Acclaimed theme park management sim Parkitect hits consoles this week

Parkitect is an absolute treat, a themed park management sim in the classic Rollercoaster Tycoon mould, but with more than a few fresh ideas of its own. It was a joy on PC, and it’s finally console-bound, heading to Xbox and PlayStation this Wednesday, 3rd July.

Parkitect is the work of developer Texel Raptor, and originally launched into Steam early access back in 2016. Two years later, it got a wonderfully finessed 1.0 release, and nearly six years since that, it’s been refreshed for consoles, incorporating the likes of an updated UI and a new control scheme built specifically for controllers.

And, honestly, Parkitect’s an easy recommend if you’re a tycoon game fan, expanding on the classic theme park management sim formula (in which you strive to build a park so ceaselessly delightful, your guests can’t help but throw cash at you) with some smart modernisation, all while still maintaining that heady whiff of nostalgia.

Sure, it might not have the gloss of Frontier Development’s Planet Coaster (although I’m personally a big fan of Parkitect’s adorably low-poly isometric look), but what it lacks in presentational pizzazz, it makes up for in other areas. It’s got a rich management core, surprisingly powerful construction tools, a rock-solid campaign mode, and some smart strategic wrinkles – including the need to build and maintain an efficient intra-park delivery infrastructure.

Parkitect’s imminent console release, officially titled Parkitect: Deluxe Edition, includes the acclaimed base game – which I slapped with a Recommended badge back in 2018 – alongside its two DLC expansions, Booms & Blooms and A Taste of Adventure. Those added the likes of fireworks display sequencing, new themed scenery sets, new rides, and more.

Parkitect: Deluxe Edition arrives for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 this Wednesday, July 3. Texel Raptor also recently announced its second game – frog-themed town building and management game Croakwood – which is Coming to PC eventually.