The best simulator games on PC

The rich, diverse genre of "simulation" titles enjoys immense popularity. This is not surprising, as these games allow us to feel like a brave farmer, a ruler, a builder, a long-haul truck driver on long but incredibly interesting trips, and so on.

Image: ensigame.com

Perhaps some people really want to raise chickens, cows, conquer the skies, or immerse themselves in the world of the Middle Ages. In real life, it's not always possible to fulfill these dreams, but projects can help make them come true. We have compiled a list of the 30 best simulation games for PC so that each reader can try on a new role and spend their time with pleasure.

The Sims 4

Image: ensigame.com

Of course, our selection is opened by the famous life simulator, which has captured the hearts of many players since the early 2000s. The entire Sims series has an unparalleled atmosphere that no other life simulator has managed to convey so far.

It's simple: first, the player needs to create a character or even an entire family (the main thing is not to get stuck on this for 5 hours, otherwise, the gameplay will revolve around this), then move them into a house that can be built beforehand, get them a job, and... manage the life of the virtual person by giving them commands. The character can become a successful actor or a homeless person living in a dump. It all depends on the user's rich imagination.

The fourth part was released in 2014, but expansions are still being released, so the title is not going to fade into obscurity anytime soon.

Manor Lords

Image: ensigame.com

Welcome to a strategy + city-building simulator that immerses gamers in the unique atmosphere of the Middle Ages. You’ll need to create a lord who must build and manage a prosperous settlement.

It's hard to believe that this title was created by one person, as everything is detailed to the smallest degree. For example, after rain, puddles appear that can be seen up close. You can also switch to a third-person view, wander around the town, and observe what the townspeople are doing. The better you plan, build logistics, the faster the village will flourish.

There are also battles: the ruler will have to defend the city from enemies and then conquer other territories. We have a review of this project that explains everything in detail. We recommend reading it to learn many interesting facts.

Arma 3

Image: store.steampowered.com

Cultivating fields, fishing, repairing cars are quite peaceful activities that can help you relax. Arma 3, on the other hand, is the simulator that makes players eat dirt and enjoy the smell of napalm in the morning. This project serves as a combat sim that doesn’t give the gamers hope for a friendly shootout.

Here you experience hardcore gameplay. All projectiles have ballistics, people, equipment have weight, and there are no markers. It’s common to get shot in the head after 30 minutes of silence.

Playing solo is only possible against bots. Otherwise, Arma 3 is entirely multiplayer and relies on precise coordination with the team. Without voice chat, you’ll be kicked out, so be prepared to listen to, follow all the commander’s orders.

Farming Simulator 2022

Image: ensigame.com

From the hot battlefield, we move to fields of corn, wheat, or potatoes. It all depends on what you plant there. Farming Simulator 2022 is an excellent farm sim where players can immerse themselves in an unforgettable atmosphere. After buying a tractor and a field, you need to care for the field to produce a harvest that can be sold or used in production.

Additionally, players can engage in livestock farming, beekeeping, grow strawberries, tomatoes, or lettuce in a greenhouse, or fulfill orders to earn money. There are plenty of tasks, so no one will get bored, especially in cooperative mode.

For success, it is necessary to monitor the planting and harvest seasons, as well as price fluctuations. For example, in winter, fabric made from cotton or wool will cost less than in spring. Such observations can help you earn more money. The user also needs to monitor the wear and tear of equipment.

Elite Dangerous

Image: wargm.ru 

Simulators allow us to conquer not only endless cornfields but also space. In Elite Dangerous, the entire Milky Way is modeled very accurately, and you can visit every star visible from the ship. But to do this, players must master ship controls, which is not simple.

All interactions with objects are from the pilot's perspective, so the player can’t just press "F" to pay respects to the ship. As for gameplay, the user is free to do anything. You can engage in trading and buy yourself a space truck, transport passengers, become a military pilot, or a scientist. In the Odyssey DLC, will be able to complete missions on planets with shooter mechanics.

The Universim

Image: store.steampowered.com

Another city-building project that can also be confidently called a god simulator. You’ll have to develop not just a village, but an entire planet into an advanced civilization. Initially, the player will need to direct the first people on what to do: building, gathering food, or making love to produce children. Later, the little humans will start doing everything on their own.

You can not only observe but also encourage or punish people, as you are an omnipotent being. The player has control over time, natural disasters, calamities, changing minds, and much more. The user also needs to consider the character + features of the people.

