The best ATC games in 2026: 14 air traffic control games compared
Radar approach sims, 3D control towers, free games that run in your browser, voice control, and the networks where you work real pilots. Every price, platform and review score below was checked against the official store page in November 2026.
Full disclosure: we make SectorLive, one of the games below. It's marked "ours" wherever it appears, it isn't ranked first, and we've written about it with the same pros and cons as everything else. Nobody paid to be on this list.
Quick picks
All 14 compared
The type of control is the first thing to choose. Radar games put you on a scope sequencing arrivals and departures. Tower games put you in the cab running runways and taxiways. Networks put real people on the other end of the radio.
| Game | Type | Platforms | Price (Nov 2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endless ATC | Radar approach | Windows, Android | $7.99 (Steam), $3.99 (Android) | Learning radar vectoring |
| Approach Control: Remastered | Radar approach | Windows, Mac | $14.99 | Radar with voice recognition |
| Air Traffic: Greenlight | Radar approach and departure | Windows | $7.99 | Puzzle-minded depth |
| Global ATC Simulator | Tower, approach, departure (2D) | Windows | $29.99 | Huge real-world data, old interface |
| Tower! Simulator 3 | 3D tower and ground | Windows | $59.99 + airport add-ons | Serious 3D tower work by voice |
| Airport Control 27 | 3D tower and ground | Windows, Mac, Linux | $49.99 (Early Access) | Modern 3D tower visuals |
| Airport Madness: Evolution | Casual tower | Windows, Mac | $19.99 | Light tower management |
| SectorLive (ours) | Every seat: ground, tower, approach, center | Browser (desktop), Mac, Windows | Free to start; $79.99/yr; desktop $19.99 | Real airspace and procedures |
| openScope | Radar approach and departure | Browser | Free | Free radar practice |
| ATC-SIM | Radar approach and departure | Browser | Free | Quick free sessions |
| Mini Airways | Casual radar puzzle | Windows, Mac, Linux | $9.99 | Relaxed play, co-op |
| Unmatched Air Traffic Control | 3D tower and ground (mobile) | iOS, Android | Free + in-app purchases | Tower on a phone |
| VATSIM | Network, every position | Windows (controller clients) | Free | Real pilots, real training |
| Infinite Flight live ATC | Network (mobile) | iOS, Android | Pro: $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr | Controlling on a phone |
Best radar (approach control) games
Radar games are the closest thing to a real approach controller's job: vector arrivals onto final, keep them three miles or 1,000 feet apart, and get departures out of the way.
01Endless ATC
Best radar game to start with- startgrid
- Windows · Android
- $7.99 Steam · $3.99 Android
- Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive, 97% (Nov 2026)
A clean radar scope over nine real airports, with wake turbulence, holding, go-arounds and parallel approaches. It's the most-loved radar game on Steam, and the Android version is still updated (last in August 2026). The Steam release dates from 2015, so the interface is plain.
- Deep enough to learn real sequencing
- Cheap, and plays well in short sessions
- No voice input
- No iPhone or Mac version
02Approach Control: Remastered
Best radar sim with voice- Big Fat Simulations
- Windows · Mac
- $14.99
- Released January 2026
A radar approach sim with a 3-second sweep, ICAO separation and wake standards, and voice recognition, so you can talk to the traffic. It's new, with only a handful of Steam reviews so far.
- Voice control on radar
- Real separation standards
- Too few reviews yet to judge
- Radar only
03Air Traffic: Greenlight
Best for puzzle-minded players- GyroX
- Windows
- $7.99
- Steam: Very Positive, 94% (Nov 2026)
Approach and departure control over 14 cities with real terrain, SIDs, STARs and holds, and radar coverage you have to work around. It keeps the challenge of separation without asking for strict real-world phraseology.
- Real terrain and procedures
- Very well reviewed
- Windows only
- Less of a "be the controller" feel
04Global ATC Simulator
Most real-world data- Robert Miroszewski / Aerosoft
- Windows
- $29.99
- Steam: Mixed, 62% (Nov 2026)
Tower, approach and departure on a 2D scope at around 14,000 airports with real SIDs, STARs and weather, plus LAN multiplayer. The data is unmatched, but it was released in 2014 and the interface shows its age.
