There’s little more nostalgic than theme park games. Much of my early gaming memories consist of putting together epic rollercoasters and then watching as it made countless tiny people chuck their guts up. So, if you fancy reliving those glorious memories, we’ve put together this list of the best theme park games on Switch and mobile, making it easier to set up your own Six Flags Over Your House.
To feel the speed outside of rollercoasters, check out our guides to the best plane games, running games, racing games, and car games. Or, if you fancy a freebie instead of a day at the fair, see our Roblox promo codes and Roblox game codes. In the latter, you can find Untitled Boxing Game codes, Project Slayers codes, and Grand Piece Online codes.
So, let’s set out from the station and hit the tracks in our list of the best theme park games on Switch and mobile.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3
Switch
This Nintendo Switch port of the last great RollerCoaster Tycoon game – sorry Atari – still holds up all these years later as potentially one of the best of the genre.
With all the content for the base game plus the zoo and water park-themed DLC packages, there are enough scenarios here to turn you into a regular Walt Disney when it comes to theme park management. It feels a little dated now, but that just adds to the nostalgia, and the Switch port does a surprisingly good job.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch
Mobile
While the Atari RCT games aren’t quite as thrilling as the original trilogy, fans of the series can still find a fun time in RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch. The highlight here is the coaster design, with touch controls allowing you to get expressive and innovative with your most attractive amusements right from the off.
There are also regular seasonal updates bringing new content to the game and new ideas to your park, so things never get stale, even in the off-season.
Dream Park Story
Switch and mobile
There’s a Kairsoft tycoon sim for everything, from game development to hot spa management, so it only makes sense they have something for our list of theme park games. Dream Park Story is a cute little theme park management title with more depth than first meets the eye, featuring so many customization options that you can always keep things fresh at the fair. It might not have as much in the scenario department as other games on this list, but if you just want one truly incredible park, this might be the one for you.
For more on the fabled developer of this title and countless other sim games, check out our Kairosoft history lesson feature.
Theme Park Simulator
Switch
If it’s realism you’re looking for in theme park games, Theme Park Simulator’s graphics are convincing enough to make you feel like you’re spending the day at the actual fair.
With countless rides and rollercoasters inspired by real-life amusements, you can get down to business and try and push profits at your park, or just enjoy it by taking a ride on the bumper cars. It’s not as engaging a sim as some of the other entries on this list, but for all the fun of the fair in the palm of your hands, you can’t get much closer.
Parkasaurus
Switch
Having learned nothing from the experiences of Dr. Alan Grant, Parkasaurus lets you create your own prehistoric park full of dinosaur pals. Fortunately, there’s no chance of the dinos taking over here, so you can concentrate on putting together the best park possible.
Making a great park is that bit easier thanks to the wealth of customization options in Parkasaurus, but it’s on you to keep the dinosaurs happy in their biomes while you hunt for further species with a time machine. Yes, I said a time machine. What amusement park is complete without one?
Idle Theme Park Tycoon
Mobile
If you want to take a bit of a back seat to theme park management, Idle Theme Park takes all the stress away. Like other idle games, the idea here is all about slow but constant growth as you come back each day to upgrade your park a little more.
Over time, you can watch as your theme park expands from a couple of rides into a regular thrill-seekers paradise with countless coasters and money to burn.
There you have it, our picks for the best theme park games on Switch and mobile. For more on the history of the genre, check out our feature on the lost legacy of RollerCoaster Tycoon.