The graphics are pleasant, and the gameplay will engage you for many hours. Perhaps some readers have already played The Universim since the title was in early access for a long time. But in 2024, it saw a full release.

Kebab Chefs! — Restaurant Simulator

Image: store.steampowered.com

This title made it to our top list because of the fun you can have in cooperative mode. The project is still in early access and has its drawbacks, errors, and other issues. However, despite all this, users can enjoy simple but engaging gameplay.

The character inherits a restaurant that needs to be developed, which means cooking dishes correctly according to a recipe book. To create a culinary masterpiece, the user first needs to buy ingredients sold in different stores. Once you have everything, you can light the grill, start cooking. Gradually, new recipes, kitchen utensils will become available. However, in order to move forward, the task will be to satisfy the tastes of critics.

Playing with friends or a significant other will be very entertaining. Someone can handle the cooking, someone can wash dishes, and someone can clean up and collect tips from customers.

Medieval Dynasty

Image: ensigame.com

We return once again to a medieval life simulator where players must create, develop their settlement. Thanks to a recent expansion, you can now do this not alone, but with friends or a loved one.

First, the player needs to build a house, and then everything else: a hunting lodge, warehouse, kitchen, blacksmith, and so on. Of course, you won't have to do everything yourself. In order for the settlement to flourish, the character needs people who are sitting around the campfire in nearby towns. If the village needs a hunter, the hero should find someone with such skills. All the items you craft are sold in the same nearby towns.

Since this is also a survival game, it's important to monitor the character's hunger, thirst, temperature, cleanliness. This is complemented by farming, animal husbandry, quests.

Tropico 6

Image: ensigame.com

Welcome to paradise! Or perhaps not quite a paradise… It all depends on the gamer, who can choose to play as either a ruthless dictator or a quirky ruler of a banana republic. This economic, political, city-building simulator allows you to enjoy not only pleasant graphics but also the process itself.

You’ll need to build relationships not only with neighboring countries but also with people, who will quickly overthrow their "beloved" El Presidente if they are dissatisfied. Therefore, the gamer must consider all the citizens’ needs: good healthcare, accessible housing, sufficient entertainment, and so on.

Naturally, to bring all this to reality, you need to trade with neighboring countries, which will happily declare war on the state if relations sour. To trade, the player must build farms, fields with various crops, factories, mines, and more. Additionally, the user can develop a tourist zone for extra income.

Car Mechanic Simulator 2021

Image: limynews.ru 

Sims are not just for entertainment. For instance, there are many stories online about how the Car Mechanic Simulator series has helped users understand real cars better. If you want to learn the basics of auto mechanics or simply love cars, we recommend checking out this title.

This project will teach you how to turn rusty metal into real masterpieces. The tutorial will guide you through all aspects step by step. Then, players can develop their own auto repair shop. Tired of simple orders? Find a wrecked car in a junkyard and bring it back to life. Gamers can purchase new parts, tune the car, and then test their masterpiece on the track.

Euro Truck Simulator 2

Image: ensigame.com

Sticking with the automotive theme, ETS 2 offers all users the chance to try being a long-haul trucker, whose goal is to deliver goods across different countries. Although the project was released back in 2012, expansions + mods are still being released.

As mentioned, players need to deliver goods. Initially, you’ll drive someone else's truck, completing less lucrative orders and earning money that you can later spend on the truck, trailer, garage, and even employees.

But that’s not the main point. What’s valued here is the calm gameplay, beautiful views out the window, music from the radio (if the player installs a modification), the romance of life on the road. This title is perfect for those who want to relax after a hard day, drive through European countries.

Stardew Valley

Image: wallpapers.com 

One of the most engaging activities for many users is building something in a title: a house, a garden, a café. In this project, you’ll need to take over an abandoned farm and turn it into something worthwhile.

The original game was designed for a single player, but after some time, a cooperative mode was introduced. Now the player can walk around the village with friends or a loved one, meet other residents, fish, create a personal pixelated world.

Once you sit down to play Stardew Valley with someone and immerse yourself in its wonderful virtual world, you’ll fall in love with this life + farm sim forever.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020

Image: pokayadoma.ru 

Enough driving on the ground; it’s time to take to the skies. Flight sim can boast advanced physics, and the king of them all is Microsoft Flight Simulator. Sure, you can turn off all the complex features and just fly, but we are not chickens; we are proud swans. So, crank up the physics settings to make life harder for yourself. However, if hardcore isn’t appealing to you, there is always the option to ease the gameplay.

