Simulation games tend to be a wide range of things, from the super hard-core military sims to the more fun, wacky and more arcadey games. 🎮 🖥️
So, as you can imagine, having such a massive library to pick from can be rather tricky, even for somebody like me who has reasonably good knowledge of simulation games. To that end, I’ve done my best to include a variety of different sim games, such as driving, military, automotive and just general sim games.
Also, I should mention that this is isn’t an exhaustive list, and in a lot of circumstances, it’s hard to pick one specific game to represent that sub-genre of simulation. Even so, I do hope you find some new knowledge and fun stuff to check out, and it might lead you to discover some games not necessarily listed here. Either way, get ready to live your best (simulated) life, so strap in.
#1 The Sims Franchise
It’s pretty much impossible to start-off a list about simulation games without bringing up what is arguably the most popular franchise in the Sim genre, even though it gets a lot of flack.
Gameplay
For those of you who’ve been living under a rock or a bottomless cavern, The Sims is about creating a virtual character and then trying to lead that character through a life that’s 100% going to be more successful than your own.
Of course, you aren’t explicitly asked to micro-manage your sim, and they do have a rather sophisticated AI behind them that dictates their needs and wants. You also get to choose different traits and ambitions that will further alter how your sim reacts to things or acts in general. It’s actually pretty fun until you’re 8 hours in and realizes that your sim has a bigger house, a better job, better mental health, and a better relationship than you do.
With some of the latest franchises and DLC, you can travel the world, go out to discos, start your own business, and even have pets. You know, even though I risk my ‘gamer’ badge by admitting this, I’ve been playing The Sims since the first game came out, and the progress has really been astounding in terms of features and the stuff you can do. I also remember having seven DLC discs for the first sims game. ahhhh the good old days.
Graphics
Going into this, don’t expect to be graphically wowed. The Sims always adopted a wacky and cartoony style, and realism was never a priority. That being said, the latest installment to the franchise, The Sims 4, actually has some pretty crisp graphics. To be honest, the graphics are actually quite charming and fun to watch, especially the zany animation of the characters and general life of the world.
Again though, don’t expect a Crysis 3 level of graphics or anything.
Storyline
Well, there’s really no storyline, the game is more about creating your own storyline than anything else.
Co-op/Multiplayer
EA tried doing The Sims multiplayer with The Sims Online, but it was a bit of a disaster because human beings are filthy perverts and I’ll just leave it at that. The game shut down in 2008. There is a mobile game, The Sims Freeplay, and a Facebook game, The Sims Social, but both of those are more about social networking rather than co-op/multiplayer.
As for The Sims 4, there’s no official multiplayer, but some people over in the subreddit SimSync have been working towards making a multiplayer mod for The Sims 4.
#2 Rimworld
Rimworld has a lot of similarities to The Sims, in that you have a virtual avatar that you control through a world. The difference though is that this world is hostile and you can absolutely be a cannibal if you want. Really.
Gameplay
At its essence, Rimworld is about the founding and building up a colony of survivors until at least one of you escapes the planet.
Of course, you aren’t left to your own devices, and the game’s director AI throws a variety of events at you. These can range from the good, such as new characters joining the colony, or bad, such as a raid by pirates. As you can tell, a big part of Rimworld is trying to maintain a functional and thriving colony while at the same time defending it from attacks.
One important aspect of having a great colony is the use of electricity and technology in general. You might be stranded in a somewhat barren planet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the luxuries of home, such as an electric stove or an AC.
A lot of the technology in Rimworld also works towards either keeping your colonists happy or maintaining different systems, such as your fridge ‘room.’ where you can keep the dead bodies, you plan to cannibalize.
Graphics
Rimworld is 2D top-down, and actually, rather pretty too look at once you get past all the mud. While the overall world itself isn’t anything particularly fascinating, there’s lots of detail in the items you get to build and the clothes of the characters. So, while it’s not going to win any awards for graphical fidelity, it has it’s a certain charm to it. Except maybe the animations of the characters being cannibals.
Storyline
The majority of the story in Rimworld rests on the laurels of the backstory; you crash-landed on a (procedurally generated) planet far away from everything, and you’re kinda stuck. Aside from that, most of the story revolves around the specific characters who appear in the game, either as your colonists or as enemies. They have their own backstories, likes, dislikes and really they’re just like real people that make the game world feel alive.
Co-op/Multiplayer
Much like The Sims, there’s no real multiplayer that’s officially supported by the studio, but again, also like The Sims, there’s a group of dedicated fans working on a mod. You can check it out at Ludeon Studio’s own forums. Although, no word yet as to whether you can cannibalize the people you play with but watch this space (no, not really).
