Feeling bored this year may be an overstatement since there are a plethora of gadgets and recreational activities available. Today’s technology along with the internet has provided us with more than enough entertainment and activities for you to exploit unless you are living in a cave which makes you a caveperson.
But enough with the lame jokes because today we will be looking at 10 of the best simulation games from five subgenres that will make the word ‘boredom’ obsolete to you. So, without further ado, let’s jump into our list.
Life Simulation
Life Simulation as the name suggests is
focused on nurturing life in the virtual world. This category covers digital
pets, god games, social simulations, and biological simulations.
The
Sims
The Sims is the most generic example of a life simulation game. In an interview with New Yorker, the game’s developer Will Wright states that the game’s inspiration comes from his personal experience after losing his home in 1991. Coining the game as a virtual dollhouse representing or replacing his possessions after the tragedy.
The Sims for those new to the game depicts
real-world activities in a virtual sandbox platform. Players get to create a
virtual representation of themselves that they can manipulate throughout the
map.
The Sims grew from a single game to a
franchise boasting sequels, expansions, and spinoffs. If you are looking to
play the latest entry to the franchise, you can check out The Sims Mobile.
The Sims Mobile image courtesy of Games.lol
Spore is a God game that employs the use of real-time strategy. Published by Electronic Arts in 2008, Spore allows players to evolve microscopic organisms into celestial beings.
The gameplay is divided
into five stages – Cell Stage, Creature Stage, Tribal Stage, Civilization
Stage, and Space Stage. Each stage comes with various objectives that the
player must complete to progress to the next stage. Spore is available for the
PC and Mac OS X.
Also known as management or building sim, CMS
is a simulation focused on simulating activities in construction, economics,
industrial production, government, and sports management. In these games,
players will have the ability to build communities, manage factories, govern cities,
and become business tycoons.
Stardew Valley is a farm management simulation game inspired by the Harvest Moon series. Players will have the freedom to create a character that they can manipulate to perform various activities like crafting, exploration, cooking, fishing, etc.
Players can also
interact with NPCs and explore procedurally generated caves. Stardew Valley
comes from ConcernedApe and is currently the number 1 simulation game on
Steam.
Developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive, Cities Skyline is like a SimCity game, but on steroids. Players in the game will have the freedom to build and manage their very own cities.
In addition, they will also have the ability to designate districts, enforce
district-specific regulations, and restrict/enforce developments. Cities:
Skylines is available for PC, macOS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and
Nintendo Switch.
Sports games are another subgenre of simulation games that depict
real-life sports competitions. Most of these games focus on team sports, track,
and field, combat, or extreme sports.
Football Manager 2022 or FM20 is a sports management game developed by Sports Interactive and published by SEGA for Android, IOS, macOS, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia.
FM20 allows players to
choose and play teams from 53 countries on five continents. The game also
boasts a plethora of leagues, a data analyst system, and a meeting, making it
one of the biggest and most expansive football management games to date.
The Out of the Park Baseball 23 game is the latest installment of the highly acclaimed OOTP series. Developed and published by Out of the Park Developments, OOTP 23 is the ultimate baseball management simulation that you can get your hands on.
The game comes with an up-to-date
roster of MLB, MiLB, and KBO complete with ultra-realistic player ratings, league
rules, and schedules. If you are into baseball, then OOTP 23 is the closest
thing that gets you to owning a team.
Vehicle simulation games are focused on
providing an accurate representation of real-world automobiles, aircraft, spacecraft,
watercraft, etc. To shy away from the overwhelming number of racing sims out
there, our choice for vehicle simulation is purely just that, providing players
with a realistic driving experience without the pressures of competition.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is a universally acclaimed game developed by Asobo Studio and published by Xbox Game Studios in 2020. The game provides photorealistic visuals complete with real-time weather effects based on real-world data.
On top of that is the
real-time world air traffic incorporated by the game’s Azure AI. Enjoy endless
hours of exploring the friendly skies by playing this game on Xbox and PC.
Developed and published by SCS Software, American Truck Simulator features officially licensed highly-detailed trucks from the biggest manufacturers on the planet.
This visually stunning game
provides the ultimate trucking experience across the US. Players will have the
freedom to explore the US hauling various types of cargo in multiple trailers.
The game also features multiple simulation settings for advanced players and truck enthusiasts.
In addition to the realistic features is the management element that allows players to buy garages, build a truck fleet, hire drivers, and expand their trucking company. You can get the American Truck Simulator on Steam for a highly discounted price of $4.99.
Other Types of Sim Games
Other types of game simulations include
medical, military, and other types of simulations not covered by the other
subgenres. Check out two of the best simulation games below that will surely
keep you busy for hours on end.
Most medical games are too graphic for some players which is why our first choice is more on hospital management. Project Hospital is a medical simulation game developed and published by Oxymoron Games for PC.
The game provides players the tools necessary to build, manage, and expand their hospital in addition to playing the role of a doctor. Project Hospital features a wide selection of game modes packed with multiple challenges for a reasonable $12.99 price tag on Steam.
Unity of Command 2 is a military simulation game that combines the intricate strategy-based mechanics of wargames with a simple design. Some of the game’s most iconic features include a dynamic campaign, deep operations, and supply/logistics management. Unity of Command 2 will provide players endless hours of gameplay for $9.99 on Steam.
Sim or simulation games are a super-category focused on replicating real-world activities. For over five decades, the genre has evolved from a text-based economic simulation to an ultra-realistic experience rich in elements and features.
Simulation is also closely related to
the strategy genre since most modern strategy games employ the use of CMS
(construction management simulation). One example is the 4X (explore, expand,
exploit, and exterminate) subgenre which comes with the basic elements of
simulation like resource management and city-building.
Despite the resemblance, 4X titles are not pure simulations since most 4X games are purposely made for competition and domination. Pure simulations, on the other hand, are focused on a specific type of activity.
SimCity BuildIt cover image courtesy
of EA
One great example is SimCity BuildIt which is focused
mainly on city-building and management activities. Although some of the game’s
features like the disasters, for example, are a bit exaggerated, the elements
of the game along with its core gameplay provide a satisfying simplified simulation
version of real-world city management.
To that end, if you are looking for a game focused on high-level strategies primarily on domination or elimination of the competition, then your search should start in the strategy genre.
Nevertheless,
if you are looking for a seamlessly immersive experience with no strictly
defined goals, then feel free to choose from the Sim or Simulation games
highlighted on this page.
Images were sourced from Steam except for the ones with captions.