Do you remember Zoo Tycoon, Roller Coaster Tycoon, or Sim Theme Park? I used to play those games a lot when I was little, especially Sim Theme Park. I enjoyed building a theme park as much as spending my time as the visitor. I wonder why these simulators are no longer popular like The Sims' fan base.

I think some players who liked the genre switched over to those played on Facebook's platform like Farmville. Facebook was becoming more popular at the time, so why not kill two birds with one stone and invite your friends to play? I'm just guessing. I never got into time management/simulation games. They felt like busy work to me.

@ShadowEdge That's possible. I'd argue that Farmville and other popular simulation games are not similar to the Tycoon series. The one feature I remember strongly from Sim Theme Park is the ability to change the camera angle as if you're one of the visitors. You can walk around the park you create and pretend to have fun as far as boarding the roller coaster! That's so awesome. I want to play the game again right now.

Well, I thought the goal was to build as nice a place as you could, price things well, and earn as much money as possible so you could continue upgrading and expanding your zoo, amusement park, or farm. In that sense, the games are similar. I could be totally wrong though. Do you have any theories as to what ended Tycoon's popularity?

Well, I thought the goal was to build as nice a place as you could, price things well, and earn as much money as possible so you could continue upgrading and expanding your zoo, amusement park, or farm. In that sense, the games are similar. I could be totally wrong though. Do you have any theories as to what ended Tycoon's popularity?

No, you're actually correct. The basic concepts are similar. I just think simulating public places requires more focus more on the economy to gain profit and build new features. We can spend real-life money on online games if we're stuck, making our playthrough much easier and decreasing the need for dynamic strategies. Maybe that's exactly why the Tycoon games lost.

@North I used to play Lemonade Tycoon which was a business simulation game. I don't know if it was created by the same developer and sold by the same company as the one you mentioned though. I just checked and Zoo Tycoon is still being sold on Steam. I figured it had fallen off the planet with how fast things change in tech.

@North, I don't know if you saw the thread, but DandyMandy shared a link to an emulator site. It has some of the Tycoon games if you want to play them again.

@North I used to play Lemonade Tycoon which was a business simulation game. I don't know if it was created by the same developer and sold by the same company as the one you mentioned though. I just checked and Zoo Tycoon is still being sold on Steam. I figured it had fallen off the planet with how fast things change in tech.

I think those are developed by different groups, but I've never really paid attention to those details. The game is all that matters. I didn't know that Zoo Tycoon is on Steam, so thanks for the info! Thank you @Evelyn as well. I'm just in a nostalgic mood, but I'll remember the links if I want to play them again next time.

This game is similar to the GTA where we can able to ride on the roller coaster and then explore the city.

Has anybody played this game before?

These type of games are still popular, no? I get loads of suggestions for them in my daily queue on Steam. A new amusement park simulator game called Planet Coaster was released just a couple years back.

I actually have and still play Transporter Tycoon in a DosBox environment. The old games of the 80s and 90s were the best.

There was something special about Roller Coaster Tycoon 2. I have several of the modern adaptations of the amusement park simulation genre, but none of them live up to the memories (and replays) of Roller Coast Tycoon 2. I'll admit part of this may be nostalgia, but there's an enjoyment factor missing too. Better graphics and more complex algorithms don't always add up to a more enjoyable game.

Can't say that I do to be honest. Some simulation games can be fun, but the old tycoon games didn't have enough to do to keep me interested. They were fun for a time but I felt they grew stale far too quickly. That being said there are some great indie tycoon games such as Empire TV Tycoon which deliver well and have TONS of depth.