#3 Prison Architect
If you like Rimworld but want a more prisony vibe, Prison Architect is probably what you need (that, or some form of professional help). This game actually comes from a studio with quite a bit of pedigree: Introversion Software, who have made games like Uplink (my favorite hacking sim) and Darwinia/Multiwinia. So really, you’re in good hands here.
Gameplay
You know, if games keep summarizing their whole shtick in their names, I’m going to be out of a job.
But, moving on from the demise of my career, Prison Architect is all about building prisons. It’s not as easy as it sounds though since you have to balance the prisoner’s needs, the government’s requirements, and the budget you’re provided. So really, you’re just as much a warden as you are an architect.
Which is very much alike to other popular city-builder games.
Of course, running a prison isn’t easy, especially when there are prisoners involved. The state provides you with three different types of prisoners you have to account for; each type is increasingly harder to care for and more dangerous. You’ll end up having to recruit armed guards, patrol dogs, stronger walls, and carry out regular shakedowns to find contraband.
Aside from the dangers of those who go in max security, all prisoners need food, shower, sleep, and leisure time. You can provide that in a variety of different ways, but if you go amiss in any, you’ll end up with a riot on your hands. Still, if you plan ahead, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about. It’s not like there are any cannibals about.
Graphics
The visual style between Rimworld and Prison Architect are nearly identical, with a top-down 2D view that gives you a great overview of your domain.
One thing I will say for Prison Architect is how much effort they put into the dirtiness of this game, and I don’t mean the XXX kind. If you don’t maintain and take care of your prison, you’ll quickly see it fill up with filth, which actually brings down the morale of your prisoners.
Storyline
The only real story in this game is the beginning tutorial stages where you get introduced to the electric chair and a family of mafiosos that put you through your paces.
Co-op/Multiplayer
You’ll be elated to know that you can officially fulfill your prison building fantasies with up to 4 of your friends. This mode allows you to manage and build your own prison cooperatively. It’s not really a couch co-op game, but online it’s quite enjoyable.
There’s also another sort of multiplayer thing, where you can enter a player-created prison and try and escape. To do that, you can do a bunch of things, with my favorite being assembling your own prison gang. It’s actually pretty fun trying to figure out the best way to get out of player-made prisons, especially the more difficult and devious ones.
#4 Graveyard Keeper
I actually agonized a little bit whether I should put Stardew Valley here or Graveyard Keeper. While Stardew Valley is arguably the standard-bearer, Graveyard Keeper does a relatively good job of it. So, if you’re looking for a slightly more contemporary iteration of Stardew, Graveyard Keeper does a good job, even though it might fall short in some aspects. Also, there’s no cannibalism here, don’t worry.
Gameplay
As you can imagine, your job is to maintain and manage a graveyard as you might have gathered if you read the title of the game. Of course, it’s a little more complicated than just digging up plots and sticking bodies in them, as when you start the game and are handed a parcel of land, it’s full of dead trees and other debris that you need to clean up.
Doing so increase the reputation and donations of the associated church, which will lead to you reaching your goal, but more on that in the story section.
Aside from being a game warden for a graveyard, you also have to help some NPCs in the form of quests, so you can extract some important information out of them. This will invariably lead to being asked for a crafted item or something that’s picked up off a mob and possibly (read probably) engaging with the game’s crafting systems. These include farming, smithing, and fishing, as well as basic combat and multi-level dungeons for you to adventure in.
Unsurprisingly though, a lot of that is locked behind the skill tree, otherwise known as the technology tree in Graveyard Keeper. Actually, what’s interesting here is that you gain three different types of exp; Manual Labour (Red), Intelligence tasks (Blue) and Farming (Green). These are required to unlock different types of things in the tech tree, a system I don’t particularly prefer but. Eh, it is what it is!
Graphics
One thing that’s actually really enjoyable about Graveyard Keeper is how atmospheric the graphics are. True, it is a 2D top-down game, but the details put into the world, as well as the particle effects, are absolutely ace. There are few things more immersive than the glow of a flame in the middle of the night while fog passes over you.
Yeah, it’s pretty great.
Storyline
You’re dead. No really. One day you get hit by a car and wake up in a weird old graveyard. As you do, the previous caretaker greets you, tells you that you need to raise the reputation and donations to the church to get back to your life, which you do by tending to the graveyard. That’s pretty much it!
While there are some minor story arcs as part of the side-quests, Graveyard Keeper is similar to other sims in that it doesn’t have a set or linear story to follow, but rather you are given a vague goal and left to your own devices.
