Choose Planet Coaster
Choose Planet Coaster if you want a Strategy and Adventure experience. 31,038 Steam reviews back the pick.
Planet Coaster vs Chico
Planet Coaster and Chico both land in Action, Simulation, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Simulation, Casual on Steam. Planet Coaster (2016) is 4 years older than Chico (2020). Chico is currently ~82% cheaper on Steam than Planet Coaster (7.99 USD vs. 44.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Chico
Choose Chico if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 82% cheaper on the Steam Store. Chico launched in 2020.
Both Planet Coaster and Chico sit in Action, Simulation, and Casual on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Planet Coaster |  Chico | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Simulation, Casual | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 44.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.6% positive (31,038 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Frontier Developments, Aspyr (Mac) | 1Monkey2Brains |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- Planet Coaster (2016) is 4 years older than Chico (2020).
- Chico is currently ~82% cheaper on Steam than Planet Coaster (7.99 USD vs. 44.99 USD).
- Planet Coaster is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Chico has no Deck rating yet.
Planet Coaster vs Chico — FAQ
- Should I play Planet Coaster or Chico first?
- If you want chronology, Planet Coaster (2016) came out before Chico (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Planet Coaster and Chico similar?
- They overlap on Action, Simulation, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Planet Coaster run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Planet Coaster is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Chico doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.