OpenTTD
Overview
OpenTTD is a free, open-source business and transport simulation game — an independent remake of Chris Sawyer’s Transport Tycoon Deluxe, first released in 2004 and still actively developed. You found a transport company in 1950 and grow it into an empire by moving passengers and cargo across a procedurally generated map.
Key Features
- Four transport types — railways, roads, ships and aircraft, which you link into profitable cargo and passenger networks.
- Deep economy management — buy and upgrade vehicles, set orders and timetables, and manage cash flow, loans and subsidies.
- Online multiplayer — dedicated-server support, LAN play and a public server browser for long-running shared games.
- NewGRF add-ons and scripting — drop in community vehicle/industry sets and write your own competitors with the Squirrel AI and Game Script APIs.
- Large maps, long games — big procedurally generated worlds, a scenario editor, heightmaps and sandbox modes.
- Very light on hardware — a 2D isometric engine that runs smoothly on old PCs and single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi.
Why Use It
It is one of the deepest free simulation games ever made: a complete Transport Tycoon experience with over twenty years of extra features, no ads, no in-app purchases, no DRM and no account required. Current stable release is 15.3 (April 2026).
Use Cases
- Building and optimising large rail networks and logistics chains.
- Relaxed single-player games against AI opponents on modest hardware.
- Co-operative or competitive multiplayer on a dedicated server.
- Learning logistics, economics and simple scripting through the AI/Game Script APIs.
Platforms
Windows, macOS and Linux (official builds). Other platforms, including various BSD systems and the Raspberry Pi, generally work but are not officially supported. OpenTTD is also available free on Steam, GOG and the Microsoft Store.
Licence
Free and open source — the source code is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.0; a few bundled third-party components use compatible licences.
Similar Tools
- 0 A.D. — free and open source, another deep strategy game in the directory.