Co-op/Multiplayer
Unfortunately, there’s no multiplayer in Graveyard Keeper, and no plans by either the devs or the community to put one in.
#5 Factorio
Ok, this game entry is pretty easy in concept but quite hard in complexity and mastering. If you love assembly-style sims like Big Pharma, then you’ll really love this, since it takes that idea and just ramps it up to 100. It even throws enemy mobs into the mix, something you don’t usually find in assembly-style games.
Gameplay
The gameplay is pretty simple; you find resources, harvest them, and use the harvested materials to create things, which can then be combined or enhanced into other things. Added to this is the local life which absolutely hates the massive amount of pollution you pump out, and who will happily attack you if you get too big or too close. So it’s really important to consider how much you want to expand and how quickly.
Ultimately, your goal is to create a spacecraft and escape (a la Rimworld). To aid towards that aim, you can build dozens of different buildings and items from smelters to bullet factories. All of this is put together with a complex system of belts, wires and a transportation system that allows you to automate pretty much everything.
I’d love to go into details on the amount of stuff you can build, but I could easily spend a whole article on that alone. Suffice to say that you can build weapons, armor, ammunition, electronics and electrical product, oil refineries, and robots, including things like turrets.
Graphics
The graphics are probably the one thing here that might take a bit of getting used to. It’s not bad by any means, but the requirement for a lot of information to be relayed visually means that there’s quite a lot of detail that might be overwhelming for new players. Nonetheless, the art style communicates the steampunky feel very well, and immerses you in the hostile environment you find yourself in.
Storyline
As I am now feeling like I’m living in a groundhog day; This game doesn’t really have a storyline beyond you being stranded on a hostile planet and needing to escape. There also isn’t much of a backstory either, so you can create your own motivations and reasons for what exactly is going on (a refreshing aspect roleplaying games that you don’t often find).
Co-op/Multiplayer
You’ll be happy to know that the factory has a robust multiplayer mode, where you can choose to play either cooperatively, or against each other in teams. You can also rent or host your own server to play with friends so that you can add specific world-wide mod or changes to how the game works. While officially you can support thousands of players on a server, the most usually only goes to a couple of hundred.
#6 IL-2 Sturmovik Franchise
Entering now into the area of real-world sims, we have what many people considered one of the best World War II flight sims. I should point out here though, that there are a ton of great flight sims out there that I wish I could have included, such as DCS World, FSX, and X-Plane. If you want something closer to civilian aviation, you should check out the later two.
Gameplay
As you might expect from a realistic flight sim, the gameplay revolves around realistically flying and fighting WWII aircraft. Of course, not everybody can figure out fuel mixtures while being shot at, so you can absolutely let the game do some of the things for you to make life easier. This also comes in handy for those who want to focus more on the combat and flying than they do about running the airplane.
The best thing about IL-2 Sturmovik is the level of detail they put into each and every aircraft, of which there are a couple of hundred, depending on which one of the games you get. Damage is also realistically represented, as are flight characteristics of the airplane and the ammunition you use, so don’t expect an arcadey feel at all. Similarly, if you run out of ammunition, the only thing left for you to do is return to base.
Finally, there are a few different modes from single player to multiplayer (the latter of which we’ll get into in a second), but most interesting is the career mode, where you create your own pilot and start from the button in different campaigns. The world is dynamic and alive, so while you are doing your own thing, you might very well run into other squadrons doing their own as well.
In fact, you could even have a sudden attack on the base, which requires you to jump into ready alert aircraft and scramble to defend your airfield.
Graphics
For you graphical gluttons out there, you’ll be happy to know that the graphics in the IL2 – Sturmovik franchise are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It goes beyond just the amount of detail put into the aircraft, from the sounds to the exhaust of the engine spewing fire, but the world itself. If you go through a cloud, moisture droplets will land on the windscreen, for example, and everything that exists in the ground can be run into.
It’s made even better by the amazing work they’ve done with volumetric lighting and the skybox, which of course is where you’re going to spend most of your time in. It doesn’t matter whether it’s sunrise or sunset, you’re going to be presented with amazing vistas as you hunt down and kill other pilots.
Storyline
The storyline in IL2 – Sturmovik mostly lies within the career mode, and is dependant on the type of campaign you chose. The developers have added a ton of them over the past nearly two decades that the game has been going on, and includes some of the most famous and well-known air campaigns of the WWII, although almost primarily focused on the eastern theatre.
