Whether you’re looking to fly planes, crash cars, or plow fields, there’s a simulation game for you. On top of that, there are some weird and wacky entries in the genre that might be strange enough to pique your interest.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a sequel to the 2020 game of the same name. The game promises to deliver only two very realistic things, but it does them at an extraordinary level: planes and the planet. The game offers a complete rendition of our real world and a corresponding very realistic flight model. This is one of the few games where you can technically visit your own house.

The game lets you choose from an expanding list of hand-crafted planes, allowing you to explore our planet, which was built using satellite imagery, photogrammetry, machine learning and many handmade landmarks. The 2024 sequel improves on existing systems by adding more aircraft types, a full career mode, more realistic environments and much more.

Euro Truck Simulator 2

Euro Truck Simulator 2 remains one of the best-selling games on Steam more than twelve years after its initial launch. Play as a trucker and drive licensed trucks in real-world locations, with tight schedules and laws to follow. Plus, you can only drive for about ten hours at a time before you have to stop to sleep.

Even if it is not a live service gamethe developers almost treat it as such. ETS2 has received over 90 DLC packs, some of which are full expansions that add new countries to explore. A bit like Microsoft Flight Simulatoryou can visit your own house… if you live in Europe (even if American Truck Simulator also exists). I saw a video of my city in the last Western Balkans update and I couldn’t believe how well done and detailed it was.

Assetto Corsa EVO

Assetto Corsa EVO is a next racing simulation. The franchise is popular among racing and car enthusiasts because it features very realistic physics and mechanics. Additionally, the original game is extremely fashionable. This is the third entry in the franchise, but as Assetto Corsa Competizione has largely focused on GT racing, you can think of EVO like a soft restart this puts the focus back on trams.

It’s the kind of game that makes you want set up a racing simulation system. Assetto Corsa EVO is scheduled to be released on January 16, 2025.

BeamNG.drive

BeamNG.drive isn’t your typical racing sim like Active Corsa. Rather, it is a sandbox vehicle simulation focused on soft body physics. This means extremely realistic crashes where cars deform and become unrecognizable with enough force.

BeamNG.drive lets you drive almost anything, from regular track racing and drifting to off-roading on snowy maps. You can think of it as Garry’s module, but with an emphasis on vehicles. Although the game does not offer licensed cars, it has an active community and lots of mods.

Cities: Skylines II

Cities: Skylines II is a highly realistic city building and resource management simulation game. Your job is to plan, build and manage a thriving metropolis filled with realistic traffic, pedestrians, weather systems and much more.

It should be emphasized that Cities: Skylines II had a rocky launch and still suffers from some technical and gameplay issues, so consider giving the original a try (it’s often discounted). on Steammaking it the best deal).

Great from the owner

If you want a real 1980s British landlord simulator, you can’t get much closer than Great from the owner. Much of the gameplay focuses on building houses, managing finances, and dealing with tenants. Although the game has many technical issues that probably won’t be resolved anytime soon, it has a charm that only true indie games possess and it’s one of the weirdest simulators you can get your hands on.

Farming Simulator 25

THE Agricultural simulator the franchise is among the most renowned in the world of simulation. It’s exactly what it sounds like: you play as a farmer and have to manage all aspects of a farming operation. You plant, grow and harvest various crops, purchase and maintain machinery, raise livestock, etc.

Farming Simulator 25 is the latest entry that adds more content, a dynamic weather system and much more.

PowerWash simulator

PowerWash simulator is probably one of the strangest simulation games, at least at first glance. It’s a game where you use a pressure washer to clean just about anything (even a Mars rover). However, once you start playing with it, you will realize how satisfying it is to clean with a pressure washer.

You don’t believe me? The game has an extremely positive score on Steam, with over 41,000 reviews.

House Pinball 2

If you have always dreamed of making a fortune by buying and selling property, start a risk-free journey by practicing with House Pinball 2. Think of it as a highly detailed home renovation simulator where the goal is to buy a house cheaply, fix it up, and sell it for maximum profit (then do it again).

PC 2 construction simulator

I love PC hardware. Building PCs is something I’d like to do for a living, but since it’s not a viable career path, I’ll just do it PC 2 construction simulator instead.

The game features over 1,200 real-life components to choose from, as well as a bunch of additional tasks to complete, like comparative analysis, change the thermal paste on the GPUand even CPU Removal. The game provides excellent step-by-step guides that allow you to practice before building or modding your own PC. Read our PC Building Simulator 2 full review for more information.

Thief Simulator 2

Thief Simulator 2 is a simulation like no other. The main focus is on break-in, i.e. burglary. Your job is simple: find ways to enter a house, sneak around, steal valuables, and escape without getting caught. I don’t want to spoil too much, because it’s worth checking out the game for yourself.

Contraband Police

Another very specific simulation game, Contraband Police is a game that puts you in the shoes of a border inspector in a fictional communist state called Acaristan. Set in the 1980s, your goal is to stop criminals from smuggling contraband into the country. I say “intentional” because you can also be corrupt and take bribes. There are guns and the occasional shootout, but action is not the focus of this game.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

This might be a controversial choice, but I told my editor that I would only make this list if I could include Kingdom Come: Deliverance in it, and I was only half joking. While Kingdom Come: Deliverance is technically classified as a role playI like to think of it as a medieval simulator.

The game takes place in medieval Bohemia. You play as Henry, the son of the village blacksmith, who goes on a quest to avenge his family. The game stands out for its high level of historical accuracy, fantastic graphicsa slow, realistic combat system and a ton of survival elements that ensure you won’t forget the difficult times you’re living in.

Now is the perfect time to get started Kingdom Come: Deliverance before its sequel arrives in 2025.

Command: Modern Operations

Command: Modern Operations is a real-time strategy game focused entirely on modern military operations. You act as a military commander who must manage and direct all military assets (air, land and sea) to execute successful operations in a wide variety of scenarios.

If you find military operations interesting, this game is for you.

Football manager 2024

In Football manager 2024your job is to be the best football manager there is and lead your team to victory. Unlike other soccer games in which you control players (depending on EA Sports FC), Football manager 2024 strictly maintains its focus on the sole management role.

You focus on tactics, player recruitment and transfers, team finances and match day decisions. This is a must-have game for all football fans.

There are so many awesome simulation games out there that I wish I had the time and space to mention them here. Honorable mentions go to Planet Zoo, My summer car, Inhabitant, TCG Card Shop SimulatorAnd Storage Hunter Simulator. With such a rich selection, you’ll likely find at least a few simulations that will capture your interest!