The 5 best simulator games to play right now
The 20 best simulator games to play right now
The best simulator games allow us to experience some of the weirder slices of life, without having to explain our interesting new lifestyle or career choices to our bemused friends and family. Whether you want to try your hand at life as a farmer, build a sprawling city or be responsible for what makes it on the air for a small TV channel, you'll find something here to enjoy.
The best simulator games bucket has really filled up in the last few years, with new tools and game development software making it easier for indie studios to experiment with niche ideas, and focus on making, say, the game mechanics of power washers, incredibly satisfying.
This list of the best simulator games sticks strictly straight-forward simulations of an activity, rather than narrative, immersive sims like Dishonored or comedy titles that seem to have been made purely to have settled a drunken bar bet. Choose any of the games below and you'll get a weirdly satisfying time killer that gives you an insight into a different world. Just don't blame us if you suddenly get the urge to give up the day job and start a new career as a pilot.
1. PowerWash Simulator
Available on: PC
A newcomer to the world of simulation games, PowerWash Simulator proves that sometimes all you need are water and muck to have a good time. Essentially the game is a shooter, but your targets are filth that has built up on lawn chairs, vans, and helicopters, and your weapons are a water jet and various flavors of soap. There's just something insanely satisfying about washing the crud off various items, and the game even gives a little dopamine-inducing ping when the section you've been working on is spotless.
You might think it all sounds too simple, but between upgrades to your equipment, crawling on your belly to get to hard-to-reach areas, and the pure meditative flow state that comes with virtual manual labor, this is one game that makes a chore something to cherish.
2. Farming Simulator 17
Available on: PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Google Stadia
The core of Farming Simulator’s experience remains the same: buy more fields, upgrade equipment and enjoy your day-to-day routine among the green hills. The range of machines and equipment available to you is exceptionally broad, with the kind of brands that are familiar household names (if you are a farmer). As one of the most authentic farming experiences that you can get without getting your wellies dirty, the game is only enhanced by its updated visuals, customizable farms, and rideable horses.
If you’re looking to get away from the more high-octane gameplay of other titles and try something more tranquil, Farming Simulator 19 may be an ideal escape. That’s not to say that there isn’t any mechanical depth to the proceedings- those crops aren’t going to grow themselves after all, but Farming Simulator 2019, if nothing else, works as a therapeutic break from the stress and intensity of its genre contemporaries.
3. Mad Tower Tycoon
Available on: PC
Real estate becomes virtual with this engaging tower sim by EggCode. Build a skyscraper that will stand the test of time, and then fill it with luxury apartments, offices, or deluxe entertainment to excite the masses- then it’s your job to make sure your building stays clean, well-powered, and convenient. The game’s primary challenge is managing transport in your new metropolitan monolith, and the game’s limited-capacity elevators make this an interesting challenge.
With charming cartoony graphics and a clearer interface than some of its competitors, Mad Tower Tycoon is an excellent introduction to management sims for those new to the genre. If you’re in the mood for some sky-scraping, then this is the game for you.
4. Project Cars 2
Available on: PC, Xbox One, and PS4
A slightly more in-depth sim than its series predecessor, Project Cars 2 adds new levels of realism to its racing experience. With improved car handling and a new weather system that takes into account everything from time of day to seasons to the track’s height above sea level, the game’s ultimate intent is to be as realistic as conceivably possible.
Yet despite this obsession with technical details, Mad Studios doesn’t lose sight of what’s really important- the pure adrenaline rush of racing around the world’s most famous tracks in over 180 real-life supercars. Whether you’re driving alone, or competing online in the game’s Online Championship mode, Project Cars 2 lets you live your most vivid racing fantasies.
5. Railway Empire
Available on: PC, Xbox One and PS4
Set during the American golden age of railway, between 1830 and 1930, you are the proud owner of an ambitious young railway company. Plan your railway lines and run a glorious range of over 40 historically authentic trains along them. But remember- although a direct line might be more profitable in the long term, it might also bankrupt your company to build! In addition to rolling out your great iron roads across the country, the game affords you a large degree of customization, letting you hire your own employees, each with individual personality types, and even what carriages your engines will pull.
And for those gamers who would rather build their railway closer to home, the game also has a wide range of DLC, giving you the chance to expand your business to parts of Europe, South America and Canada.
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