As you play in career mode, there are a lot of dynamic and changing events, so you might not necessarily exactly follow the path of history, but instead, forge your own little role in it.
Co-op/Multiplayer
Luckily, IL2-Sturmovik does have a multiplayer option through hosted servers with up to 100 players going at it simultaneously. So yay, you get to shoot down all your friends!
#7 Euro Truck Simulator 2
Now we come to one of my favorite games on the list, which I’ve easily put several hundred hours into. We’re also entering the automotive section of this list, so put on your helmets and strap yourselves into your racer chairs!
Gameplay
If you like rags to riches stories, then ETS 2 is really going to scratch your itch, since you start off as a lowly contractor working for other people. As you finish contracts and get more money, you can buy your own truck and establish your own base, which will allow you to take on much more lucrative contracts.
Do that for a bit, and you can start hiring AI drivers to carry out contracts for you, and soon enough, you can start expanding your base and hiring even more drivers. Before you know it, you’re a transportation baron.
Of course, the majority of the game is still just you driving around, and depending on the truck you own, that can differ quite a bit. Since ETS 2 is a sim, you can adjust how realistic the controls for the truck are, so if you want to deal with break bleeding or engine braking you absolutely can, or if you want to just focus on the driving part, you can do that too.
You also gain experience points as you complete deliveries, which you can spend on a variety of skills that either opens up new types of cargo, increases the money you get and decreases fuel expenditure.
Graphics
While the graphical fidelity isn’t really high, what makes this game beautiful is the world and the environment you drive in. Since the base game covers 71 cities in 12 countries, and the DLC expands on that even more, you see a ton of different biomes that exist in Europe. The variety and detail put into creating the world around you really do make the game really fun and zen in a way.
For me personally, I like to use ETS 2 to wind down by driving around beautiful landscapes and just enjoying the views.
Storyline
The game doesn’t have any storyline, and no introduction either really. Are you a truck driver trying to pay off a massive gambling debt? Are you inside a simulation mini-game like Roy in Rick and Morty? Who knows?!
Co-op/Multiplayer
Unfortunately, there’s no direct co-op or multiplayer, but SCS Software has online servers where you can accept contracts from and be part of a variety of events.
#8 F1 Franchise
You can’t go wrong with a little bit of Formula 1, probably one of the fastest-paced racing sports out there and the game is no different. While I titled this as the ‘F1 Franchise’, I’m specifically going to be talking about F1 2018, since it’s the most recent version of the game to come out.
Gameplay
If you’ve played F1 2017, there’s not a lot of difference to the gameplay, and it should feel like slipping into a familiar pair of pants. If you haven’t, then I’ll tell you that one big aspect of F1 2017 was the introduction of complex R&D system for developing your car’s engine, chassis, and aerodynamics. Unfortunately, it was a little bit cumbersome and hard for some to keep up with, which is where the main change has happened in F1 2018.
With F1 2018, you’re instead given development points for completing certain goals during practice sessions, although this can get tiring if you’ve been playing F1 for several years and are essentially dealing with the same tracks again. Halfway through the championship, you get the option to bank your points because rule changes might make things you already have illegal.
Aside from that, not much has changed. There’s still a full career mode with the same vignette and story bits as you’d expect. The racing is still a lot of fun, and there hasn’t been much change in that regard, which is fine since it’s not really needed although the AI has gotten quite a bit of an upgrade and races a bit more aggressively to give you a pretty intense challenge.
Graphics
Graphics are absolutely super when you look at the cars and the track, although they start to be a bit cringey in the cutscenes or for objects that are further away from you. There has been a slight upgrade as you’d expect, including with some of the skin and hair textures for characters, but it still not top-notch. That’s not a big deal though since the focus in F1 is the cars and the racing, and not necessarily the people.
Storyline
The storyline is completely self-made and based on the career mode. In essence, you are a new driver, and you need to get yourself to the top. It might not be complicated, but it does its job.
Co-op/Multiplayer
F1 2018 does have a multiplayer mode, and luckily Codemasters has created a ‘super license’ system, which is essentially a matchmaking system that pits players with similar skills, and etiquette, together. The idea is that the cleaner you race, the more likely you are to be pitted against other clean racers.
#9 Assetto Corsa
While F1 has a great overall quality to it, Assetto Corsa focuses a lot on the details, and more specifically, the physics of handling the cars. Actually, Assetto Corsa was based on a previous game, Netkar Pro, considered one of the best driving simulators at the time, which included rain modeling and advanced physics all the way back in 2007. Unfortunately, it was a little bit difficult to work with, and it didn’t become as popular is it really should have.
