RollerCoaster Tycoon
store.steampowered.com
Theme park building and management sim, now sold as RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic under licence by Atari.
~$30M royalties to Sawyer b…
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Chris Sawyer
Scottish programmer who built Transport Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon alone
Chris Sawyer at a glance
- Known for
- Transport Tycoon, RollerCoaster Tycoon and Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
- Based in
- United Kingdom
- Indie since
- 1983
- Now
- Retired from game development; licenses RollerCoaster Tycoon to Atari, which acquired the Transport Tycoon IP in 2024.
Facts checked 2026-10-22
About Chris Sawyer
No longer an active indie maker. Retired from game development; licenses RollerCoaster Tycoon to Atari, which acquired the Transport Tycoon IP in 2024. This profile is kept for the record.
Chris Sawyer is a Scottish game designer and programmer best known for Transport Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon. He studied computer science at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and began writing games for the Memotech MTX and Amstrad CPC in the 1980s, then spent years porting Amiga games to PC.
He designed and programmed Transport Tycoon (1994) and RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999) almost entirely by himself, famously writing RollerCoaster Tycoon mostly in assembly language. RollerCoaster Tycoon and its 2002 sequel became some of the best-selling PC games of their era; trade press reported the series sold over nine million units, and Sawyer had received about $30 million in royalties by the time he sued publisher Atari over unpaid royalties in 2005. The case was settled out of court in 2008.
After Chris Sawyer's Locomotion (2004) he stepped back from games, later founding 31X to bring Transport Tycoon (2013) and RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic (2016) to mobile. He has since said he has made all the games he wanted to make. Atari licenses the RollerCoaster Tycoon brand from him and agreed to acquire the Transport Tycoon IP in 2024.
Products by Chris Sawyer
Transport network business simulation; IP acquired by Atari in 2024.
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Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
chrissawyergames.com
Transport sim built on the RollerCoaster Tycoon engine.
Timeline
- 1994 — Released Transport Tycoon.
- 1999 — Released RollerCoaster Tycoon.
- 2002 — Released RollerCoaster Tycoon 2.
- 2005 — Sued Atari over unpaid RollerCoaster Tycoon royalties; settled in 2008.
- 2013 — Released Transport Tycoon on mobile through his company 31X.
- 2016 — Released RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic.
- 2024 — Atari agreed to acquire the Transport Tycoon IP.
How Chris builds
- Write efficient code close to the metal so huge simulations run on modest hardware.
- Own your IP and license it rather than sell it.
- Make non-violent games people of all ages enjoy.
Chris Sawyer FAQ
Who is Chris Sawyer?
Chris Sawyer is a Scottish game designer and programmer best known for Transport Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon.
Who made RollerCoaster Tycoon?
RollerCoaster Tycoon was designed and programmed almost entirely by Chris Sawyer, a Scottish developer, and released in 1999.
How much money did Chris Sawyer make from RollerCoaster Tycoon?
No verified net worth exists, but trade press reported he had received about $30 million in royalties from Atari by 2005, when he sued for further unpaid royalties; the case settled in 2008 for an undisclosed amount.
Was RollerCoaster Tycoon written in assembly?
Yes, Sawyer wrote RollerCoaster Tycoon mostly in x86 assembly language, which let it run large simulations on PCs of the late 1990s.
What is Chris Sawyer doing now?
He has retired from game development after RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic (2016), saying he has made all the games he wanted to make; Atari licenses RollerCoaster Tycoon and agreed to buy the Transport Tycoon IP in 2024.
Where is Chris Sawyer from?
Chris Sawyer is from Scotland and studied at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
Has Chris Sawyer sold a company?
Yes. Transport Tycoon has been acquired; the sale terms aren't public.
How long has Chris Sawyer been an indie maker?
Chris Sawyer has been building independently since 1983, about 43 years.
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