[Top 20] Best Simulator Games For PC

Do you have a boring, monotonous day-to-day that you just want to escape to, but not have anything too unworldly? Simulator games but just be the right game for you.

So, what exactly is a simulator game?

Simulator games are a videogame genre based around mimicking real-life activities such as day-to-day living. Other games simulate what it is like to be in different environments and how you, the player will respond or interact with the game setting. 

You can think, “If it’s supposed to be like real life, then why would it be fun?” The realistic mechanics or gameplay involved in Simulator games are what makes a simulator so fun. No actual rules apply that can restrict you from doing something in any way you can think of.

Euro Truck Simulator 2

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Dive into a dream job of becoming a truck driver in Euro Truck Simulator 2. You have no means to own your own business of truck driving, but you begin working with companies to have fun with truck driving, meeting deadlines to carry supplies from point A to point B. The map spans over 33 countries, so if you want fresh scenery in Germany, you sure can drive around there.
The realism of the driving mechanics is unreal, dealing with the different turns, and the GPS built with speed limits. Other cars just act exactly like they do on the road, as other people will drive. Even if you become super invested in the game, there are steering wheels available just to increase the immersion. 

Farming Simulator 22

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Being the third game in the series, Farming Simulator 22 makes an astounding real-life simulation featuring actual farming supply companies as a part of the game. Popular names like John Deere and Michelin are brands that you can access.

Over the span of the four seasons, you plant and harvest crop as well as raise animals maximizing your profit margin. As mentioned, you can utilize different farm vehicles based on real-life machinery. 

Car Mechanic Simulator 2021

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Car Mechanic Simulator gameplay.

You can absolutely be a car guy and a gamer at the same time (my father can attest to that statement). The fifth Car Mechanic Simulator features amazing graphics located in an Auto Shop, without the heavy lifting, blood, sweat, and tears.

The only downside to this game is that it makes being a car mechanic seem SUPER easy. This also can be an upside, if you don’t have the means or time to “pimp your ride”, this game is a good alternative to make the wheels of your dreams.

You definitely can learn a thing or two about car models, I know I did while watching a few playthroughs from TmarTn2 on YouTube. Even different car diagnoses are tasks that you can fix up, which are actual things that can happen to cars. This game can expand your knowledge and have you even apply it to your real life.

War Thunder

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If you like military combat games, this simulation is the game for you. Ground, sky, or water; you can choose what branch of the military you reside in from four choices. For your battles, you can even choose what country you represent during the game.

The game mechanics for maneuvering these vehicles is difficult to master, but fun to learn over time. Improving can be difficult with a large number of veteran players, but once you grasp the game it can be enjoyable. Almost every part of the game is in first-person, giving a realistic touch to the battle.

Squad

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Unlike any other team FPS I’ve seen, Squad is the closest to beautiful crisp uncanny graphics. Along with its visuals, the game offers a perspective into military combat, communication, and teamwork. How well you work on your team is dependent on how well you can get through your battlefield. 

Camera shakes, explosions, and even scope peeks bring an immersive experience, all from a first-person point of view. Both audio and visual elements go into making this game just as enjoyable, pulling you into this world.

Oxygen Not Included

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Begin this game assembling your space crew as you find yourself stuck on an alien planet. All you have is your three trusty mates, a “printing pod” that can create duplicates of your team, rations, and much room to dig. Explore and grow your colony in a mysterious place, and your main goal is to survive.

Unlike a lot of the top games on this list, Oxygen Not Included is in third-person, displaying the life of your crewmates. As the title states, managing oxygen for all your people is a big must in order to keep everyone alive. A nice touch is being able to know what part you need to prioritize, with the priority button, checking on the colony to see who is lacking what.

The Sims 4

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Haven’t heard or seen this game before? You must be living on a rock with how popular this game has become over the years and forged a whole new side of simulation video games. The Sims leads you into day-to-day life, where you can build a place to live, develop relationships, and control the world you live in.

The reason why this is not higher on the list is due to the lack of actual endless possibilities. Options are endless in the real world, and so is in the Sims, but hidden behind the paywalls of DLC and pack purchases. If you want to explore beyond the three cities you are provided in the game purchase, you will have to seek out others to bring other actions and abilities for this game.

The Sims franchise stands to still be a very classic, simulation game.  

PowerWash Simulator

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Ever seen power washing videos and thought, “Man that is so satisfying!” As someone who has not power washed homes before, it can kind of be relaxing to do in the comfort of my own home- without being splashed with water, dirt, and muck of course.

You can choose from different power washing gigs in this game, from houses to vehicles, and even monuments. The goal is to leave no space untouched, filling your completion bar to finish the job. Using different nozzles and cleaners for specific needs can get the job done faster or derive even more satisfaction for your customer.

Contraband Police

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Similar to the popular game “Papers Please” the player acts as the Border Patrol guard in a fictional Russian-like country with various tasks of keeping unwanted visitors from entering. The daily news starts off your day, keeping you aware of what may try to challenge your job.

