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Pre-order Tycoon: pay to be park guest, staff or inanimate tile in Frontier’s Planet Coaster

Planet Coaster

Frontier aren’t crowdfunding Planet Coaster – although with Elite: Dangerous and their history with Rollercoaster Tycoon behind them, they surely could. Instead, they’ve made their theme park management throwback available to pre-order for a generous £20.

They’ve learned some lessons from Dangerous’ development, though. They’re offering early beta access and a variety of ways to secure an appearance in Planet Coaster’s parks – ranging from £10 to £500.

Over on the Frontier Store, an early bird beta pass promises pre-release access from an indeterminate date for £49.99.

Beyond that there are options resembling Kickstarter reward tiers, some of which are quite sweet: the option of designing a park guest using the game’s customisation tools for a tenner, or a group of visitors for £40.

Others are quite expensive: your place as a permanent, unfireable staffer in Planet Coaster for £100, or for £500 a name etched in one of 100 stone tiles at the entrance of every park.

Entry to the Coaster Head club comes a little cheaper at £25, and opens up private forums for a view of the game’s (hopefully not too rollercoaster) development as it happens. All members get t-shirts and wristbands.

“We’re challenging you to wear it on your wrist until we’re ready to release Planet Coaster,” say Frontier, who’ll be thanked by absolutely nobody’s spouse, flatmate or parent for the smell.

A successor to Rollercoaster Tycoon, though, from a studio who made one of ‘em. Want it?