Air resistance, mass, speed are fundamental features that no longer surprise anyone. If a light Cessna takes off, lands like a feather, lifting a heavy Airbus into the air is much more challenging.

Landing is a complex quest for players. A significant factor here is the simulation of airflow. If the user lacks speed, they’ll experience a "stall", causing the aircraft to plummet and spin out of control. At higher difficulty settings, temperature effects come into play.

Even if the gamer set aside the realistic physics, it’s an excellent simulator with beautiful scenery.

House Flipper 2

Image: filecr.com

In 2023, the sequel to the legendary simulator for cleaning, building, gardening—House Flipper 2—was released.

Here, players must progress from a cleaner to a top-tier designer. Initially, the orders will be for cleaning, which are easy to handle. Gradually, they will become more varied and interesting. The main character will have various tools + materials at their disposal to transform any simple house into a work of design art.

This title is ideal for those who enjoy a calm gameplay experience without the need to rush. It’s also a great opportunity to unleash creativity. Perhaps, deep down, there is a talented interior designer within you, just waiting for a chance to shine.

Ultimate Fishing Simulator

Image: store.steampowered.com

Another meditative project has made its way into our list of the best PC simulators. What could be more pleasant than virtual fishing, where there are no annoying mosquitoes, no bothersome wind, and the fish aren’t scared away by every noise? It’s nice to sit in a comfortable chair, cast a cool virtual rod, and wait for the catch.

By the way, you can choose from 50 types of rods and numerous baits. But even in a game, fishing isn’t that simple, as the user needs special skills to catch the haul.

The project features several maps with excellent graphics. However, the natural scenery might not always delight you, as you’ll constantly have to contend with the river’s current. But without challenges, the game would quickly become boring. Once a virtual fisherman figures everything out, they’ll find that sense of tranquility.

Tavern Master

Image: store.steampowered.com

What could be better than a mug of excellent beer on a hot day in a cozy tavern? Here, the player must develop their own tavern, buy new furniture, improve the menu, and host themed nights to earn a good profit. It's important that customers are satisfied with the service + the menu: otherwise, they may leave very unhappy.

The main goal is to reach a themed night attended by the royal family, but to achieve this, the gamer must go through a challenging but very interesting journey. You need to keep track of the quantity of food, drinks, as well as ensure safety, otherwise, a fire could destroy your business.

SnowRunner

Image: ensigame.com

Advanced physics is often loved in auto simulators. Although SnowRunner can't be called an advanced driving sim, its physics are excellent, and they apply not just to the vehicles. Since this game is about driving heavy trucks in off-road conditions, the combination of mechanics is quite interesting. Vehicles have real weight, center of mass, surfaces have different materials with their own properties.

To put it simply, a heavy vehicle will literally sink in the mud. The mud itself is not just a texture. The ground has physics: it retains tracks, and it has varying degrees of softness, viscosity. The same applies to snow + water. A strong river current can flip or carry you away.

You’ll often find yourself overturning. Vehicles, trailers have a center of mass, meaning their height and width play a crucial role. A truck with a huge crane will start tipping over at every bump. Low and wide vehicles will remain stable. From all this, players will conclude that delivering cargo is no easy task, which is the main objective of the game.

Way of the Hunter

Image: store.steampowered.com

Now we invite our readers to embark on an unforgettable hunting trip to experience extreme thrills and incredible emotions. One of the advantages of this project is that everything changes regardless of whether the gamer is online or not. This includes weather, time of day, animal movements.

However, like in fishing, players must work hard to get a trophy: choose the right weapon, consider various parameters such as the distance to the target, move without making a sound, and account for the animal's behavior.

Another plus is that the hunter can bring a friend, making the process much more enjoyable. But there's a catch: the animals will start behaving much more cautiously.

RimWorld

Image: store.steampowered.com

RimWorld is not just a colony simulator—it positions itself as a story randomizer. This is the most accurate description, as every hour spent in the title will be unique, thanks to the AI storyteller that randomly generates events.

Winning is not easy, considering all the mechanics. First, there are advanced survival elements. If you’re not prepared for winter, the colony will freeze. If a colonist is bitten by a rabbit, expect infection, rabies, death. Fires, hunger, temperature fluctuations, enemy invasions, diseases—all of these can kill the colonists. However, there is an easy mode for beginners.

Second, RimWorld features advanced social mechanics. Each person has their own personality, preferences, worldview. All characters react to even the smallest events. They fall in love, argue, fight, go insane, suffer from addictions, and can eventually become uncontrollable.

