Planet Coaster

Planet Coaster
Developer(s)Frontier Developments
Publisher(s)Frontier Developments
Director(s)
  • James Dixon
  • Gary Richards
Producer(s)
  • Richard Newbold
  • Steve Wilkins
  • Lloyd Morgan Moore
  • Luke Hale
  • Joseph Phillips
Designer(s)Andrew Fletcher
Programmer(s)Oscar Cooper
Artist(s)
  • John Laws
  • Matthew Preece
  • Marc Cox
  • Sam Denney
Composer(s)
EngineCobra Engine v4[1]
Platform(s)
Release
17 November 2016
  • Windows
    • WW: 17 November 2016
  • PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
    • WW: 10 November 2020
  • PlayStation 5
    • NA: 12 November 2020
    • AU: 12 November 2020
    • EU: 19 November 2020
  • macOS
    • WW: 17 November 2020
Genre(s)Construction and management simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Planet Coaster is a construction and management simulation video game developed and published by Frontier Developments for Windows. It was released worldwide on 17 November 2016. Frontier had previously worked in the amusement park construction and management genre with RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (to which Planet Coaster is a spiritual successor), Thrillville, Thrillville: Off the Rails, and Zoo Tycoon. A version for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, known as Planet Coaster: Console Edition, was released worldwide on 10 November 2020.[2][3] The PlayStation 5 version was released in North America and Australia on 12 November 2020 and in Europe on 19 November 2020.[4][5] A macOS version, developed by Aspyr, was later released on 17 November 2020 on both Steam and Mac App Store.[6][7]

There are four different modes in the game, namely Sandbox, Challenge, Career, and Scenario Editor. In the career mode, players assume the role of a theme park manager and must complete tasks such as constructing unfinished roller coasters or hiring janitors. In Sandbox mode, players are tasked to construct their own theme park on an empty plot of land. The challenge mode is similar to the sandbox mode, but with added difficulty, as players need to take funds into account. The scenario mode, which was added in the 1.4.0 update on 22 November 2017, is similar to the career mode, but allows players to customise their own task in all saved parks.

Originally called Coaster Park Tycoon, the game was revealed on 29 January 2015 and was renamed during E3 2015. Planet Coaster is Frontier's second self-published franchise, following Elite Dangerous. Frontier organised multiple alpha and beta tests before launching the game in November 2016. The game was supported with free as well as paid post-release downloadable content upon launch. The title received positive reviews upon release, with critics praising the game's sandbox mode and creation tools. Criticism was mainly directed to the game's career mode. It was a commercial success, with more than 2.5 million copies sold as of January 2020.

A sequel, Planet Coaster 2, is set to be released for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S in late 2024.

  1. ^ "Cobra Development Technology & Tools". Frontier Developments. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  2. ^ Wales, Matt (15 November 2019). "Acclaimed theme park sim Planet Coaster coming to Xbox One and PS4 next year". Eurogamer. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Planet Coaster: Console Edition adds PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, delayed to this holiday". Gematsu. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  4. ^ Andriessen, CJ (10 October 2020). "Planet Coaster: Console Edition will probably be the first game I buy for my Xbox Series S". Destructoid. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  5. ^ Phillips, Tom (15 October 2020). "Planet Coaster's console edition will be a PS5 and Xbox Series X launch title". Eurogamer. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  6. ^ Henderson, Rik (16 October 2020). "Planet Coaster Console Edition initial review". Pocket-lint. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Planet Coaster on Twitter". Twitter. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2020.