Lots of awareness, perception, and paying attention is key to this game. In order to successfully keep your country safe, you have to check documents that drivers bring in, but at the cost of your energy. Upkeep on the job site is also key, doing various tasks there helps you gain knowledge of the world around you.

Fishing Planet

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This free-to-play online game brings a whole new light to fishing sports. In first-person, you can choose from different sceneries, and times of day to win your biggest catch. Sometimes you can opt to play with friends or do a solo day of catching.

Over 170+ species of fish are featured, and the spawn depends on what time of year, weather, and day it is. Different spots and bodies of water such as rivers or ponds can bring a wild variation of your catches. 

Escape Simulator

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Bring a new spin on friend and family game night with this escape room simulator. The game has options for solo or co-op, where you or a team solves an escape room puzzle.

The game itself is very cartoony and loses the reality of it, but it stands to still be a very fun game. A lot of the gameplay has to do with strategy (just as in-person escape rooms are), making sure no stones are left unturned.

Supermarket Simulator

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Gameplay art does not have to be the best when spending your time as a supermarket manager. Organize your store selling the best products at the best price to citizens in the city. Watch as you go from a little bodega into an even bigger shop.

Retail jobs are one of the craziest jobs to deal with, but despite that, it is in our everyday lives. The game shows a perspective on consumers, the sellers themselves and how they are perceived as well as the ins and outs of running a store.

Green Hell

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Set in the jungle, Green Hell takes you into another world of a survival game where it is man versus environment. I’ll have to admit, at my first peeks of the game, I thought we would be thrown immediately into the action. This is a slow build from an anthropology project gone wrong.

After losing track of your travel partner Mia, your character has to find and save her, leaving the perfect camp you set up. To ensure your life, you have to make sure you use the resources around the jungle to make shelter, food, and medical supplies. 

Raft

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Stuck in the middle of the ocean with nothing but a raft, you fish leftover debris to build a bigger space as you slowly float to land. Encounters with sharks can be quite dangerous, up until you finally reach your destination.

Three key things to managing yourself in this game are thirst, hunger, and health. Maximize all to ensure your safety and achievement of a new civilization. 

Stardew Valley

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This game is something I can absolutely waste my own day on, the fishing has got me locked for DAYS. If I could write a whole paper on the different aspects of Stardew Valley and which parts I’m fixated on- I would.

Stardew Valley is a fun and notably cozy farm simulator that begins when your grandfather passes away, a note with an invite to take over his farm is given to you. Later on, you find yourself in a small town with various character stories and explore different seasons as a farmer. There are so many possibilities and actions you can do in this game.

There is no “real” end-goal making it so carefree. The goal is ultimately up to you; making the best farm layout, and homes, finishing up the community center, or even bringing out your inner social butterfly to the town. 

No Man’s Sky

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Explore the many different planets in No Man’s Sky. It is not a big survival game, but more of an exploratory, learning about the world around you. In the open-world game, there are allegedly over 18 quintillion planets, opening a whole world of different resources and sights.

With so much space the game has made, players can go over different planets, one unlike another. Take a journey through space and find the best overall planet.

The Forest

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The Forest is a survival horror game taking place in a remote area after your jet crashes. In a first-person perspective, you face mutant cannibals who are out for your life.

Just like Green Hell, it is a man-against-environment setting. You use the resources around you to create shelter and protect yourself. Amazing graphics bring immersion to the game, but loses touch of reality once the mutant enemies come into play.

GTA Online

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It is tricky to call this GTA game a simulation; however, it has risen in popularity as a game used for stream subgenres of roleplaying. Up to 30 players can access a server, making an interesting turn to the city and player experience. In San Andreas, your own customizable character lives a life of crime under the wing of the franchise character Trevor.

I would say that the more customizable options to this GTA game give the simulation aspect, making it more immersive and feel like it can be you compared to another character. It still does not necessarily fall into a simulation category since it has a lot of story and third-person elements.

Fallout Shelter

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Based on the popular action role-playing game Fallout, Fallout Shelter is a simulation that depicts a post-apocalyptic bunker with all sorts of characters. The mobile game adaptation shows how to manage dwellers in a vault-setting, making sure everyone has enough resources to live.

It is not as flexible and much more niche due to its setup. Someone who favors The Sims series possibly may not favor this game as it does not have in-building customization, and it is much more limited.

Buckshot Roulette

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This game can hardly be a simulation game, but it has brought some internet fame in its release.

When you wake up in a shady nightclub bathroom, you exit finding a roulette table with a suspicious-looking character. Your dealer offers a game of life or death, playing Russian Roulette. Play for your life and win, or die and lose.

There is a lot of actual allegory that goes into the lore of this game, which can be hard-hitting topics like addiction and gambling in terms of all or nothing for your life. 

You may also be interested in:

• Best Simulation Games for PC That Are Fun
• 15 Best Business Simulation/Management Games
• The Evolution of Simulation Games (1958 - Now)