one dataset · paper, tables, graph, wiki
simgrammar the grammar of simulation

parts

20 mechanics, as RollerCoaster Tycoon does them

core · 5

agents & behavior

Crowd preferences

Guests have money, a preferred ride intensity, a nausea tolerance, and needs, and they report thoughts such as a ride being too intense or a price too high.

economy & finance

Customer value choice

Guests compare ride and shop prices with ride value and their remaining cash; overpriced items show up as complaints in guest thoughts.

space & construction

Design performance rating

Each ride is test-run and rated on excitement, intensity, and nausea from its track geometry, speeds, and g-forces; ratings set demand and fair price.

space & construction

Modular assembly

Coasters are built track piece by piece on a tile grid, choosing direction, height, steepness, and elements such as loops and corkscrews.

risk & failure

Wear and breakdown

Ride reliability decays with use and age; breakdown chance rises as reliability falls, and mechanics inspect and repair on a set interval.

supporting · 15

economy & finance

Advertising and awareness

The marketing panel runs time-limited paid campaigns, such as park or ride advertising and free-entry or half-price vouchers, that raise guest arrivals or demand for a chosen ride or stall while they last.

information & legibility

Agent inspection

Clicking a guest shows cash, needs, thoughts, and ride history.

agents & behavior

Agent pathfinding

Guests navigate the path network and can get lost in mazes of paths.

space & construction

Building placement

space & construction

Decoration and beauty

Scenery and trees improve guest views and ride appeal.

economy & finance

Loans and debt

Parks start with a loan, such as $50,000 in Mega Park.

agents & behavior

Needs decay

Guests get hungry, thirsty, tired, and need toilets during a visit.

progression & goals

Scenario objectives

Each of 21 base scenarios sets a goal such as a guest count with a minimum park rating by a deadline; completing one unlocks the next.

logistics & networks

Service queues

Guests wait in ride queues and leave long lines unhappy.

economy & finance

Staff hiring and rosters

Handymen sweep, empty bins, and mow; mechanics fix rides; security guards prevent vandalism; entertainers cheer guests.

progression & goals

Tech tree

Paid research unlocks new rides and improvements over time.

space & construction

Terraforming

Land can be raised and lowered and water added to fit rides and add appeal.

space & construction

Track laying

Coaster track is built piece by piece on the tile grid by direction, height, steepness, and elements such as loops and corkscrews, and the result is rated by test run.

agents & behavior

Utility action selection

watch

1 short with this record on screen
Short 1: The five most common parts, opening frameplay · 0:38
rendered · short-01.mp4 · drawn from the dataset

short 1 0:38

The five most common parts

transcript

The five parts that turn up most often in simulation games don't simulate anything.

We broke 179 of them into their parts. First is the pause button, in 46 percent of them. Then placing buildings where you like, support for mods, a tech tree, and scenario goals.

Production chains come sixth, and they're the first part on the list that models something in the world: ore into plates, plates into gears.

The parts a game is known for are rare. RimWorld's storyteller, its mood breaks and its body-part injuries each show up in fewer than ten catalog games.

also on the pages for

core loop

build paths, rides, and shops -> design coasters and test their ratings -> guests choose rides by intensity preference and budget -> thoughts reveal problems -> adjust prices, staff, and layout -> meet the scenario goal

design notes

RollerCoaster Tycoon makes ride design measurable: every built ride is test-run and rated on excitement, intensity, and nausea, and each guest has a preferred intensity and a nausea tolerance, so the ratings decide who will ride and who gets sick afterward. Guests are individual agents with money, needs, and a stream of readable thoughts, which makes park problems inspectable one guest at a time. Rides lose reliability with age and break down unless mechanics inspect them on a player-set interval. Scenario goals (guest counts and park rating by a deadline) chain 21 base parks. OpenRCT2, a reimplementation of RCT2, carries the systems forward, and Planet Coaster and Parkitect are described as spiritual successors.

appears in

the paper, 2 sections · 4 chapters · 3 episodes · 1 short
paper

5. The structure of the design space

linked in this section of the paper

paper
paper

Appendix A. Game catalog

linked in this section of the paper

paper
catalog

The catalog

listed with its year, developer, subgenre, and number of mechanics

book
ch 1

Chapter 1. Same parts

linked from the text

book
ch 4

Chapter 4. Families

linked from the text

book
ch 5
book
ch 6

Chapter 6. Five ceilings

linked from the text

book
ep 3

Families across genres

on screen at 3:50 odd couples

episode
ep 4

Why deep systems are hard to read

on screen at 4:44 mechanics that own nothing

episode
ep 5

The five ceilings

on screen at 4:59 minds made of formulas

episode
short 1

The five most common parts

0:38 · on screen in the short

short

relations

1 stored edges
influenced by

sources

2
Wikipedia contributors (2026). RollerCoaster Tycoon (video game). Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors (2026). RollerCoaster Tycoon. Wikipedia

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-catalog-gecatalog
2026-10-24
reviewed2026-10-24-review-fixesmaintenance