One goal of video games has been to approximate experiences so that players may live vicariously through them. This goal is best achieved in simulation games. Simulations are games that simulate some real-life event or task. As technology improved, some careers, such as pilots and astronauts, even began using simulators to assist in training.
Outside of their roots, however, simulation games have a dedicated following within the gaming community. Over time, the genre of simulation games used for entertainment has grown and developed, and some games have had more influence on that development than others.
10 The Sims: The Original Household Name In Simulators
When gamers think of simulators, The Sims is often among the first to come up due to its name and reputation. The most recent installment in the series, The Sims 4, has dozens of expansion packs and hundreds of ways to play. The goal of The Sims has always been to provide as detailed and creative of a life-sim as possible.
Players joyfully ran with the concept, creating a unique fan culture around the games and pushing its limits to create beautiful homes, strange families, and eccentric worlds for their Sims to participate in.
9 Kerbal Space Program: The Right Combination Of Realism And Hilarity
Kerbal Space Program has been taking gamers to the stars, or their fiery demise, since 2011. Despite the goofy mascots of this game, it takes its physics very seriously. As a result, Kerbal Space Program has received significant praise for its realistic mechanics.
Though Kerbal Space Program is not a perfect replication of reality, it does apply physical reactions and consequences in a way that mirrors the real world. Though the goal is to get the Kerbals to space, many players have taken delight in designing abysmal spacecraft and watching the spectacular fallout when they fail to launch.
8 Stardew Valley: The Farming Sim Renaissance
As its popularity has increased over the years, Stardew Valley has rejuvenated the world of farming simulators. Though it does not strive for photorealism, this indie darling focuses on details and genuine experience. Players must carefully balance their short-term and long-term goals with the amount of energy and time they have each day, just as they would in real-life endeavors.
Stardew Valley fosters a wholesome and heartfelt journey for players to enjoy as they farm, mine, fish, and cook their way into the hearts of the valley's residents.
7 PowerWash Simulator: Satisfaction And Secrets
When PowerWash Simulator arrived on the scene in 2021, it appeared to be just another cleaning simulator. However, as gamers began to play it, the game revealed itself to be a satisfying chore with just enough hints about its strange world to keep more narrative-focused gamers interested.
Though very little comes of the text messages and odd clues hidden throughout the levels, they provide an intriguing backdrop to the task of upgrading your tools and blasting grime off of every available surface in town until it all sparkles and shines.
6 Euro Truck Simulator 2: An Unexpected Fan Favorite
A simulation game about driving delivery trucks through Europe was the last thing gamers expected to see among the most popular games on Steam. Yet, Euro Truck Simulator 2 is precisely that. Streamers and casual gamers alike love this driving simulator for its beautiful scenery, exceptional physics, and abundance of customizable features.
Though it may seem like the most straightforward task a game could provide, Euro Truck Simulator 2 does include its fair share of challenges, such as parallel parking and navigating complex European traffic flows.
5 Totally Accurate Battle Simulator: Parody At Its Finest
Battle simulators have been part and parcel of the video game world for generations. Totally Accurate Battle Simulator decided to ask what would happen if these war games were absolutely hilarious. TABS, as it is sometimes called, applied primary colors, cartoonish style, and exceedingly sensitive ragdoll physics to create this beloved parody of battle and war simulation games.
Players can wobble their armies through different settings and grant them different powers to see which of the teetering masses will stand victorious. There's also an online multiplayer mode so gamers can see how their forces match up against their friends.
4 Goat Simulator: Absolute Simulation Hilarity
Though it was simply meant to be an amusing prototype, Goat Simulator flopped its way into gamers' hearts from the first alpha-state previews. This brilliant addition to the simulator genre allows players to take on the role of a mischievous goat determined to do as much damage as possible.
The more chaos players create, the more points they earn. A smattering of intentional glitches and bugs gives Goat Simulator its outlandish charm, encouraging players not to take the game too seriously and instead enjoy it for its ridiculous adventure.
3 Viscera Cleanup Detail: Gory, Yet Soothing
Viscera Cleanup Detail is the mundane simulation on the other side of every bloody sci-fi horror game. After the enemy aliens have been defeated and the space station cleared of threats, someone needs to clean up all the mess left behind. That's where the players of Viscera Cleanup Detail come in. They make their way around the station and wash away all of the gore and horror that took place earlier, disposing of it properly.
Many gamers have described Viscera Cleanup Detail as "weirdly soothing" as the repetitive tasks involved in the cleanup supersede the terrifying circumstances that made it that way in the first place.
2 Papers, Please: Bringing Plot And Depth To The Genre
Though simulation games are most often task-focused rather than narrative-driven, there's no reason they cannot be both. Papers, Please puts players in the shoes of a border officer in a dystopian country caught in severe political tension with its neighbors.
Each choice the player makes as they assess who can and cannot enter their country affects what will happen next. They can become part of a secret revolution, accept bribes to allow certain people through, or try to get by doing the bare minimum and hope that their country won't turn on them next.
1 Job Simulator: Approximation Of Human Life
It's common for people to wonder how human life will be remembered in the far future. Job Simulator takes this question to a comical conclusion. In this amusing VR simulation, the player is a human being looked after by the robots who assumed control of society. Since the robots do not want their wards to be bored or understimulated, they have created virtual simulations of various jobs that humans used to do, such as chef, convenience store clerk, mechanic, or office worker.
Though the robots do their best to recreate what these careers were like, some things are just a little bit off, creating hilarious shenanigans.