Best Free Simulation Games On Steam

Some games aren't about fantasy or sci-fi but recreating a playground that's akin to real-life events, establishments, or activities. That's why simulation games exist. Some players simply want a pressure-free game time that they can enjoy at their own pace, and that's what most simulation games fulfill.

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Other simulation games thrust their players straight into the heart of a digital re-enactment of a conflict, complete with physics and physiological rules that are as close to reality as possible. That's the beauty of simulation games. There are a lot of things to simulate in real life, hence the variety in this genre. Consequently, there are so many of them that some are bound to be free on Steam. These games are the best examples.

Updated November 13, 2024, by Rie Takumi: Steam sim games run the gamut in terms of quality, genre, and playtime. The best free Steam simulation games finish their development cycle, have engaging core mechanics, and hold players’ attention for more than a weekend. If they have any shred of monetization, microtransactions are reasonably priced or don’t affect gameplay if ignored.

What’s more, free sim games on Steam are largely pick-up-and-play. Even if months pass between players’ sessions, intuitive UI, detailed logs, instructive indexes, or instinctual gameplay can get gamers back where they were pre-break. Some games even get exported to more platforms in intervening months, which can motivate players to replay them.

31 last seen online

Simulates 2000 Desktop Internet Experience With Extra Horror

Gamers born after the 00s or vets looking for a nostalgia trip can revisit the aughts with last seen online. Last seen online features programs styled after 00s apps like WinAmp and AIM. Windows 2000s’ interface is also the basis of the incomplete desktop.

Players can stay retro-computing while rooting around the computer’s files. But if they want to progress the game, they have to play the Otherworld. Every mini-game within Otherworld plays similarly to flash games and early 3D games and opens up last seen online’s true plot and horror.

30 Doronko Wanko

Simulate The Experience Of Having A Mischievous Pomeranian

Historical Pomeranians used to be bigger and have a dignified aura, but in their current form, they’re often inoffensive purse dogs. But as a cute Pomeranian in Doronko Wanko, players can embody its furry little rage and mess up a perfectly clean home.

Controls are simple and dogs have a variety of ways to mess up their family’s new home. Wanko can splash the mud on their fur and roll in mud again to reload. They can jump to splash dirt across rooms, rub mud on furniture, and knock furnishings over with their adorable paws.

29 Palia

Multiplayer Cozy Farming Sim

Palia is the dream game for every farming and life sim enthusiast who always wanted to play with more than four friends at a time. As a free-to-play MMORPG, players can create their characters and join their friends immediately via friend list. Once on the list, players can invite their friends to the same server and party up.

It’s arguably easier to grind away at activities with friends, as parties can share loot while mining, logging, bug catching, cooking, and fishing. Hunting also gives shared loot save if one party member one shots their prey.

28 TCG Card Shop Simulator: Prologue

Addictive Card Opening With Store Management Component

TCG Card Shop Simulator combines the hypnotizing loop of managing a card shop with opening card packs for cool virtual cardboard. Would-be managers set prices of card packs to tempt customers into purchasing, balance the number of playing tables per shelf, and keep income flowing to open more card packs.

Gamers who want to play the mobile version of TCG Card Shop Simulator should be wary of what they download. Developer O.P.Neon Games only released Idle Card Shop Tycoon 1 & 2 for Android and iOS. Even then, the desktop and mobile versions play and look different from each other.

27 Steam Engine Simulator

Wind Down By Making Your Own Steam Engine

At first glance, Steam Engine Simulator seems too simple to last for more than a few hours. But the virtual steam engine builder offers enough tools to build a complex thingamajig.

Virtual engineers need six parts to build their steam engine. A heat source, water container, throttles, and whistles produce and control steam. Once the base engine’s done, players can slap on a manual control wheel and brakes to their engine into a locomotive.

Players can share their creations and find tips for building engines on its Steam Discussions page.

26 Moonbase Alpha

Oldie But Goodie For Long Friend Plays

Developed by Virtual Heroes with NASA, Moonbase Alpha is a game for space and multiplayer enthusiasts. Space cadets get a limited time to rebuild their life support system. Fixing solar panels, re-piping connectors, and making use of bots are just some of the tasks players need to juggle to stay alive in space. They may even need to jump around in zero gravity and use moon rovers to beat the clock.

Though Moonbase Alpha is an old game, gamers can still play online with friends. Dedicated fans still have servers running for communal play, though most use port forwarding to establish private games.

25 Shop Titans

Be The Biggest RPG Shopkeeper In Town

Fancy running a shop? Shop Titans is the free game for that. It's a cute game where players are given a small business to run in a medieval fantasy town. The catch is that the shop's machinery and supply lines are somewhat nonexistent, meaning the players have to do everything.

That means dungeoneering is also on the to-do list if players want something novel or unique to sell. Once they're back in the safety of their establishments, it's all about business smarts as they try to control the economy and invent resourceful and creative ways to grow their shop.

24 RaceRoom Racing Experience

DTM, WTCR, WTCC, ADAC GT Masters Licensed

A lot of the most popular racing games these days are either arcades or aren't free. After all, good simulation racing games need to pay licensing fees for the brands and car manufacturers. Thankfully, RaceRoom Racing Experience offers what it promises on the title for free.

Granted, the game has been out for a decade now, so the free price tag is understandable. Still, it comes with full VR support for those who want to feel the rush and the adrenaline without going to race venues in real life. The graphics and physics also surprisingly held up well.

23 Cell To Singularity - Evolution Never Ends

Create And Evolve Life From Simple Cells To Sci-Fi Races

Released in 2021 after nearly three years in Early Access, Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends remains a fun and educational clicker game. Cell to Singularity is also surprisingly loaded with content, as expected of a game that aims to simulate life from a simple cell to the 22nd century.

Players tap the screen to earn points that enable them to evolve and upgrade their current form. More currencies and evolutionary paths unlock and, eventually, resetting the simulation will unlock higher levels within a time period. If players progress enough, they can reach The Beyond, or the stage where they can explore galaxies beyond the Sol system.

22 One-armed Cook

Hilarious Cooking Game With Steep Difficulty Curve

One-armed Cook’s multiplayer mode says four hands split between four players. As expected, coordination is key to preparing, cooking, and serving food in online co-op, as well as the miscellany of running a resto with an arm apiece.

Single players don’t have to worry about coordinating with others, but they do have to worry about having only one hand to cook anything more complicated than an omelet. And if they ever grow bored of the base game and its dozens of DLCs, they have One-armed Robber from the same developer to tide them over.