video game. Similar to its spiritual predecessor, the game allows players to build different theme park rides and roller-coasters. These player-created attractions can be shared through a mechanic called “global village”.
RELEASE DATES:
DEVELOPER(S):
- Frontier Developments
PUBLISHER(S):
- Frontier Developments
GENRES:
- Strategy
SERIES/FRANCHISE:
- n/a
GAME MODES:
- Single player
GAME ENGINE:
- -
DLC:
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BUNDLED IN:
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DESIGNER(S):
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PROGRAMMER(S):
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COMPOSER(S):
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GAME MODES:
- Single player
GAME ENGINE:
- n/a
DLC:
- n/a
BUNDLED IN:
- n/a
DIRECTOR(S):
- n/a
PRODUCER(S):
- n/a
DESIGNER(S):
- n/a
PROGRAMMER(S):
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ARTIST(S):
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WRITER(S):
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COMPOSER(S):
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