Planet Coaster 2: tips and tricks for beginners

Frontier Development is back with a sequel to the beloved Planet Coaster game, and this time, we have the chance to create water parks. Planet Coaster 2 has a slew of other improvements compared to its original release in 2016, but now, eight years later and with a PS5 Pro enhancement, there’s a chance for beginners to try out this theme-park manager.

With any simulator game comes a wave of tutorials, options, and buttons to press that can get overwhelming. Even if you’ve played the original game before, knowing the best tips and tricks for Planet Coaster 2 will help you create a successful amusement park and learn more about the ins and outs of this sequel.

Always start with tutorials

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Anyone who plays Planet Coaster 2 for the first time will probably want to hop right into Sandbox mode, even if they had experience with the first game before. No matter if you’re a beginner or veteran, play through the starting tutorials first.

The tutorial section is essentially through Career mode, so as soon as you download Planet Coaster 2 and start it, at least finish the Prologue section in Career mode. This will teach you the essentials of both a basic theme park and the water park. You’ll also learn how the new utility mechanic works, as you’ll need to properly power your park.

Don’t be afraid of blueprints

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Blueprints are a park builder’s best friend, so don’t ignore them. Blueprints give you pre-built roller coasters, buildings, and scenery right from the game’s catalog. Not only that but there’s an online Workshop that allows you to upload your own Blueprints and download creations from other players online.

There are an array of Blueprints available from the get go, but when you start to run out, download some creations from the Workshop. Although you can jump right into creating every detail of your park from scratch without Blueprints, they make it easier to learn how to manage the park versus building it all yourself.

Happy guests, happy park

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The key to a successful park is to keep your guests happy, and even with a starter park, you can easily make this happen. Guests have a myriad of needs that you must meet to keep them in your park and earn you more money. The easiest way to do this is by having enough food and drink stalls around your park to keep them full and quenched.

On top of that, keep enough bathrooms around, as well as benches so their energy doesn’t decrease too much. If you have too many rides that induce nausea, they won’t be too happy about it, and safety is key, so always have a lifeguard on duty for every pool. Gift shops are also a nice touch to keep guests believing your park is luxurious.

Add scenery to improve rides

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Building a simple roller coaster isn’t the only factor when it comes to having a good amusement park. You’ll want to have high Prestige, which you can make happen by creating an attraction that catches the attention of your guests.

Do this by adding scenery and decorating the ride, as well as the queues leading up to the ride itself. If you’re unsure where to start, getting a Blueprint is not a bad idea, as they offer pre-decorated rides and attractions. Otherwise, experiment with anything under the scenery tab and make your rides stand out.

Watch your EFN rating

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Speaking of Prestige, another great way to gain Prestige is by having a good EFN rating. This stands for Excitement, Fear, and Nausea, which all get scored on a ride. You want high Excitement, a little bit of Fear, but not too much Nausea.

Having a balance of some rides that peak in Fear and Nausea is fine, but having too many roller coasters that cause your guests to vomit and run in fear won’t do you any good. You also don’t want all your rides to be boring and low on Excitement, so test your rides and see how your guests like them, which can help guide your EFN rating.

Account for weather changes

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A new mechanic with Planet Coaster 2 is dynamic weather. Some days it’ll be cloudy and rainy, but other times it’ll be scorching hot. If you’re not prepared to protect your guests from extreme weather conditions, they’ll leave your park unhappy.

On sunny days, your guests will want to put on sunscreen and will look for shade, so make sure to place enough Guest Services booths so they can purchase sunscreen and umbrellas. Those same umbrellas are also good when it’s raining so guests can stay dry.

Make extra money with Priority Passes

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One of the best ways you can make some extra money in Planet Coaster 2 is by selling Priority Passes. In Park Management, you can price your Priority Passes so guests can pay a bit of extra money to skip the long lines. This also means you’ll need some extra space for Priority Pass entrances and queues to rides.

If you sell Priority Passes at a reasonable price, enough guests will start buying them for easier ride access, giving you more money in the process. There are many different ways to boost sales, but this is one of the easier methods.