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.
The game also comes with ten mascots.
Before starting the game, the player must create their own avatar. Afterward, the player is able to choose between three game modes: sandbox, challenge, and career.
Similar to Frontier's previous game, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, the Sandbox Mode enables players to construct their own theme park on an empty plot of land.
In Sandbox Mode, all features and rides of the game are unlocked and your funds are unlimited. This is the mode most players use to create items and then post them to Steam's Planet Coaster Workshop.
In the Challenge Mode, the player must construct an amusement park on an empty lot but with limited funds and research depending on chosen difficulty—Easy, Medium, or Hard. As the player develops their park, the game presents the player with challenges that the player must accept or decline.
Upon completion of a challenge, the player is given a reward such as a park rating boost or a sum of money.
In the Career Mode, the player must complete objectives such as constructing roller coasters, achieving park ratings or hiring janitors.
Similar to RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, Career Mode allows players to progress by completing scenarios with objectives in different difficulties.
First unveiled at EGX 2016, the game also features a dedicated mode called the crash mode which allows players to construct incomplete coasters and let them crash into the park's visitors.
On 26 April 2017, Frontier revealed the existence of several cheat codes that were previously undiscovered on their official forums.
These included the ability to ride go-karts and the ability for security guards to plough through guests similar to a bulldozer.
Planet Coaster is a construction and management simulation video game developed and published by Frontier Developments for Microsoft Windows.
It was a sequel to the RollerCoaster Tycoon series, released worldwide on 17 November 2016.
Frontier had previously worked in the amusement park construction and management genre with RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, Thrillville, Thrillville: Off the Rails, and Zoo Tycoon. A version for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, known as Planet Coaster: Console Edition, is scheduled for release in Summer 2020.
There are three different modes in the game, namely Sandbox, Challenge, and Career. 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.
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 organized multiple alpha and beta testings before launching 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 400,000 copies sold in its first month of release.