- Almost any airport in the world
- Real navigation data
- Dated interface
- Mixed reviews
Best 3D control tower games
Tower games put you in the cab: pushbacks, taxi routes, runway crossings, takeoff and landing clearances. They look spectacular and stress different skills from radar.
05Tower! Simulator 3
Best 3D tower sim- FeelThere
- Windows
- $59.99 + airport add-ons ($9.99–29.99)
- Steam: Mixed, 67% (Nov 2026)
The most complete 3D tower sim: 11 real airports included (among them LAX, LaGuardia and Burbank), authentic procedures, online co-op, and voice commands. Steam lists a microphone or headset as required. Reviews are mixed, and the airport add-ons add up quickly.
- Real airports and procedures
- Voice control from the cab
- Expensive with add-ons
- Mixed reviews
06Airport Control 27
Best modern 3D visuals- CCC Games
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- $49.99, Early Access
- Steam: Mostly Positive, 73% (Nov 2026)
A new 3D tower and ground sim with JFK, Washington National and two Chinese airports so far, surface radar, typed commands and spoken pilot readbacks in different accents. It entered Early Access in September 2026; recent reviews are better than its overall score, and the price is set to rise.
- Looks great, runs on Mac
- Improving quickly
- Early Access: four airports
- Full price for an unfinished game
07Airport Madness: Evolution
Best light tower management- Big Fat Simulations
- Windows · Mac
- $19.99
- Released October 2026
The newest entry in a long-running casual series: click-to-control tower and ground with Stop/Go taxi and 360° instructions at fictional airports. Accessible and quick to pick up. Early reviews are mixed.
- Easy to learn
- Mac and Windows
- Fictional airports
- Light on realism
Best free air traffic control games online
You don't need to buy anything to try ATC. These run in a desktop browser with nothing to install.
08SectorLive (ours)
Best for real-world airspace- Browser · Mac · Windows
- Free to start · $79.99/yr online · desktop $19.99
- 48 airports, SoCal and Las Vegas
Our game puts you in the real sky over Southern California and Las Vegas: a real day of flights running gate to gate on real FAA procedures, with every position from Ground and Tower to SoCal Approach and LA Center. AI controllers work every seat you're not in, so the airspace is always busy. Type short commands or use your voice. The free tier includes the first training missions at every seat and a live view of the whole sky.
- Real airspace, procedures and traffic
- Every position, not just one
- Free to start, nothing to install
- Only Southern California and Las Vegas so far
- Desktop browser, not phones
- The full live sky needs a membership
09openScope
Best totally free- Open source (MIT)
- Browser
- Free
A free, open-source radar simulator for approach and departure with real SIDs and STARs and typed commands, built and maintained by volunteers. A great way to practise vectoring without paying anything.
- Completely free
- Real procedures at many airports
- Typed commands only
- Radar only, no tower
10ATC-SIM
Quickest free radar game- atc-sim.com
- Browser
- Free (nine airports)
A long-standing browser radar game: pick an airport and start vectoring. Simple and quick. A rebuilt version has been in fundraising for a while, so the current game is showing its age.
- Instant, free play
- Good for basic headings and separation
- Basic realism
- Little recent development
Best casual and mobile ATC games
11Mini Airways
Best casual ATC game- CCC Games / Erabit
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- $9.99
- Steam: Very Positive, 92% (Nov 2026)
A minimalist radar puzzle game in the spirit of Mini Metro: draw paths, avoid conflicts, survive as long as you can across 19 maps based on real airspace, with co-op for up to four. Not a simulator, and it doesn't try to be.
- Easy to love, beautifully simple
- Co-op
- Little real procedure
- Not a path into real ATC
12Unmatched Air Traffic Control
Best on a phone- Vector3D Studios
- iOS · Android
- Free + in-app purchases
- App Store 4.4 · 10M+ Android installs
The most popular mobile ATC game: a 3D airport where you run landings, taxi, parking and takeoffs, with timetables, multiplayer and voice recognition. The Android version was updated in 2026; the iOS version hasn't been updated since 2023.
