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OpenTTD: free open source transport simulation game for Windows, Mac and Linux

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By AiCoN | Published 20 October 2026 | Sources checked 20 October 2026

OpenTTD calls itself an open source simulation game based on Transport Tycoon Deluxe, and its README says it is available for free.

Official game screenshot

OpenTTD 1.4 title screen with an OpenGFX city and the main menu — Official OpenTTD website screenshot, captioned by the project as "The title screen from OpenTTD 1.4", showing the free OpenGFX base graphics. Credit: OpenTTD team, GPL-2.0 (website source); original image source. Unaltered, displayed smaller. This is a historical 2014 title screen; the current stable release is 15.3. Publisher example, not an AiCoN gameplay capture. Official screenshots page. Open original 1920 × 1200 image. Media checked 23 October 2026. Independent guide, not sponsored.

What it is

OpenTTD is a transport simulation game. You build roads, rails, airports and ports and run vehicles to move goods and people. Its README says it is based on Transport Tycoon Deluxe by Chris Sawyer and "attempts to mimic the original game as closely as possible while extending it with new features".

Is it free?

Yes, per the project. The README says "OpenTTD is also available for free on Steam, GOG.com, and the Microsoft Store", and the site describes it as open source. The licence is GNU General Public License version 2.0, with some third party parts under other licences. We found no price on the official download page.

What the pages list

Downloads for Windows 7 to 11 (installer and zip, 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64), macOS 10.14 and later (Intel and Apple Silicon), and Linux.
The site showed 15.3 as the stable version when we checked, and 16.0-beta4 as a testing version. Most people should pick stable, per the README.
In-game downloading of AIs, NewGRFs, scenarios and heightmaps.
Multiplayer games, and a community wiki with a gameplay manual.

Good to know, per OpenTTD

It needs a separate base graphics set. The download page says OpenGFX can be installed from the in-game content manager on first run.
The original Transport Tycoon Deluxe data files can also be used as the base set, but the page says you must own a copy and they cannot be downloaded. You do not need them to play.
Nightly and testing builds can be less reliable than stable, per the README.

Our advice

Download only from openttd.org or the Steam, GOG and Microsoft Store pages the README links.
Take the stable version, not nightly or testing.
Be careful with multiplayer servers and add-on content from other people. We did not review any of it.

Privacy and data

We could not open a working privacy policy page, so we make no claim on what data the game or its online features collect.
Multiplayer and the content download manager use the internet. Play offline if you want to avoid that.

India

No region limit appears on the pages we read. We did not test it from India. There is no price to convert.

Source code

The GitHub project OpenTTD/OpenTTD has about 8,400 stars, per its GitHub page. The README lists Linux, macOS and Windows as the supported platforms.

AiCoN checkRead the OpenTTD home, download and about pages, and the GitHub README, on 20 October 2026. We did not install or run it.

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenTTD free?

Yes. Its README says it is available for free and the licence is GPL 2.0.

Do I need the original Transport Tycoon Deluxe?

No. The download page says OpenGFX can be installed in-game as the base graphics set.

Does it run on Android?

The pages we read list Windows, macOS and Linux only.

Sources: openttd.org, About, Downloads, GitHub. Checked 20 October 2026.

Scoped recheck 23 October 2026: official homepage and download links. Stable 15.3 and testing 16.0-beta4 remain current, nightly builds continue, and platform/download claims are unchanged. The added screenshot is the project-captioned OpenTTD 1.4 title screen, kept for its OpenGFX example; it is not a current-version capture. Other claims retain their original source-check date. Original publication date unchanged.