AI Comparison

You can find the full list of OpenTTD AI computer opponents by opening the official OpenTTD AI Comparison Wiki. [1]

Because there are dozens of custom AI scripts made by players, OpenTTD does not come with a single default opponent. Instead, you download them right inside the game using the “Check Online Content” button. [1, 2]

Here is a broken-down list of the most popular, active, and interesting AI opponents available in the game, complete with details on what they do best.

🚄 Best Overall Competitors

• Nocab: Highly praised by players as one of the most competitive AIs. It builds efficient networks and focuses heavily on trains.
• AdmiralAI: A very well-rounded AI that handles buses, trucks, trains, and planes smoothly. It is great for a standard challenge.
• ChooChoo: Spawns simple point-to-point routes early in the game and transitions into building large railway networks later on.
• AIAI: A tough competitor that expands quickly, though it sometimes goes overboard by building massive stations and track layouts. [1, 2, 3]

✈️ Specialized Transport AIs

• trAIns: Specializes entirely in point-to-point train tracks. It performs beautifully in early steam and diesel eras but struggles with futuristic electric or maglev trains.
• WrightAI: Focuses almost exclusively on setting up highly profitable airplane routes.
• Roadrunner: Concentrates heavily on managing huge fleets of road vehicles like buses and cargo trucks.
• Beginner Tutorial – Ship AI: Designed specifically to manage water pathways and cargo docks. [1, 2, 3]

🐌 Creative & Unique AIs

• CivilAI: Acts like a city planner by focusing on passenger transport to help towns grow larger. [1]
• IdleMoreMore: A “ghost” AI that builds absolutely nothing. Players use it to hold open a company slot in multiplayer or to switch over and test map tools in Sandbox Mode without interference. [1, 2]
• CluelessPlus: A funny AI meant to mimic a brand-new human player who does not really know how to play the game yet, often making silly mistakes. [1]

How to Install and Use These AIs

1. Launch OpenTTD and click Check Online Content on the main menu.
2. Search for any of the AI names listed above (e.g., “Nocab”) and download them.
3. Go back to the main menu and click AI Settings.
4. Set the number of competitors to more than 0, click a slot, choose your downloaded AI, and start your new game! [1, 2, 3]

If you want to view the technical code names used to register these bots on the master server, check out the official OpenTTD AI ShortNames Registry. [1]

Best Ship AI

The absolute best AI for managing ships in OpenTTD is AAAHogEx (often referred to by the community simply as the Hog AI). [1]

While OpenTTD AIs are historically notorious for being terrible at water transport, AAAHogEx stands out because its advanced infrastructure logic allows it to build highly profitable, sprawling ship networks—even on maps restricted entirely to water pathways. []

The Best Ship-Capable AIs Compared

Because very few AIs handle water well, the top contenders are ranked below by how effectively they manage docks and waterways.

AI Name [, 2, 3]	Ship Capability	Best Used For	Notes
AAAHogEx	Excellent	Multi-transport or Ships-Only challenges	The gold standard for modern OpenTTD AI. It calculates routes efficiently and handles massive fleets without bottlenecking.
AdmiralAI	Good	Balanced, classic multi-transport maps	A very reliable, classic AI. It will naturally build docks and ship routes to connect islands if land routes are impossible.
HelliFerri / Pathzilla	Moderate	Heavy ferry and passenger maps	Recommended by the community to handle specialized ferry networks across lakes and channels.
Beginner Tutorial – Ship AI	Scripted Only	Learning basic water mechanics	This AI is specifically programmed to show how ships work, but it only functions alongside a strict tutorial script.

Why AAAHogEx Rules the Waves

Most OpenTTD AIs fail at sea because water pathfinding consumes a high amount of processing power, leading to boats that get lost or stuck spinning in circles. AAAHogEx bypasses these flaws through specific behaviors: [1, 2]

• Canal Building: If an island blockades its path, AAAHogEx is smart enough to terraform and dig canals to link bodies of water together.
• High Cargo Volumes: It excels at setting up heavy passenger, mail, and industrial routes (like iron ore) across large gulfs.
• Maintenance Depots: It strategically places ship depots along long paths so its vessels do not break down in the middle of the ocean. [1, 2]

Pro-Tip for Better Ship AI Battles

If you want to watch these AIs truly fight for control of the seas, change your map generation settings before launching the game. Raise the Sea Level to “High” or “Very High” and set the Terrain Type to “Archipelago” (islands). This forces the AIs to rely on docks, as they will quickly run out of space to build traditional railway networks.