- Free, and plays well on a phone
- Voice recognition
- In-app purchases
- iOS version not recently updated
Most realistic: control real pilots online
The step after games is a network, where the airplanes are other people flying simulators and you speak real phraseology on real frequencies.
13VATSIM
Most realistic- Network
- Windows controller software
- Free
The biggest online ATC network. You join a region and division, then train up through the ratings: S1 (ground and tower trainee), S2 (tower), S3 (approach and departure), C1 (en route). Training is free and run by volunteers. Divisions set their own steps, such as VATUSA's online academy and exam, and waiting lists for training can be long.
- Real people, real procedures
- Free
- Weeks or months of training first
- Waiting lists in busy divisions
14Infinite Flight live ATC
Controlling on a phone- Infinite Flight
- iOS · Android
- Pro: $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr
Infinite Flight is a mobile flight simulator, and its players can control each other. Its controller team (IFATC) works the Expert Server and requires Grade 3, at least 500 ATC operations, age 14 or over, and passing written and practical exams.
- Real people on a phone
- A clear path to the Expert Server
- Needs a Pro subscription
- Exams and requirements first
Practising on a radar game first makes the jump to a network easier: Endless ATC, openScope and SectorLive's training ladder all use the same separation and vectoring basics you'll be trained on.
ATC games by platform
On PC (Windows): every game here except the phone-only and browser-only ones. Steam has the most choice: Endless ATC, Tower! Simulator 3, Air Traffic: Greenlight and the rest.
On Mac: Airport Control 27, Mini Airways, Airport Madness: Evolution, Approach Control: Remastered and SectorLive's desktop version, plus every browser game.
In a browser, free: SectorLive, openScope and ATC-SIM.
On iPhone and Android: Unmatched Air Traffic Control, Infinite Flight, and Endless ATC on Android.
With voice commands: Tower! Simulator 3 (microphone required), Approach Control: Remastered, Unmatched Air Traffic Control and SectorLive (voice or typed).
How we chose
We looked at every ATC game we could find that's still sold or playable in November 2026, on Steam, the app stores, the browser and the networks. For each one we checked the official page for platforms, price, release and update dates, and the current review score. We left out games that no longer run on modern Windows (ATCpro), games that haven't been updated in years and are still in Early Access (Flight Level), and new releases with too few players to judge. Prices and review scores change, so we'll update this guide as they do.
Questions about ATC games
Which ATC game is the best?
It depends on the seat you want. For radar approach control, Endless ATC is the best-reviewed place to start (97% positive on Steam in November 2026). For a 3D tower with voice commands, Tower! Simulator 3. For the most realism, controlling real pilots on VATSIM, which is free but needs training.
Which free ATC simulator is the best?
openScope is free, open source and runs in a browser with real SIDs and STARs. ATC-SIM is a quick free browser radar game. SectorLive (ours) has free training missions and a free live view of real Southern California airspace. VATSIM is free if you want to control real people.
Are there air traffic control games for Mac?
Yes. Airport Control 27, Mini Airways, Airport Madness: Evolution and Approach Control: Remastered all run on macOS, and browser games like SectorLive, openScope and ATC-SIM run on any Mac.
Is there an ATC game with voice commands?
Yes. Tower! Simulator 3 needs a microphone for its voice commands, Approach Control: Remastered has voice recognition for radar work, Unmatched Air Traffic Control has voice recognition on mobile, and SectorLive takes voice or typed commands.
Can you control real pilots online?
Yes. VATSIM is a free network where volunteers control flight simmers using real procedures, after training for each rating. Infinite Flight has live ATC on its mobile app for players who pass its exams.
Are there ATC games on PS5 or Xbox?
None of the 14 games in this guide are on PlayStation or Xbox. Air traffic control games are on PC, Mac, phones and the browser.
Try real airspace in your browser.
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