Games like RollerCoaster Tycoon you can play free
Updated 5 November 2026
The quickest way to play a theme park game like RollerCoaster Tycoon for free is in your browser. Coaster Kingdom runs in any browser with nothing to download, and you can build a coaster piece by piece and ride it. OpenRCT2 is a free open-source remake of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, but it needs the original game's files. The rest are paid PC games.
| Game | Plays in | Cost | What you need | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coaster Kingdom | Browser, phone or PC | Free | Nothing | Building and riding coasters right now, on any device |
| OpenRCT2 | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | The original RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 files | RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 on a modern computer, with online play |
| RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic | Windows, macOS, phones | Paid | Steam or an app store | The original two games, officially |
| Parkitect | Windows, Mac, Linux | Paid | Steam | A modern take on the classic, with backstage logistics |
| Planet Coaster 2 | Windows, consoles | Paid | Steam or a console store | Detailed 3D coasters and water parks |
| Theme Park (1994) | Windows, macOS | Paid | GOG | The original park sim, before RollerCoaster Tycoon |
The six, in more detail
1. Coaster Kingdom
Coaster Kingdom is our own game, so judge it for yourself. Lay paths, build rides and stalls, design roller coasters piece by piece with slopes, lifts, banking, loops and corkscrews, then ride them from the front seat. Guests have their own cash, hunger, thirst and nerve, and they tell you what they think.
There's a Career of fifteen parks in five tiers, a Sandbox with everything unlocked, and a Daily park with a twist that's the same for everyone. It's in 3D, rated for all ages, with no ads and no loot boxes. You can send a friend a coaster design as a link.
2. OpenRCT2
An open-source re-implementation of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 that adds modern screen sizes, quality-of-life fixes and online multiplayer. It doesn't include the game's art and data: you need your own copy of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic works). There's no official browser version.
3. RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic
The official re-release that combines the first two RollerCoaster Tycoon games, with their scenarios and expansions. It's the classic as it was, and its files also run OpenRCT2.
4. Parkitect
A park builder made by fans of the classics. It looks like them, and it adds logistics: staff paths, deliveries and keeping the backstage out of guests' sight. It has a campaign, a sandbox and a big library of community blueprints.
5. Planet Coaster 2
The most detailed 3D park builder, now with water parks and pools. Its building tools go deep, and it asks for a capable computer. It has in-game purchases.
6. Theme Park (1994)
Bullfrog's 1994 classic, still sold on GOG and packaged to run on modern computers. It's simpler than RollerCoaster Tycoon, and much of the fun is in the business side: prices, stock and the shareholders.
Questions
- Can I play RollerCoaster Tycoon in a web browser?
- Not officially. RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is a download or a phone app, and OpenRCT2 has no official browser version. Coaster Kingdom is a free theme park tycoon that runs in any browser, phones included.
- Is there a free game like RollerCoaster Tycoon?
- Yes. Coaster Kingdom is free in the browser with no ads or loot boxes. OpenRCT2 is free and open source, but it needs the original RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 files.
- Is Coaster Kingdom a RollerCoaster Tycoon game?
- No. Coaster Kingdom is an original game made by Etheria. It shares the genre: paths, rides, stalls, staff and coasters you design. Its art, names and rules are its own. It is not affiliated with the makers of RollerCoaster Tycoon.
- Can I design my own roller coaster for free?
- Yes. In Coaster Kingdom you lay track piece by piece, with slopes, chain lifts, banking, loops and corkscrews, then ride it from the front seat, free in your browser.
Prefer building a whole city? See games like SimCity.
RollerCoaster Tycoon is a trademark of its owner. Theme Park and the other games named here belong to their makers. Etheria and Coaster Kingdom are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them. We list them because they're good, and we don't earn anything from the links.