Parkitect
- November 29, 2018
- Texel Raptor
- 33h median play time
Parkitect offers a well constructed attraction, even if the ride is overly familiar.
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"Parkitect" is a business strategy game that allows 2-8 players to collaborate in building and managing their dream theme parks, complete with custom coaster designs and themed decorations. The game features a campaign mode, sandbox mode, and online co-op, with a wide range of scenery objects and the ability to share creations through the Steam Workshop. Despite some bugs, the game boasts impressive graphics, soundtrack, and humor.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Parkitect is a modern take on Roller Coaster Tycoon, capturing the nostalgia while adding new mechanics and features.
- The game offers a robust management system, requiring players to consider staff paths and supply logistics, enhancing the overall experience.
- Multiplayer mode allows for cooperative park building, making it a fun experience to play with friends.
- The lack of an undo button can be frustrating, as mistakes can lead to significant setbacks.
- Some players find the camera controls and path building to be clunky and unintuitive.
- The game can become repetitive, especially in sandbox mode, as the challenge diminishes once players master the mechanics.
- graphics531 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the charming, low-poly, and cartoonish art style that evokes nostalgia for classic titles like RollerCoaster Tycoon. While some users find the visuals simplistic and lacking in detail compared to competitors like Planet Coaster, others praise the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware and the overall aesthetic that complements its gameplay. Overall, the graphics are seen as fitting for the game's theme and mechanics, providing a fun and engaging experience despite not being cutting-edge.
“I love the low-poly graphics of this game.”
“The visuals are charmingly fresh retro and the soundtrack is the perfect backdrop for creating your own theme park.”
“The graphics are simple yet pleasing to the eye.”
“Graphics are bad and you can't even ride the coasters and rides.”
“The graphics are distractingly bad.”
“The graphics look terrible, and I am not criticizing the game developer for this; it is an art style some people like, and some don't.”
- gameplay463 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Parkitect is a modern evolution of the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon formula, featuring familiar mechanics enhanced with new elements like staff management and supply logistics that add depth and challenge. While the game retains the charm of its predecessors, it introduces a variety of customization options and a robust modding community, though some players find certain mechanics, such as the restocking system, frustrating. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and offers a satisfying blend of creativity and management, appealing to both nostalgic fans and newcomers alike.
“Gameplay is multi-layered, the devs are constantly listening to the community and there's a near-infinite amount of mods available if the base game isn't enough for you.”
“The gameplay mechanics feel familiar yet refined, making it enjoyable to dive back into managing and building theme parks.”
“It takes the familiar formula of building rides, setting prices, managing a team of staff, and achieving the scenario goals and adds quality of life improvements and sensible evolutions to the gameplay that make it a challenging and engaging experience.”
“The last part is probably more of a capitalism simulator, and I could forgive Parkitect if it wasn't for the little frustrating issues that bog the gameplay down.”
“Due to the mechanics of the game, it is incredibly easy to accidentally delete something, including an entire ride, which you will not get a full refund for if it has been too long since you first purchased it.”
“The mechanics, janitors, haulers, and security people do not do their jobs.”
- music119 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its charm and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, while others criticize the limited variety and repetitive nature of the tracks. Players appreciate the option to import custom music, but some report issues with the functionality and sound design, particularly regarding the inability to adjust ride-specific music without affecting other audio. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, there are calls for more diverse and fitting music options to better match the theme park experience.
“The visuals are charmingly fresh retro and the soundtrack is the perfect backdrop for creating your own theme park.”
“The aesthetics and music are great and sound design hits all the vibes of a rollercoaster-tycoon-a-like.”
“The music is sweet, the artwork style is original and fits the game very well and the gameplay is very good.”
“With the music and the art style, it hurts the eyes and ears.”
“The game music is absolutely horrible and unfitting for a theme park game; it needs a total revamp.”
“Currently, there is only one track for all the rides (the same track), and it's really annoying (classic carnie music).”
- optimization62 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game receives mixed feedback. While many players appreciate the smooth performance on lower-end systems and the balance between graphics and performance, others report significant issues, particularly as park size increases, leading to low FPS and desync in multiplayer. Continuous updates are expected to improve performance, but some users still find the game poorly optimized, especially in its current early access state.
“The multiplayer works really smoothly and the graphics are optimized enough to run on most semi-recent laptops.”
“The game is highly optimized; even with a big park with lots going on, the game runs well. I imagine this has to do with the visual style allowing everything to be smaller.”
“The game has great performance, even on less-powerful systems, and makes the game accessible to a lot of different players.”
“The layout/UI doesn't feel optimized; sorting through blueprints can be taxing. Every time you close out of the blueprint screen, the game forgets any filters that were used. It's just very clunky to me.”
“There are numerous desync issues, and performance (low FPS) becomes a significant problem as your park starts to grow.”
“The one item that I'd like to see improved is performance--I believe it's a CPU bottleneck in my system--I'm only getting around 40 FPS in a park with one coaster, three flat rides, and some shops & props in an otherwise empty park.”
- story61 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely centered around its campaign missions, which are generally well-received for their unique settings and challenges, though some players find them repetitive and lacking in depth. While the campaign offers a nostalgic feel reminiscent of RollerCoaster Tycoon, many users express a desire for more substantial narrative elements or varied objectives to enhance engagement. Overall, the campaign serves as a solid introduction to the game, but it may not satisfy those looking for a rich story experience.
“The two biggest strengths of this game in my opinion are a) its super long and fun story campaign featuring dozens of different scenarios with some having very specific situations (such as building your entire park on a very small beach of a town, having your park being split in two by a massive highway etc.) and b) the extremely well-designed building tools and UI that make building really fancy things super quick and effortless.”
