🏗 Thrill Seekers Only!

RCE Merch | Patreon | Join My Discord

Hello Fellow Engineers!

From Sweden’s frosty Icehotel, a triumph of function over flair, to a mind-blowing Reddit thread on the Hoover Dam, we’re celebrating engineering feats that actually work (unlike certain “artistic” endeavors).

We’ll also be testing Planet Coaster 2’s new physics, dissecting Singapore’s Henderson Waves bridge (spoiler: it’s basically a 3D pasta shape), and catching up with Paddy the Engineer, the true master of hide and seek.

Let’s dive into it 👇

👷‍♂️ Truss Me, I’m an Engineer…

The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi

In the frosty north of Sweden, engineers achieve the impossible year after year—constructing a hotel entirely out of ice and snow. Yeah, you heard me right: no bricks, no mortar, no steel beams. Just frozen water and a whole lot of Scandinavian swagger. Architects, take a seat. We didn’t need your “artistic vision” to make this masterpiece happen.

The Icehotel, located in Jukkasjärvi (don’t worry, I can’t pronounce it either), is rebuilt every winter with snow and ice from the Torne River. The design is both beautiful and functional—yes, it’s cold, but that’s kind of the point. And you know what? It’s so well-engineered that it doesn’t melt before its time. That’s right, engineers even control when it gets destroyed. Can your fancy curved buildings do that, architects? Thought not.

Now, let’s talk specs:

• 5,500 tons of ice and snow are used every year. That’s like stacking 1,100 elephants and making them look good.

• The hotel includes suites, a bar (of course), and even an ice chapel. You can literally get married in a building that engineers made just to flex.

• It stays around -5°C inside, regardless of the temperature outside. Who needs thermostats when you have pure engineering genius?

Guests sleep on reindeer hides, wrapped in thermal sleeping bags, which—fun fact—were probably designed by engineers too.

Here’s the kicker: the Icehotel is sustainable. All that ice melts back into the river come spring. It’s a project so elegant and efficient that it’s basically nature-approved. But remember, it’s engineer-approved first—that’s the only seal that matters.

So next time an architect tries to show off their latest glass box, just say, “Cool story, bro, but does it melt on purpose?” We’ll take the Icehotel over your artsy nonsense any day.

⚡ Cool Links

🤑 The best Christmas sales for gamers 2024
GamesRadar knows a good deal when they see one, and these Christmas sales are serving up Black Friday-level prices all over again. But don’t dawdle—shipping deadlines are creeping up faster than your holiday calorie count.

🤯 Construction of the Hoover Dam
A Reddit thread is blowing minds with a 3D, step-by-step breakdown of the Hoover Dam's construction. It's like watching history meet Minecraft, but with way more concrete and fewer creepers. Architects, take notes—this is how you make something last.

⌛ It takes 29 HOURS to ride this roller coaster...
In my latest YouTube video, I’m diving headfirst into Frontier’s brand-new Thrill Seekers DLC for Planet Coaster 2! From sending guests hurtling through vomit physics tests to crafting coasters so long they need their own zip code, this update doesn’t disappoint. Hit the link and see me take chaos engineering to a whole new level—bonus points for the Flame 40 and Body D-Skinner rides!

Looking to take your park to the next level? Planet Coaster 2 has you covered! The Thrill Seekers Ride Pack is here, featuring two epic new coasters (Ultra Spin and Vector) and three flat rides (540, Whirlpool, and Strike) to crank up the excitement in your parks.

Meanwhile, the latest free update puts the spotlight where it belongs—on engineering genius, not architectural fluff:

• Enhanced flume physics means guests slide down in gloriously unpredictable ways.

• Dynamic loading/unloading stations? That’s how you design with purpose, not just for Instagram likes.

• And my favorite: you can now open flumes even if the test dummy doesn’t make it. Perfect for making rides to send your architects down…

Get the Thrill Seekers Ride Pack now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Let’s build parks that work, not ones that just “look pretty”! 

Check it out here!

🐕‍🦺 Paddy’s Corner

Paddy is the best at hide and seek...

Back in July 2022, Paddy the Engineer proved he’s not just man’s best friend—he’s a hide-and-seek prodigy. Watch as he outsmarts everyone with hiding skills so good, I’m convinced he’s drafting blueprints in his sleep.

👾 Indie Game of the Week:

Ever sat in traffic and thought, “I could fix this mess in my sleep”? Well, GRIDROAD lets you prove it! As a former highway engineer, I couldn’t resist testing my skills in this traffic optimization puzzle game—tweaking lights, placing signs, and building junctions that actually work.

Check out the ultimate GridRoad mega edit on my channel for a compilation of all the chaos and efficiency from the series you may have missed!

It’s time for a Bridge Review!

Ah, Singapore’s Henderson Waves. A bridge so fancy, it could double as a modern art exhibit. But is it all style over substance? Let’s dive in.

First off, the engineering here is top-notch. This pedestrian bridge spans a solid 274 meters, connecting Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill.

The steel ribs and undulating wave design aren’t just eye-catching; they also act as shaded seating areas. Functional and clever—take notes, architects. Speaking of, we’ve got to address the obvious: this bridge screams, “Look at me, I’m fancy!” But hey, it’s still doing its job as a bridge, so we won’t dock too many points for the flair.

However, it’s hard to ignore that someone clearly handed architects a blank check and said, “Go wild.” Those wavy wooden panels? Lovely to look at but let’s be real—completely unnecessary. If you’re out here building a bridge to walk on, maybe spend less time designing a 3D pasta shape.

Final Score: 7.8/10

🏗 r/realcivilengineer Spotlight

Shoutout to u/DarkForce8 for submitting this video of someone opening up a beaver’s dam.