Choose Planet Coaster
Choose Planet Coaster if you want an Action, Adventure, and Casual experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 90.6% positive across 31,038 reviews.
Planet Coaster vs Planet Coaster 2
Planet Coaster and Planet Coaster 2 both land in Strategy, Simulation 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 Strategy, Simulation on Steam. Planet Coaster (2016) is 8 years older than Planet Coaster 2 (2024). Planet Coaster scores higher on Steam reviews (90.6% positive) than Planet Coaster 2 (72.3% positive). 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 Planet Coaster 2
Choose Planet Coaster 2 if you want the HDR available, Color Alternatives, and Camera Comfort side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 7,716 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Planet Coaster and Planet Coaster 2 sit in Strategy and Simulation 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 |  Planet Coaster 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Simulation, Casual | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 44.99 USD | 49.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.6% positive (31,038 reviews) | 72.3% positive (7,716 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Frontier Developments, Aspyr (Mac) | Frontier Developments |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Planet Coaster (2016) is 8 years older than Planet Coaster 2 (2024).
- Planet Coaster scores higher on Steam reviews (90.6% positive) than Planet Coaster 2 (72.3% positive).
- Planet Coaster is currently ~10% cheaper on Steam than Planet Coaster 2 (44.99 USD vs. 49.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Planet Coaster is Deck Playable, Planet Coaster 2 is Deck Verified.
Planet Coaster vs Planet Coaster 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, Planet Coaster or Planet Coaster 2?
- On Steam reviews Planet Coaster scores higher (90.6% positive) than Planet Coaster 2 (72.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Planet Coaster is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Planet Coaster or Planet Coaster 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Planet Coaster (2016) came out before Planet Coaster 2 (2024). 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 Planet Coaster 2 similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Simulation 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.