“I am thoroughly enjoying the campaign, which has missions that feel like they could be right out of RollerCoaster Tycoon 1 and 2 - not the absurd parks that shipped with Planet Coaster.”
“They have a lot of 'classic' maps inspired by RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, with different attractions available per level and also different decorations, which makes each mission feel unique.”
“Story: n/a (there is a campaign, but there's not much story, like you basically just try to meet certain goals on each map)”
“Everything about this game is great, except the campaign missions are simple and super repetitive.”
“There is no 'story' mode so at the moment it can get boring kind of easily.”
- stability41 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting smooth performance and minimal bugs, especially on PC and Mac. However, some users have experienced significant issues, including crashes, freezing, and various glitches, particularly on iOS and in multiplayer mode. As the game is still in early access, players can expect ongoing improvements, but those seeking a fully polished experience may want to wait for future updates.
“I love the cartoony graphics, but it runs great on my new PC build and on my laptop.”
“Runs great on Linux (Ubuntu 20.10).”
“Mechanically, this game runs great; the environmental decoration system is very interesting and is executed really well.”
“Game constantly freezes and crashes.”
“This game is so buggy that it is unplayable.”
“Still a little buggy - but nothing you wouldn't expect from an alpha-early-access game.”
- grinding30 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 87 % negative mentions
Reviews of the "grinding" aspect in the game highlight a mixed experience, with some players finding the gameplay engaging and manageable, while others describe it as tedious and overwhelming. Many appreciate the balance between fun mechanics and complexity, but criticize the repetitive nature of building and micromanagement tasks, which can detract from overall enjoyment. Overall, while some players enjoy the strategic elements without excessive grinding, others feel that the lack of streamlined features leads to a frustratingly tedious experience.
“This game is really coming along nicely; it is challenging without being tedious and rewarding without being a letdown.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“Of the relatively short time I've played, almost all of it was spent in 'pause mode', and almost none of it actually enjoying my park, and it felt like far longer than it actually is because I found it extremely tedious.”
“Building new buildings gets extremely tedious after a while; many of the shortcuts that exist in other park building games don't exist here, so every little wall, gutter, and stone has to be placed individually.”
“Unlike the RCT franchises, coaster building in Parkitect is *so incredibly tedious* because of the number of levers and imprecise building mechanisms they have.”
- humor19 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying its creative and lighthearted approach, which makes it both entertaining and educational, particularly for teaching kids about economics. Many users highlight the game's funny visuals and mechanics, such as amusing ride failures and quirky character designs, contributing to a warm and engaging atmosphere. Overall, the humor is seen as a key element that enhances the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for friends and family alike.
“Tonnes of scope to be creative or humorous and good for teaching kids about economics in a fun way.”
“Good park building game, always funny to make a roller coaster that falls into lava.”
“Modifying the tracks, however, is a bit devious, because sometimes after editing the track roll might be off by 5 degrees from the next piece and that results in a hilarious catastrophe.”
- atmosphere15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming and colorful environment enhanced by sound design and graphics, while others feel it lacks depth and immersion. Many enjoy the creative aspects of park building and the ability to hide amenities, which contributes positively to the atmosphere, but some criticize the managerial difficulty as a barrier to fully enjoying the experience. Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a blend of fun and creativity, though opinions vary on its effectiveness.
“The one I enjoy the most is the decoration; guests are happier if they are immersed in park atmosphere and the amenities are unseen, so it forces you to put toilets, work paths, and all the staff rooms into custom buildings. You can do this by building them yourself or downloading one of the tens of thousands of schematics from the Steam Workshop.”
“Its challenging without being hard, encourages and rewards creativity without artificial stress/difficulty, and the atmosphere is fun and colorful.”
“Music and sound effects enhance the atmosphere of this game well.”
“It might be the graphics, it might be the sound design, but something about the atmosphere is missing and I couldn't get into it.”
“There's just no atmosphere to it.”
“This robs the game of so much of its atmosphere that it caused me to stop playing much, much sooner than I would have otherwise.”
- monetization11 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the absence of intrusive microtransactions and enjoy the strategic elements of managing advertisements and staff, others criticize the aggressive DLC and mod pack monetization, labeling it as a cash grab that detracts from the overall experience.
“Plus, it doesn't rely on microtransactions, letting you fully immerse yourself in the creative and strategic aspects without any interruptions.”
“Aggressive DLC and mod pack monetization has changed this review to negative.”
“You have to pay for advertisements if you want your game to have more players.”
“Just lazy and a pure cash grab at this point.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its sandbox mode and a robust modding community, allowing players to create and share content that enhances the experience. With a variety of campaigns and the ability to design unique scenarios, players can enjoy countless hours of gameplay, making it comparable to other popular simulation games. Overall, the combination of diverse content and community support ensures a high level of replay value.
“Once you have played enough scenarios, you can use the sandbox mode, and this is where the infinite replayability of this game comes in... with mods!”
“Isometric lets you create nice symmetrical designs to copy/paste, and the content on the workshop is (for the most part) incredible and adds practically unlimited replay value.”
“There is a ton of variety in the game that really ensures that there is a high amount of replayability.”
“To me it's worth the price, because it has a huge modding community which ups its replay value.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt and wholesome design, which fosters a sense of warmth and enjoyment, especially when played with friends. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke genuine feelings, contrasting it with more corporate and humorless alternatives, making it a beloved choice for those seeking a more meaningful gaming experience.
“Instead of strained, falsely humorous, soul-sucking corporatized game design, we get a sprawling campaign and heartfelt, warm, ingenious game design.”
“Very wholesome park builder.”
“More wholesome with friends.”