Gameplay
As mentioned Asseto Corsa has some absolutely amazing driving simulator, where it’s not just a developer’s interpretation of how the car should handle, but the actual feel of the cars. Not only that, but we’re talking about a hundred different cars, all simulated to a T, including drivetrains and even engine damage.
On top of all that, it has a 3rd party mod support, and the community around it has really gone beyond the call of duty in adding more and more content.
Unfortunately, one downside is that the racing aspect of the sim is a little bit lackluster. For example, there aren’t different racing rules which would emulate different tournaments and championships. There are some mods which add those to the game, but official support from the beginning would have been better. Thankfully, the developers are working on different race rules, so there is a silver lining.
Also, Assetto Corsa doesn’t have any career mode, so if you’re into that, then you won’t find it here. That being said, the game does have over 100 licensed cars, 20 tracks with 39 different variations, so even just racing has a lot of variety and fun to be had.
Graphics
Aside from the cars themselves, the graphics are a little lackluster, which is something you have to expect from a game that comes out in 2014. There are also some really big things missing, such as a weather system or a day/night cycle which would add some atmosphere into the game. Same goes with the fidelity and quality of the trees, track, and general environment.
Of course, the cars themselves are pretty amazing looking with tons of detail, especially the reflections off the paint are pretty amazing. Unfortunately, the great graphics of the car stand out compared to the rest of the graphics, so it’s a bit jarring if I’m honest.
Storyline
Well, considering that the career mode is sort of tacked on and an afterthought, the storyline isn’t great and not even worth mentioning.
Co-op/Multiplayer
Luckily, Asseto Corsa does have multiplayer, although it’s not super great due to some limitation in the lobbies and the actual races.
#10 Arma 3
The final game on the list is probably one of the best and well known military sims out there. Granted, PUBG, Squad and Escape From Tarkov are all amazing military sims, but Arma 3’s combined arms and big-picture strategy are a whole different level. That doesn’t mean you should discount the rest, but for a list like this, Arma 3 is the one that needs to be included for scale alone, let alone all the other stuff.
Gameplay
Arma 3 has one of the most diverse and complex military simulations that you’ll probably find in terms of strategy, planning, and logistics. Just like you would in a normal military, there will be an officer in charge who will create general plans that need to put into motion. Then, lower-level officers carry out those plans with their own individual squads.
To achieve your goals, you have an absolutely huge variety of weapons, vehicles, aircraft, and even naval vessels. You could be sent on a mission to capture a town, and you can choose whether you want to go by helicopter or APC. Or maybe you will go with a smaller group of 2-3 people to do a bit of reconnaissance before going into the town proper.
Unfortunately, it is a somewhat old game, so the optimization tends to get in the way of the combat sections, which are arguably better in other games. Still, there’s a lot of fun in the tactical aspects of being on the ground and trying to complete an objective. The issues with frame rates and just getting straight into the combat are things you’ll have to consider before buying, but they aren’t really a deal-breaker in my opinion.
Graphics
Again, it is a pretty old game, and even though it’s had a ton of updates since it was released, the graphics are still not that amazing. That being said, there is a lot of detail in the equipment and weapons you use. Arma 3’s map also feels very alive and well made, so even if the graphical fidelity isn’t the highest, it’s still pretty enjoyable to be in.
Storyline
There’s actually a couple of different campaigns, but the campaign in the base games puts you in the shoes of a peacekeeping soldier on an island as full-scale withdrawal begins. Of course, things start off badly, and you have to drudge through a large map and just be a cog in a much larger wheel.
Honestly, the campaign is pretty standard, and there’s nothing amazing to the narrative, which is fair enough since the focus has always been in the multiplayer — speaking of which:
Co-op/Multiplayer
The majority of the Arma 3 gameplay takes plays online and is really what draws most people to buy and play the game. As I mentioned in the gameplay part, there’s a huge amount of strategy and logistics that go on it, with each map being able to handle up to 100 people. There’s a couple of different modes, but mostly they boil down to a group or groups of people against another group or groups of people.
Overall, it’s a fun simulation and an outstanding RTS game.
Final Words
So yeah, as you can see, there are absolutely tons of choices for you to pick from, and I haven’t even included some sub-genres or just other games such as Silent Hunter 3, OMSI, Rising Storm, iRacing, the Farming Simulator franchise and really just a ton more.
Regardless, I hope you’ve enjoyed the list and good luck on picking the next game you’ll spend a few hundred hours on! Also, check out our guide on some of the most amazing management games, or maybe even some outstanding flight simulators!