Rollercoaster Tycoon style game - should I continue?

I've worked on a Rollercaster Tycoon style game, standard theme park - place some rides, some mechanics involving guests and research etc etc. My question is, now it's hit a prototype point, should I continue it? Is anyone going to buy it if I push through and make it for release on Steam etc? I'm interested to see what people think about the market on these type of games and should I even be trying to go for this genre. Maybe adding a load of DLC packs would work, or a unique theme.

Planet Coaster made the top 50 on Steam in 2016 store.steampowered.com/sale/2016_top_sellers "as measured by gross revenue", and there have been recent hits like Prison Architect, so there must be some kind of market for the business or building style strategy/simulation games. I'm certainly interested in games along these lines...

I would love to see a game where you can build your own coasters, or even a game where you can "ride" pre-made coasters. I don't know what roller coaster tycoon is though (I've heard of it but never played it). Is that more like a simulated theme park where you make decisions to make money etc?

I would love to see a game where you can build your own coasters, or even a game where you can "ride" pre-made coasters. I don't know what roller coaster tycoon is though (I've heard of it but never played it). Is that more like a simulated theme park where you make decisions to make money etc?

Interesting idea building roller coasters!

I have done train sandbox games but a roller coaster would be cool and more interesting for younger players that probably have never seen a train or played with train sets.

I may have to try something like that.

Not sure about the tycoon games idea. I have never been interested in setting up that sort of game because I have run real businesses my entire life though I do know some people like those games.

I do like Burvey's idea for a roller coaster and theme park design game using ready made components.

I would love to see a game where you can build your own coasters, or even a game where you can "ride" pre-made coasters. I don't know what roller coaster tycoon is though (I've heard of it but never played it). Is that more like a simulated theme park where you make decisions to make money etc?

Yeah it's more of a decision making game where you do build the theme park but you have to do it in a strategic money making way. There is an open world option though where you can just build a park for fun without objectives. Theme Park World on the Playstation had a feature where you could ride the rollercoasters you built in first person, Tycoon probably has it but can't recall. Rollercoaster tycoon does have enough options to make it pretty much seem that you are building your own rollercoaster, you can place the tracks where you want and set the colour, theme, name, speed, carriage type and size etc etc. Mechanics for riding a 3d coaster is going to be pretty tough in C2 haha, even simulating it in 2D sounds difficult. Also see one of the above posts, the game Planet Coaster on Steam looks like it is doing well and has this kind of thing in full 3D.

Not sure about the tycoon games idea. I have never been interested in setting up that sort of game because I have run real businesses my entire life though I do know some people like those games.

I do like Burvey's idea for a roller coaster and theme park design game using ready made components.

Ya that is pretty much what Rollercoaster Tycoon allows. I'm weighing up my options, looking for feedback because obviously it's been done before but was thinking perhaps I could put a different edge on it or use another theme whilst maintaining use of the construction mechanics.

Planet Coaster made the top 50 on Steam in 2016 http://store.steampowered.com/sale/2016_top_sellers/ "as measured by gross revenue", and there have been recent hits like Prison Architect, so there must be some kind of market for the business or building style strategy/simulation games. I'm certainly interested in games along these lines...

Ah yes, Prison Architect looks more like a doable thing in C2. Planet Coaster far too complex and 3D for me to make on my own in C2 haha. I guess people are still playing the genre then...

Hmm I might alter the mechanics and turn it into an RTS...everyone loves tanks blowing up huge towers.

Don't forget Theme Hospital, http://www.myabandonware.com/game/theme-hospital-2ek

It's now an abandonware, I really enjoyed playing this game.

Could be done using C2.

It could be done, the discussion is really about SHOULD it be done, if games like this are already like there, and are they still popular? I've just seen Rollercoaster Tycoon on mobile so maybe it's not worth competing.

My last post was weird, what I wanted to say is that you could adapt your prototype to something else. You already mentioned Planet Coaster and a mobile version of Rollercoaster Tycoon.

There aren't many games where you manage an hospital and the abandonware page has 81 comments, I think that the tycoon niche is popular but the Rollercoaster niche may be difficult to enter. Rollercoaster is like Zoo, Hotel or Space station.

You SHOULD continue but maybe with another theme. I'm not saying that you have to do the Hospital theme but it was an original idea.

Doing something similar to Rollercoaster Tycoon, isn't that a bit too much asked from Construct 2? Perhaps like Prison Architect - I never played it but saw that is was top-down - it could be done nicely that way. Perhaps some 2D (not isometric) like shadows or at least some illusion of an extra dimension besides top down would make it only much more nicer.

Have you done some research on such theme park tycoon games already existing on the web? Mobile is definitely getting more and more popular, and tycoon games seem to have a never ending demand. But yeah, RCT on mobile is quite professionally done, lol, so you will be in direct competition.

