Beginning withSim Cityall the way back in 1989, the city simulation genre has been a staple of the video game landscape for decades. Only continuing to grow in popularity in the years that followedSim City’s initial release, the city sim genre eventually spawned its own range of spinoffs, most of which became categorized under the “tycoon” banner. Towards the late 1990s and early 2000s, tycoon games were all the rage, and at the head of the pack was none other thanRollercoaster Tycoon 2, a pivotal game that released 20 years ago today.
On June 17, 2025, the world was graced withRollercoaster Tycoon 2, a sequel to the widely-belovedRollercoaster Tycoon, and an improvement on its predecessor in every way imaginable. Developed almost entirely by just one man, Chris Sawyer,Rollercoaster Tycoon 2revolutionizedthe tycoon business sim genre, and essentially created the theme park genre, paving the way for a plethora of future beloved rollercoaster-themed titles.
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Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 Popularized the Theme Park Genre
Released in 1999,the firstRollercoaster Tycoongamewas actually a successor of sorts to Chris Sawyer’s previous game,Transport Tycoon. Using much of the same building mechanics as his first game,Rollercoaster Tycoonwas a runaway commercial and critical success at the time of its release, but it wasn’t perfect. While the groundwork of a revolutionary game was certainly there, some kinks needed to be ironed out first, most of which revolved around the game’s accessibility, with some critics stating that managing costs carefully while trying to build the custom theme park of their dreams could feel a little at odds with one another.
In 2002,Rollercoaster Tycoon 2released. Through this sequel, several of the prior game’s criticisms were addressed, and just about every aspect of the original game was improved upon.Rollercoaster Tycoon 2offered more scenarios, more coaster designs, more shop varieties, more terrain tools, and the ability to edit and customize each individual ride. Going one step further,Rollercoaster Tycoon 2even introduced custom scenery creation, along with a scenario editor, and added the ability to build shops and structures either above or below ground.
Rollercoaster Tycoon 2not only offered the perfect introduction to the genre for newcomers, with an incredibly high level of accessibility, but also had a plethora of mechanics to keep die-hard simulation fans happy, from robust ride-crafting to deep park customization. However, at the time, critics weren’t all too impressed withRollercoaster Tycoon 2, criticizing its dated visuals and the fact it ran on the same engine as its predecessor. Despite that, gamers flocked toRollercoaster Tycoon 2, and it quickly became one ofthe most beloved simulation games of all time, with an incredibly active player-base even 20 years later.
After the success ofRollercoaster Tycoon 2, a sequel was inevitable. Releasing in 2004,Rollercoaster Tycoon 3was developed byFrontier Developments, with Chris Sawyer acting only as a consultant on the project. WhileRollercoaster Tycoon 3changes up a few of the series' core elements, it brought the franchise into the realm of 3D, and offered a much more expansive theme park builder experience. The success ofRollercoaster Tycoon 2has paved the way for all future theme park titles, with Frontier going on to create its very own spiritual successor in the critically-acclaimedPlanet Coaster. 20 years later,Rollercoaster Tycoon 2’s legacy can still be felt in the theme park genre, and its popularity has somehow endured over the decades.