Train Sim World 3

Image: store.steampowered.com

Our selection wouldn't be complete without train simulators. There are many, but Train Sim World 3 is one of the best. The core gameplay of such projects never changes: you take control of a transport + passengers or cargo. However, there are additional mechanics and features that make these titles diverse.

The players are not limited to simple average trains. The project includes real heavyweights that differ in control from the average, as well as ultra-high-speed transports packed with electronics. Notably, you can now get out of the machine, adding realism to the experience.

Anno 1800

Image: store.steampowered.com

Anno 1800 is the latest and, in my opinion, most refined entry in the long-running Anno series, which has explored different historical and futuristic settings for over two decades. Each game brought something new, but this one feels like the culmination of all the best ideas. It takes the industrial revolution as its backdrop and builds a complex but beautifully intuitive economic strategy game around it.

You start with a modest trading port and gradually develop a sprawling colonial empire. There’s an incredible depth to the logistics: production chains, population tiers, inter-island trade, diplomacy, tourism, even electricity-based manufacturing in the late game. It’s the kind of game where every little system connects to something else, and when it all starts working smoothly, it’s incredibly satisfying.

What makes it one of the best economic strategy games, though, is how well it balances depth and accessibility. The game gives you the freedom to specialize your cities, experiment with layouts, or just admire the bustle of your industrial metropolis. 

In December 2024, Anno 1800 received its final DLC, symbolically titled End of an Era, closing out a long and successful post-launch cycle. Now Ubisoft is moving forward with the next title in the series—Anno 117: Pax Romana, set in the Roman Empire and scheduled for release in 2025.

Planet Zoo

Image: store.steampowered.com

If you’ve ever wanted to build a zoo with the same level of control as a city builder, this one’s for you. The animal AI is surprisingly smart, and the whole ecosystem design is quite detailed. The game is not about placing animals and stuff, but about creating comfortable habitats.

There’s also a real challenge in balancing the needs of your animals, visitors, staff, and finances. You’ll be tweaking temperature controls, monitoring health stats, managing breeding programs, and ensuring your guests are happy and spending money.

It’s thoughtful, creative, and at times a bit demanding, but incredibly rewarding if you enjoy management games that have a heart. Plus, the animals are just so well animated and believable.

Factorio

Image: store.steampowered.com

As the name suggests, Factorio is a game about factories—building them, expanding them, and eventually automating them to a point where you barely touch anything yourself. It starts simple: you mine iron by hand, feed it into a furnace, and make plates. But before long, you're laying down conveyor belts, programming inserters, and setting up automated science production.

The core gameplay loop revolves around optimization. Every new tier of technology demands a more sophisticated setup, and the way different systems interact forces you to constantly rethink and refine your factory. There's also the pressure of alien creatures attacking your base as pollution spreads, which adds a light tower-defense layer to the whole thing.

It's a game that teaches you systems thinking better than most educational software, and gives immense satisfaction as your messy tangle of machines turns into a clean, efficient megafactory. It’s not flashy, but it's endlessly deep and incredibly addictive.

Satisfactory

Image: store.steampowered.com

Imagine Factorio in first-person 3D, with a massive alien world to explore. That’s Satisfactory. You start by manually collecting raw materials and assembling basic parts, but the goal is to eventually create sprawling, fully automated industrial complexes that stretch across entire landscapes.

The real magic of the game lies in how it layers complexity. Elevation matters, space management matters, and suddenly you're juggling conveyor belts, elevators, train routes, drones, and power grids across biomes that are both beautiful and hostile.

The best way to play this game is in co-op mode. Coordinating construction with friends, troubleshooting bottlenecks, and designing elegant megafactories together turns Satisfactory into a truly creative experience. It’s a game that rewards both logical planning and a love for grand industrial spectacle.

Dyson Sphere Program

Image: store.steampowered.com

This is one of the smartest automation games I’ve played. You’re managing an interplanetary supply chain:  mining planets, building factories, and ultimately constructing a Dyson Sphere—a colossal megastructure that can harvest the energy output of an entire star. But you don't start with anything close to that. First, you mine basic materials on a single planet, set up simple production lines, and gradually expand your reach to other worlds in the star system.

Unlike games like Factorio, where the focus is mostly on building an efficient single-base network, Dyson Sphere Program forces you to think on an interplanetary scale. You aren't just optimizing a local factory, but orchestrating resource flows between planets, dealing with orbital logistics, and managing different planetary environments. It shifts your mindset from "how do I build better" to "how do I conquer a star system."

