Planet Coaster - Worth the Cost?

I can't really speak to whether your computer will run it well or not (Steam might have a tool to help assess that), but it is very much worth it. If you've ever even remotely enjoyed games like Roller Coaster Tycoon then this is for you. It's incredibly versatile allowing for you to get very detailed. I'm not super proficient, but there's a large active community constantly uploading new rides or items to help supplement the park. I couldn't make a castle if I tried, so I downloaded a great one and plopped it right in. Haven't gotten any of the expansion packs yet, but they all look great (though they are a touch overpriced if you're the kind of person who wants them all).

The game is great, your computer will likely run it on lower graphic settings, and that price could be better (I've seen it for $29.99) but I personally I think that is still a good price to pay. Cool people develop the game and have added really great content a Theme Park Insider will appreciate.

If you can't get it to work right on your laptop, Steam will typically let you return it.

The short answer is, yes, it is most defnitely worth it and the amount of customization you want is nearly infinite...especially since they just recently released the thememakers toolkit which allows yourself or anyone else in the world to import custom 3d models into the game.

The long answer is if you have the time to make full use of the system, it is certainly worth it, though if your laptop doesn't have a separate GPU (that's a graphics card) you most likely will NOT be able to run it with any semblance of stability. I'm hesitant to even call Planet Coaster a video game, as while it does have game mechanics and a career and challenge mode, it is primarily used as a toolbox to create your own perfect vision of a theme park.

One note--there are a number of separate DLC packs which could bring the cost of the game up substantially more than $45, as in order to access that content you'll have to buy the separate DLC's (usually around $8-$10 per pack). If it's a Christmas special then you may get lucky and get all the DLC's released so far bundled in with the game.

If you are looking for a tool to create a virtual theme park and you have the capabilities to run the software, Planet Coaster is absolutely worth the price. I unfortunately have difficulty getting it to work properly on my computer (probably because the thing dates back to 2011/2012), but I've really enjoyed it when I've played around with it and may make more use of it once I get a new computer. With practice and enough time investment, you can create some amazing things with the program.

If you want more of a game, I still think the RCT games (well, at least 1 and 2) are the best theme park sim games ever created (I've been having a great time replaying through RCT Classic). But those are definitely not nearly as good for creating fantasy parks and is more geared toward beating scenarios. For park design, I don't think you can beat Planet Coaster (for strictly coaster design, NoLimits 2 is superior).

Steam has just listed it for sale at $10.79.

I bought it yesterday from Steam and fiddled for hours trying to build a basic roller coaster with no luck. I couldn't figure out how to get the camera angles to toggle which was really frustrating, and overall it just wasn't worth the time and effort. I will admit i'm old and pretty much the only games I have played at all in the past 15 years are RCT2 and Madden (and those are on very rare occasions) so these new games just aren't my thing.

I had not heard of Coaster Planet until I read this. And I used to be a big fan of the RCT games so what the heck, at the discount prices, I bought the deluxe edition. Haven't played one of these in years. Yes, the camera movement is clunky and difficult to get used to, but I've been building for a day now and having a great time. It's gorgeous in ultra graphics and I love the detail of the attractions. Even the ride ops have a fire extinguisher and bottle of spring water at their controls! :D

I ran it in lower graphics mode and it still looks pretty nice. For the price, I say go for it! If you don't like it, you only spent $10.

I'm sad to hear that the_man. Don't feel bad, this isn't a child's game and is more of an architecture and physics sandbox. Maybe try playing around with the buildings and roads and move onto the coasters when you have a better handle on the controls? I think there are some decent youtube videos out there but it's been forever since I've looked at tutorials.

Merry Christmas all.