For most players, lore is the last thing that comes to mind when it comes to simulation games. Because most of the time, titles under this genre are mere digital recreations of real-world activities or scenarios. Whether it's washing a car or scrambling a surgery patient's guts, most simulation games don't care about world-building.
That doesn't mean world-building in simulation games doesn't exist. Some of them were awesome enough to combine fantasy, slice-of-life, or parody elements into their simulation gameplay. Consequently, such games also managed to build up their own lore or add more context to their game world so that it's easy to get lost in them.
Updated on February 28, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Most people consider simulation games to focus more on the gameplay side of things, trying to emulate sophisticated gameplay loops in the best way possible. This is easier said than done, with some sims failing in this regard. This makes for a less-than-enjoyable experience that a lot of fans won't be too keen to check out. So, when simulation games end up providing some compelling gameplay for fans to enjoy, it's easy to see why players would be invested in these games for quite some time. However, some sims don't stop there. Along with a fun gameplay loop, these games also ensure that players are invested in the game's lore with some quality worldbuilding that helps everything feel all the more authentic.
19 Frostpunk
The Onset Of The Volcanic Winter Makes It A Grueling Task To Help People Survive
Frostpunk
- Released
- April 24, 2018
- Developer(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- City Builder, Survival
The setting of Frostpunk is one of the most compelling parts of the game. Players must help a group of people try and survive at a time when there's no guarantee that people will have food on their plate, let alone a cozy bed and some warmth to survive the night. As a result, people will be expected to make some tough decisions for the greater good.
It's this focus on survival at all costs coupled with the smart writing in the smattering of story events that are present in the campaign that makes Frostpunk such a fun title to get into. It's easy to see why players are hyped for the sequel, which promises to be a step in the right direction and then some.
18 Total Extreme Wrestling 2020
The World Of Professional Wrestling Is Depicted Beautifully Here
Total Extreme Wrestling 2020
- Released
- June 1, 2020
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Strategy
- Developer
- Grey Dog Software
Total Extreme Wrestling is a series of simulation games focused on the world of professional wrestling. Sure, the UI and presentation may not be the greatest, but there's a reason why so many wrestling fanatics can't get enough of this amazing title. Whether players check out the vanilla roster or mod in wrestlers and promotions from the real world, there's no denying that Total Extreme Wrestling is the perfect game for people who want to be bookers in their little world.
It helps that wrestlers interact with the player and each other in a realistic manner, with the developments surrounding the many wrestling promotions being pretty immersive. As players get immersed in this game, they'll find it hard to pull themselves away from a play session that has lasted way too many hours for its own good.
17 Game Dev Tycoon
The Life Of A Game Dev And The Recreation Of The Industry Is Done Brilliantly
- Released: December 10, 2012
- Developer: Greenheart Games
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
Pretty much every video game fan has dreamt about creating their own game, which is no mean feat. While the act of creating a game is as daunting as it gets, players can still channel this fantasy with Game Dev Tycoon. People start out as solo devs before making a successful game and helping their studio grow bigger.
After a few sales successes down their belt, players can move on to better prospects as they make their own engines and create bonafide AAA games. It takes a while to get going, but players who can stand toe-to-toe with the biggest companies in the gaming industry will be more than pleased by what they have to offer.
16 Football Manager 2024
Thousands Of Details About The Real Footballing World
Football Manager 2024
- Released
- November 6, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Management, Simulation, Sports
The Football Manager franchise has always been praised for its impressive attention to detail, and while all the teams, players, and tactics have been imported from the real world, the developers still have to craft engaging and realistic campaigns and interactions for prospective managers.
Football Manager 2024, as one of the best sports management games of all time, builds upon previous iterations, and for the first time ever allows players to carry on their progress from FM23. The game is more immersive than ever, with improved graphics and tonnes of other new features.
15 Potionomics
A Mix Of The Modern World And Witches
Potionomics
- Released
- October 17, 2022
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Indie Games, RPG, Strategy
- Developer
- Voracious Games
In Potionomics, players assume the role of a potion seller (whose potions are too strong for any traveler). The premise is that the players inherited their uncle's potion shop, and they must learn to run the business.
