17 Games Like Transport Tycoon
Our list of games like Transport Tycoon features other business simulation titles where you'll build a transport empire akin to the series and the fan made OpenTTD.
Transport Tycoon was one of the earliest titles in the business tycoon genre with a 1994 release that allowed players to command a transport company. Following initial success an expanded version was released a year later and in time inspired the creation of an open source fan made known as OpenTTD. Regardless of which title you play you'll find gameplay is centred around building your own transport empire as you are placed in charge of train routes, building stations and selecting the type of train to use.
With careful decisions you’ll be able to attract high prices for passengers and freight to reinvest in your rail empire which you’re given decades of time to create the perfect transport business. With Transport Tycoon spanning a century of history players will also have to battle with the expense and profit of innovations in technologies and shifts in consumer requirements if they hope to survive in the tough transport industry.
The selection of games like Transport Tycoon below are perfect for fans of the original that are seeking an engaging tycoon experience that has you lead a business to profitability. This list is also ideal to fans seeking games like OpenTTD, the popular open source spin-off of the franchise..
My Free Zoo
My Free Zoo has a similar feel to Upjers other popular tycoon management game My Fantastic Park with your ultimate goal to attract guests for profit to reinvest in your attractions. Focused on animals this free to play game is available across computer and mobile platforms providing a wealth of content that will take hours and hours to create the ultimate zoo. In My Free Zoo players will be approached by the director Welmington as he begs you to help save the zoo from financial disaster. The zoo...[Read Review]
Zoo 2: Animal Park
Build out a fantastic and visually impressive zoo with Upjers Zoo 2: Animal Park with the help of your granddad by your side. Building on the formula used in My Free Zoo Upjers has revived its zoo tycoon inspired franchise with a sequel that greatly expands the visual design of the game while also offering a larger range of animals. Like any good tycoon franchise you’ll be building from the ground up as you meet with your granddad to restore the basic zoo infrastructure already in place. W...[Read Review]
Rail Nation
Rail Nation is a free to play transportation MMO that puts you at the head of your own rail empire. The game comes from Travian Games who publish other popular games such as Travian and Miramagia so you know that you are in good hands. At the heart of the game you’ll find a strategy experience that offers more depth than you might expect. You’ll focus on growing your own railway company from zero to industry leader with plenty of opportunity to achieve this by yourself or team up with a group of...[Read Review]
Train Fever
Train Fever explores the business of running a train empire with a simulation adventure that challenges you to build a large scale transport empire across several towns with their own train needs. Using trains and buses you’ll get to craft the service lines and build around the terrain and social requirements within your financial constraints to deliver an appropriate level of services to turn a profit. Born from a crowdfunding campaign Train Fever was released in late 2014 and has since r...[Read Review]
Zoo Tycoon 2
Zoo Tycoon 2 builds on the gameplay of the original game and offers a solid tycoon experience that will have players creating animal exhibits, maintaining the park finances, keeping the guests happy and everything else that comes with running your own zoo. The game was published by Microsoft Game Studios and released in late 2005 (with 4 expansion packs released in future years). Zoo Tycoon 2 is also available on Nintendo DS (note that this review only covers the PC and Mac versions). Gameplay i...[Read Review]
Mini Metro
Mini Metro opts to go down the simplistic gameplay route with a unique offering in the transport simulation video game genre that still proves challenging despite the basic design choices. Focusing on the creation of an efficient subway system in a rapidly growing location it’s a challenging title that allows players to begin to understand why real world metro systems struggle so much with expansion of cities and population. Gameplay in Mini Metro is basic but still ensures plenty of disco...[Read Review]
Wildlife Park 2
Wildlife Park 2 is the second game in the popular business simulation game series and has a number of similarities to the Zoo Tycoon series although flips the script slightly towards a large park with your own selection of rare and unique animals. Originally released in 2006 Wildlife Park 2 was later expanded with four expansion packs (Crazy Zoo, Marine World, Fantasy and Dino World) that expanded on the number of animals and attractions while going even beyond the real world. Like similar video...[Read Review]
Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines brings the city building and simulation genre into modern times with an impressive 2015 release offering that brings new challenges and opportunities to keen city planners everywhere. Since this original game release on computer platforms the game has also expanded to various console experiences which are often a rare place for titles within this genre. Alongside this expansion of platforms Cities: Skylines has advanced its available content and challenges with a growing list of...[Read Review]
Railroad Tycoon II
Railroad Tycoon II is the second game in the series of railroad building simulation games and expands on the successful gameplay of the original game. Focusing on the refinement and improvements of the core gameplay along with graphical uplifting you’ll find a familiar overall experience to the first Railroad Tycoon. A single expansion pack (The Second Century) was released a year after the original release which was included in a Platinum game edition alongside a large number of community...[Read Review]
OpenTTD
OpenTTD remakes the popular Transport Tycoon Deluxe title, with various improvements this open source recreation of the franchise is ideal for fans of the original or tycoon gamers in general. Introducing a host of additional map sizes, new languages, refreshed UI, custom AI and multiplayer OpenTTD has a list of features to entice any player of the original title. OpenTTD also has the benefit of being playable on more modern systems as the original release in 1994 does not have the same flexibil...[Read Review]
Chris Sawyer’s Locomotion
Chris Sawyer’s Locomotion is the spiritual follow up to Transport Tycoon, using 2D isometric graphics reminiscent of the original RollerCoaster Tycoon this challenging title also serves up plenty of nostalgia for fans of either game franchise. Centred around the period of 1900 to 2100 Locomotion explores the railroad, tram, airline, ship, truck and bus industries. Connecting these transportation methods together allows players to conquer more than 40 scenarios with each offering 5 difficultly le...[Read Review]
Simutrans
Simutrans is a unique open source and free to play game like OpenTTD. While similar the game does take the transport tycoon and management genre in some interesting directions thanks to its far reaching community of contributors. Your objective in Simutrans is simple but achieving it is anything but, ensuring a real challenge for players. This objective is to create and maintain an efficient system for transportation while staying financially viable. Similar to other titles this means transporti...[Read Review]
Game Dev Tycoon
Dream big as you create your own game development company in this business simulation game appropriately titled Game Dev Tycoon. Launched back in 2012 this tycoon game allows you to develop the games, hire your staff and conquer the gaming world in the process and has become one of the highest rated titles in the genre. Game Dev Tycoon is known for more than just it’s gameplay though and equally known for its unique attempt to counter piracy by releasing a cracked version of the game which...[Read Review]
Monopoly Tycoon
Monopoly Tycoon aims to combine the popular world known board game of Monopoly with the tycoon video game genre. Monopoly Tycoon represents a nice change of pace from all the other Monopoly based video games on the market which historically have focused solely on transforming the board game into a video game without changes. For the most part Monopoly Tycoon achieves its objectives in offering something new and alternative as far as Monopoly video games go although that doesn’t mean it wil...[Read Review]
Dream Builder: Amusement Park
Dream Builder: Amusement Park puts you in the CEO chair of your own park. You’ll have to choose the hottest rides, the right concession stands and a range of decorations to make the most popular and profitable theme park possible. The game is in the same vein as other tycoon games and with a handful of levels and the dozens of rides it has enough variety to keep you engaged for countless hours. Dream Builder: Amusement Park also packs in quite the challenge which will require you to carefully ba...[Read Review]
Cities In Motion 2
Cities in Motion 2 offers similar gameplay to the original but with plenty of improvements that enhance gameplay. The game released in early 2013 for both Windows and Mac. New features in the sequel include new multiplayer game modes, a larger variety of transport options, day and night cycles, timetabling and cities that dynamically react to the transport you put in place (businesses and residential areas will build up around transport routes) which gives you some control over how the city deve...[Read Review]
Sid Meier’s Railroads
Sid Meier’s Railroads lets players take control of the railways in a addicting and fun business simulation environment that encourages you to become the railroad tycoon you’ve always dreamed to be. The game is the successor to Railroad Tycoon 3 with a similar feature set and was developed by Sid Meier for Windows (2006) with a Mac release being published several years later (2012). From the surface Sid Meier’s Railroads is a 3D business simulation/tycoon game but also incorporates a health...[Read Review]