Installing OpenRCT2 on Linux/BSD

Note: this page is still under construction.

Installing OpenRCT2 itself

OpenRCT2 is in the repositories of several Linux distributions and the ports tree of several BSD flavours. Additionally, there are AppImage and Flatpak builds that work on most Linux distributions. You can also compile the game yourself if you desire.

AppImage (generic Linux)

You can download the AppImage by going to our official website, https://openrct2.io, and clicking the Download button.

After download, mark the file as executable. OpenRCT2 can now be run by double-clicking it. (Don’t run it just yet—you need to install RCT2 first.)

If you have a GOG.com version of RCT2 or RCT1, install innoextract. If you have a CD version of RCT2, install unshield. Also make sure that you have Zenity or Kdialog installed. (Most Linux distributions have it preinstalled, especially if you have GNOME or KDE installed.)

You can now proceed to Getting the RCT2 files (required).

Flatpak (generic Linux)

Go to https://flathub.org/apps/details/io.openrct2.OpenRCT2, click the Install button and follow the on-screen instructions.

If you have a GOG.com version of RCT2 or RCT1, install innoextract. If you have a CD version of RCT2, install unshield. Also make sure that you have Zenity or Kdialog installed. (Most Linux distributions have it preinstalled, especially if you have GNOME or KDE installed.)

You can now proceed to Getting the RCT2 files (required).

Ubuntu, Linux Mint and derivatives

We have provided a PPA for OpenRCT2. These instructions must be executed from a Terminal. You must first pick between release and develop builds.

If you prefer release builds, use this: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openrct2/master

If you prefer develop builds, use this: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openrct2/nightly

Then, install OpenRCT2: sudo apt install openrct2

If you have a GOG.com version of RCT2 or RCT1, also install innoextract: sudo apt install innoextract

If you have a CD version of RCT2, also install unshield: sudo apt install unshield

You can now proceed to Getting the RCT2 files (required).

Compiling yourself

Follow the instructions here: https://github.com/OpenRCT2/OpenRCT2/wiki/Building-OpenRCT2-on-Linux.

Getting the RCT2 files (required)

We tested several versions of RCT2 and they all work [1]. If you do not yet own RCT2, we recommend that you buy it on https://gog.com. This is because OpenRCT2 can automatically extract the files from the GOG versions, provided the required innoextract program is installed. (This is bundled with the Flatpak build.)

Steam

Since RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is a Windows game, you must first enable Steam Play if you haven’t done so already. To do this, use the menus: Steam ‣ Settings ‣ Steam Play and tick the options Enable Steam Play for supported titles and Enable Steam Play for all other titles.

With Steam Play enabled, the Install button should now be enabled. Click it. Once this is done, you can now start OpenRCT2. If asked to provide the location of the files, select I have already installed RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. A directory browser will now open. Point it to /home/<username>/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Rollercoaster Tycoon 2.

GOG.com

You will need to use the offline installer for the game, the default GOG Galaxy installer will not work with this method.

On gog.com, open your library. Hover over the thumbnail of RCT2 and a button with an arrow will appear. Click it, then select View Downloads. At the bottom of the pop-up there will be a section called “Download offline backup game installers”. Click the line under that and the installer will be downloaded.

Once this is done, you can now start OpenRCT2. You will be asked to provide the location of your files. Select I have downloaded the offline GOG installer for RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, but I haven’t installed it yet. A file picker will open, simply point it to the file you just downloaded and OpenRCT2 should take care of the rest for you.