That includes brewing potions and even dabbling in deck-building. As far as business management sims go, this one is one of the most charming and the quirkiest. At the moment, the game has no sandbox mode and has a rather short story period but the developers might fix that soon.
14 Railway Empire
Set In 19th Century America
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=500&dpr=1.5)
Railway Empire
A simulation game would have been the last place anyone would look at if they ever wanted to roleplay as an American western frontier tycoon, but Railway Empire manages that experience well. It's a railway tycoon simulator set during the turn of the century during the Industrial Age.
Players will have to lay down tracks and manage one of the vastest railway networks back in this time period. Along the way, players will also be directly helping the development of outlaw-ridden backwater towns, bringing law and order into the Wild West. It's a great game to play after finishing Red Dead Redemption 2's depressing ending.
13 Crusader Kings 3
World Building Based On Medieval History And Semi-Legendary Figures
Crusader Kings 3
- Released
- September 1, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Paradox Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Grand Strategy
Seeing as Crusader Kings 3 is a grand strategy simulation game about the real Middle Ages, many players won't realize it actually has fantastic world-building, which in itself is proof of success. This is because while the game does strive for realism, either due to a lack of historical sources or due to gameplay priorities, Crusader Kings 3 features its fair share of historical inaccuracies.
7 Best Simulation Games That Turned 30 In 2022, Ranked
The simulation genre is among the oldest, with these famous sim games having turned 30 in 2022, ranked.
Chief among these and where the need for world-building comes in, is with obscure lands, rulers, religions, and cultures. This is particularly true for the 867 start date as fewer historical records survive for this time period, meaning that the developers had to create characters and much more based on partial or no information. For example, in some cases, they used semi-legendary figures such as the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, but in other cases, such as obscure places on the map, they completely made up rulers, dynasties, and cultural traditions.
12 Planet Zoo
Real Zoo Details
Planet Zoo
- Released
- November 5, 2019
- Developer(s)
- Frontier Developments
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
Planet Zoo is a construction and management simulation game that at first glance may not appear to contain much world-building or lore. However, similar in some ways to The Sims, Planet Zoo also takes place in a quasi-realistic world, as players will notice that the zoo guests speak a made-up language. This language can also be seen on various educational or information signs that can be placed in the game.
The tutorial and career mode also feature a made-up and lovable zoo owner, Bernard Goodwin, although even more charming is the head zookeeper Nancy Jones, who guides players along with her soothing Welsh accent. Furthermore, although most of the game is based on real zoology, the game does a fantastic job of bringing this information into the experience with every species having their own Zoopedia page. Players can use this information to not only provide their virtual animals with the best habitats and care, but they will also educate themselves about real biology in the process.
11 RimWorld
Depicts All Aspects Of Sci-Fi Civilizations
RimWorld
RimWorld was primarily inspired by Dwarf Fortress and it too is a colony management sim. But instead of fantasy dwarves in their halls of stone, RimWorld takes players out into alien environments in a sci-fi setting where players can manage their colonizers and even simulate intricate aspects of colonization such as medicine, trade, art, relationships, climate, and even psychology.
To that end, it's not for the faint of heart. RimWorld can get more personal and immersive than Dwarf Fortress since the people players will control are prone to haunting levels of psychological accuracy. But hey, no one said planetary colonization was going to be easy, especially with hostile aliens involved.
10 Papers, Please
Set In A Fictional Communist State
Papers, Please
Papers, Please delves into the complexities of bureaucracy where players assume the role of an immigration inspector who must judge, approve, or deny immigrants at the border of their fictional communist nation.
Satisfactory: 20 Best Mods For The Open-World Simulation Game
These mods offer a fresh new experience to anyone that has played Satisfactory.
The job is more important than most players think since their role is pivotal in ensuring that spies, bombers, and smugglers don't get inside the border town and into the state. The only problem is, that the inspection procedures are primitive, so it's up to the players' astute judgment and deduction skills to determine the genuine immigrants from the fake ones.