Planet Coaster

Frontier’s sim embraces the creativity of its players.

- Andy Kelly

Last year I attended Frontier Expo in London, an event organised by the Cambridge-based Planet Coaster/Elite Dangerous developer. I found myself watching the Planet Coaster presentation with a group of superfans. It’s when they started loudly cheering at the announcement of, all things, picnic tables that I knew this game had attracted a dedicated fanbase. But picnic tables are just one of many free additions to the game since it was released after a successful stint in Early Access.

Planet Coaster is a theme park simulator, with all the trappings of that beloved genre. You have to keep your guests happy, turn a profit, make the rides exciting and ensure the queues aren’t too long. But the ace up Planet Coaster’s sleeve, and the thing that sets it apart from its peers, is how wildly customisable it is. It offers a fine level of control over the aesthetic nuances of your park that borders on perverse, which has resulted in some absolutely remarkable fan-made parks and rides.