And believe me, watching your tiny factory evolve into an interstellar industrial network, and finally seeing the first panels of your Dyson Sphere come online, delivers one of the most satisfying payoffs in the genre.

Valheim

Image: store.steampowered.com

Valheim is a survival game set in a world inspired by Norse mythology. You start in a peaceful meadow, gathering resources and building your first shelter. As you explore new biomes, you face stronger enemies and harsher conditions, unlocking better tools and preparing to defeat powerful bosses. What I really enjoy is that these bosses are massive creatures straight out of Norse myth, and taking them down feels like a real achievement.

The game doesn’t force you into a strict routine. You can spend your time farming, sailing across oceans, building longhouses, or searching for rare materials deep in dangerous forests. Building feels satisfying because structures follow real physics—you need to think about support beams, not just decoration.

Valheim stands out because it gives you clear goals without rushing you. Exploration feels meaningful, the world has a natural rhythm, and whether you play alone or with friends, it always feels like you're part of something bigger than just survival. It’s one of the best survival games for co-op, but it’s also completely enjoyable solo. Great atmosphere, great progression, great freedom. 

 Subnautica: Below Zero

Image: store.steampowered.com

Few survival games make the environment itself feel as cold and alive as Below Zero does. You move through frozen oceans, dive into deep alien caverns, and slowly piece together a way to survive—one base, one tool, one discovery at a time.

Unlike most survival sandboxes, this one builds a strong narrative into its core. You’re not just surviving for the sake of it; you’re investigating what happened to a lost research team and uncovering alien secrets buried deep under the ice. It adds real purpose to exploration without forcing it, and you’re free to build, craft, and adapt along the way.

But what I love most about this game is its atmosphere. The silence under the ice, the strange lifeforms, the constant sense of being a visitor in an unknown world—it all creates a kind of slow, thoughtful tension that few survival games manage to achieve.

Raft

Image: store.steampowered.com

You start on a tiny wooden raft in the middle of the ocean and slowly turn it into a floating fortress. At first, surviving on a few planks feels almost hopeless. You hook scraps from the water, patch together the raft, and fend off sharks trying to tear it apart. Every board and every tool matters—progress is slow but steady.

As you expand your base, adding sails, engines, and farming plots, the surrounding ocean becomes both a threat and a source of opportunity. Diving into sunken wrecks or landing on new islands brings valuable resources but also real risks. The constant need to gather, build, and adapt gives the game a steady, satisfying rhythm.

What I enjoy most is how naturally the progression feels. Every new deck and every machine makes survival a little easier and life on the water a little more your own. Especially in co-op, building and steering a homemade vessel through storms turns survival into a shared adventure. 

Oxygen Not Included

Image: store.steampowered.com

Oxygen Not Included puts you in charge of a small group of colonists stranded inside an asteroid. Your job is to dig tunnels, build machines, and create a base where they can breathe, eat, and stay alive. Every resource matters, and keeping everything balanced quickly becomes a real challenge.

The systems in the game are tightly connected. Producing oxygen heats up your base, growing food drains water supplies, and waste has to be cleaned up, or it starts affecting morale. Planning a working colony means thinking a few steps ahead all the time, and even small mistakes can snowball fast. But when you finally set up a stable, efficient colony, it feels like solving a huge, satisfying puzzle.

Colonists in Oxygen Not Included don’t die in heroic battles—they usually choke, starve, or drown because you miscalculated something small. So, be careful. 

Untitled Goose Game

Image: store.steampowered.com

Not every simulation needs to be about building or surviving. Sometimes, it’s about being a goose who wakes up and chooses violence.

In Untitled Goose Game, you wander through a peaceful village and cause as much chaos as possible. Steal keys, scare children, honk at shopkeepers—whatever it takes to complete your checklist of petty, hilarious goals. There’s no timer, no score, just pure unfiltered mischief.

It’s a small game, but every moment feels personal and unpredictable. You can plan your tricks, but villagers always find a way to surprise you—chasing you around the garden, setting up barriers, or stubbornly guarding their stuff. Every small mess you create feels funny and real, and that’s what makes playing as a troublemaking goose so much fun.

Our list of the top 30 best simulators for PC has come to an end. There are many interesting projects that didn’t make it into our selection, but you can choose something interesting from here to spend several unforgettable hours with engaging gameplay.

Main image: ensigame.com