Why not go for the desktop audience, you could sell many licenses (if your game is well done) and I don't think the big sharks are going after that. The way I grasp it, is that the big kahunas go for the big bucks, obviously. They have everything to make a game look and play that great.

I don't know how much time you have on your hands, how fast you work, and if you can do everything on your own, but if you got what it takes as an indie developer you can afford to make errors. Why not go through with it and gain some experience? We don't know much about your plan, do you want to make thousands or would a some pocket money and experience be satisfactory?

In any case, I am kinda excited to see what you have so far. I believe I saw a 'demo' of your theme park idea once, I thought it was kinda interesting and am curious as to how you developed it so far.

Anyway, from my online marketing experience, it's better to go and take your piece of the pie / piggy backing on a trend rather than doing something that has never been done before. If you do everything right, make it interesting, sound and look good, you shouldn't have to worry about the concept itself.

• R

P.S. I know little about marketing your game on Steam but I always felt it's swarmed and even greenlit games get little exposure simply because people generally go to Steam for high quality or AAA, or at least AA titles. I got the idea sites like Kongregate are much better suitable for games made in Construct 2.

Doing something similar to Rollercoaster Tycoon, isn't that a bit too much asked from Construct 2? Perhaps like Prison Architect - I never played it but saw that is was top-down - it could be done nicely that way. Perhaps some 2D (not isometric) like shadows or at least some illusion of an extra dimension besides top down would make it only much more nicer.

Have you done some research on such theme park tycoon games already existing on the web? Mobile is definitely getting more and more popular, and tycoon games seem to have a never ending demand. But yeah, RCT on mobile is quite professionally done, lol, so you will be in direct competition.

Why not go for the desktop audience, you could sell many licenses (if your game is well done) and I don't think the big sharks are going after that. The way I grasp it, is that the big kahunas go for the big bucks, obviously. They have everything to make a game look and play that great.

I don't know how much time you have on your hands, how fast you work, and if you can do everything on your own, but if you got what it takes as an indie developer you can afford to make errors. Why not go through with it and gain some experience? We don't know much about your plan, do you want to make thousands or would a some pocket money and experience be satisfactory?

In any case, I am kinda excited to see what you have so far. I believe I saw a 'demo' of your theme park idea once, I thought it was kinda interesting and am curious as to how you developed it so far.

Anyway, from my online marketing experience, it's better to go and take your piece of the pie / piggy backing on a trend rather than doing something that has never been done before. If you do everything right, make it interesting, sound and look good, you shouldn't have to worry about the concept itself.

- R

P.S. I know little about marketing your game on Steam but I always felt it's swarmed and even greenlit games get little exposure simply because people generally go to Steam for high quality or AAA, or at least AA titles. I got the idea sites like Kongregate are much better suitable for games made in Construct 2.

Thanks for your post. Yes it was always going to be a top down 2D theme park game with the C2 restrictions, I think it started out as an idea for a dinosaur park where events would happen kinda like Jurassic park and you had to recover the park. Since I have the basic mechanics I might go for an RTS though now, that way I can just setup the base game and drop in the textures afterwards for whichever theme I choose. I could continue with the dino park idea as some kind of goal, just get that finished first I guess. It's always the artwork where I get blocked, usually I just think I'll hire one when everything is in place. My general goal for the idea was eventually just to release on Steam and see if anyone wanted to get it greenlit.

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I think that's kind of a cool idea, the dinosaur park. Except that it's going to take quite some effort to get proper graphics (read: animations) for dinosaurs, even for top-down. But then again, it's all about searching for that one affordable artist who can pull it off.

It does sound like that you don't know where to go with your game. When starting, I personally find it best to have a good idea of what the game should be. Admittedly, I start with an idea, visualize it on paper, and then 'wing it' as I go by adding more features and ideas. Anyway I digress.

Just saying, perhaps it would be easier to give your game direction if you had an idea on the table. All it takes from there on are audio, graphics and programming. I think you are at least capable of the latter.

If you want the game greenlit on Steam then I think it will need to be in an advanced stage. Like where you have a small demo, but the graphics and perhaps audio, or at least a soundtrack in place. People can be crude, especially with the flood of new games in that section.

So if I were you, I'd really think well about platform and the idea. If it would be a theme park in RCT style, then people on Steam might be like; 'what is the added value/difference with Planet Coaster, Parkitect etc.? But if you go to the Kongregate or Newgrounds then you'll have an audience that love to play these small 'in a box' games.

Or at least that's how I view it.

Also, you could collaborate with an artist. I don't know how much exactly, but art may cost you hundreds of bucks.

• R