Simulation games are some of the best and most unique titles around. They often offer unmatched realism, allowing players to dive deep into their mechanics. We’ve put together our list of the best simulation games ever – do you agree with our picks?
Credit: Sports Interactive
Football Manager 2024 is the latest iteration of Sports Interactive’s long-running simulation series of the beautiful game. Not just the latest, but the best, too, offering unmatched levels of realism as you aim to take your team to glory on the pitch. Some may call it a spreadsheet simulator, but no other football sim rivals the level of depth Football Manager 2024 offers.
The Football Manager series as a whole is home to many of the best simulation games ever made, but if you can only choose one, go with the latest and greatest.
Credit: Maxis
This list wouldn’t feel right without The Sims 3. Maxis’ third mainline entry into the premiere life simulator series gives players the tools to create their perfect home, filled with their ideal family. The Create-a-Style feature allows for a level of customization not seen before in the series, making The Sims 3 one of the best iterations to date.
Some would argue that The Sims 3 feels a little dated at this point, but it remains one of the best simulation games on the market. Don’t let its age fool you – both new and old fans of the franchise can still get plenty of value from The Sims 3.
Credit: SCS Software
Hauling payloads across Europe in a truck can’t possibly make for a fun game, can it? Wrong. Euro Truck Simulator 2 allows you to drive through some of Europe’s most stunning cities, in one of the most relaxing video games ever made. It’s a unique entry among the list of best simulator games around, but one every gamer should try at least once.
On top of this, Euro Truck Simulator 2 also includes unique business elements that allow you to build your trucking empire over the course of the game. You don’t have to engage with these elements, but you’ll have more fun if you do.
Credit: Ludeon Studios
RimWorld is fascinating. You begin in one of many scenarios the game presents, and your objective is to manage characters to complete a series of objectives. However, the game uses an AI story generator to alter the world and its inhabitants, making each playthrough completely different.
Compared to the other selection of best simulation games, RimWorld has an unrivaled sense of progress. You build from nothing, and it doesn’t take long to feel like you’ve affected the world around you in a big way.
Credit: Nintendo
Nintendo’s premier life simulator is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Like previous entries into the series, it allows players to move to a deserted island, customizing it to their hearts’ content while attracting new villagers. Its cutesy art style gives it an undeniable charm, and players can even visit the islands of others for inspiration, too.
Credit: Squad
You can’t talk about the best simulation games and leave out Kerbal Space Program. This title from Squad is all about building your own spaceship on the planet Kerbin, before sending it out to the great beyond to explore the cosmos. Not every spaceship will work perfectly, so this is a game about trial and error, until you’ve built the perfect spaceship. There’s a steep learning curve here, but if you commit, you’ll be rewarded with one of the best simulation games on the market.
While there is a sequel to Kerbal Space Program, we recommend you stick to the original. It’s more feature-complete, providing a ton more content as you explore one of the best space simulator games around.
Credit: ConcernedApe
Where to start with Stardew Valley? ConcernedApe’s farming simulator gives you a plot of land to develop, which you need to clear by working before building it up. The game also features activities such as cooking, crafting, and exploring, as well as convening with Stardew Valley’s many NPCs. You can even develop a relationship with the townspeople, which can blossom into romance!
Stardew Valley always tends to appear in any list of the best simulation games, and with good reason. It’s a cozy experience unlike anything else in the genre, and while plenty of other titles have tried to emulate its success, very few come close to its quality.
Credit: Maxis
Yep – more Sims. This time, it’s The Sims 4, the series’ most modern entry. Ten years after launch, it’s still the best it has to offer, with numerous expansions making it the most complete Sims experience to date. There’s even an enormous modding scene for the game, with a dedicated community bringing plenty of custom content into The Sims 4. Simply put – The Sims 4 is the best simulator game series’ greatest offering – what’s to explain?
Over the years, there have been very few real competitors for The Sims 4. This is because Maxis already has the balance just right. With such a dedicated fanbase, you’ll struggle to turn them off The Sims 4 onto a competitor.
Credit: Asobo Studio
2020’s iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator is the most remarkable yet. Using data from Bing Maps, the game recreates the entirety of planet Earth, with over 2 million towns and cities, which you can traverse with over 60 types of real aircraft. It’s unlike anything else on the list of best simulator games – a true one-of-a-kind experience.
Best of all, Asobo Studio continues to update the game with more famous landmarks from around the world. Microsoft Flight Simulator is already one of the best simulation games, and it just keeps getting better with each addition.
Credit: Colossal Order
Cities: Skylines is the perfect city-building simulator. It gives you the reins to build a city from the ground up, choosing road placement, public services, taxation, among many other elements. Not a single detail goes unnoticed in Colossal Order’s Cities: Skylines, which is why we think it’s the best simulator game ever made.
Now, there is a Cities: Skylines 2, but that game has proven nothing short of a disaster so far. Avoid at all costs, especially when the original is still among the best simulation games around, with no sign of a competitor to take the crown any time soon.
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