Summary
Simulation gameslikePowerWash SimulatorandHouse Flipperhave come a long way in recent decades, and now many simulators mimic real jobs, but without the physical effort that would be required to perform them in real life. While simulators have had a place in gaming for a long time, starting with titles such asThe SimsandSimCity,there’s now a huge variety of options available for simulators, meaning there’s something for every playstyle. As a bonus, many simulators are rather relaxing, making them a perfect way to unwind after a long day.
Simulation games are a genre that focuses on aspects of real life, which tend to focus on ordinary parts of living, like working jobs such as managing a supermarket or gas station. These concepts often seem boring on the surface, but once launched,the actual gameplay can become addictive, especially when it’s particularly smooth. Each entry on this list has its own charm that makes it perfect for relaxing in a low-stress environment.
True to its name,PowerWash Simulatortakes place from the point of view of a power washer, hired to clean both private and public properties. With its straightforward concept,it’seasy to hop into the game and start cleaning. Being able to see progress being made with the dirt washing away combined with the low stakes of each task ends up creating a soothing experience.
PowerWash Simulator: How To Play With Friends (Multiplayer Guide)
Now players can join together in multiplayer to tackle jobs and wash away grime in PowerWash Simulator’s cross-platform play mode.
For those who need a bit of mystery as an incentive to try a game,PowerWash Simulatorhas what might be the most interesting fan theory of all simulation games. There are multiple hints in job descriptions about what caused so many locations to become filthy enough that the power washer has plenty of work to do, and these hints point to an interesting possibility.One speculation comes in the form of the theory that all the dirt is actually volcanic ash from the recent eruption of a nearby volcano, but there’s no confirmation about the accuracy of this idea.
9Gas Station Simulator Includes A Loan Shark Uncle
DRAGO Entertainment (2021)
It’s not surprising when there aren’t many NPCs in simulators, or when those NPCs have limited roles. Instead, it’s more common to never even come across other characters aside from messages through email, a phone, or letters. In the case ofGas Station Simulator,there are more NPCs involved in the game, even if they also tend to stay off-screen.
While the focus of the game is owning and operating a gas station, it turns out that there’s a bit of a financial burden that comes with starting out such a project. Luckily, there’s an uncle willing to help the protagonist, butheseems like he’s a loan shark with the way he talks about finances and loaning money. Somehow, this small detail does a lot of work to makeGas Station Simulatormore intriguing than just running the station. Also, there are aliens.
SCS Software (2016)
This simulator is best played with a steering wheel controller, and ideally gas and brake pedals to go along with it.American Truck Simulatortakes place from the perspective of a long haul trucker, meaning thatdriving is the primary gameplay style. Understandably, that makes how enjoyable it is dependent on how much a player likes driving in games.
The experience is calm with stretches of simply driving along the road.
The highlight ofAmerican Truck Simulatoris enjoying the scenery during long drives, which arebased on the real landscapes of various states. It’s the perfect scenario for putting on some music and entering autopilot while driving, and there’s no threat of bodily damage if there’s an accident. As a result, the experience is calm with stretches of simply driving along the road, followed by figuring out how to park in order to make deliveries.
In terms of difficulty, this might be the hardest simulation game mentioned in this list. The reason behind this is thatFarming Simulator 22doesn’t have a lot of tutorials in-gameto teach the farmer how each aspect works. Because of this, there are tasks that become a frustrating challenge, and trial and error can make it a long process to reach a solution. Luckily, there are guides available online to help ease that frustration.
Aside from that con,Farming Simulator 22can be enjoyably relaxing.Itcombines a lot of successful features from farming simulations of the past, and polishes them to create a smooth experience, although the controls could use an update since they can feel clunky. AlongsidePowerWash Simulator, this might be the next most popular title, and it’s rewarding to see effort turn into crops.
6Own A Café With Espresso Tycoon
DreamWay Games (2023)
Depending on the café, working as a barista, manager, owner, or any combination of jobs in the café can be highly stressful and fast-paced.Espresso Tycoonbrings the vibes of being a café worker to the virtual world, which greatly reduces stress, but at the cost of that lovely coffee smell filling the air. As the owner of a café, there are plenty of tasks to take care of in-game, such as creating new drinks, hiring help, working the floor, ordering supplies, and more.
It’s even possible to customize how much of each ingredient is in a drink, which is then important when it comes to ordering supplies.
Espresso Tycoonoffers a great deal of creative opportunities that aren’t always seen in simulators. In particular,the system for creating new drinks to add to the menu includes a lot of options, and that means that there could be cafés created entirely on the premise of terrible drink choices, considering the ingredients available. It’s even possible to customize how much of each ingredient is in a drink, which is then important when it comes to ordering supplies. Overall, this simulator is rather complex.
5Embrace The Danger Of Business In Internet Cafe Simulator 2
Cheesecake Dev (2022)
A sequel toInternet Cafe Simulator,Internet Cafe Simulator 2presents the same concept, but with more detail and polished gameplay features. Of course, the primary objective is to run an internet café, but that’seasier said than done when starting with a single computer and limited resources. At the same time, the limited resources in the beginning make the game more interesting, since it’s a business simulator that requires decisions to be made to start earning.
Like most games on this list,Internet Cafe Simulator 2has an extra feature that adds unexpected flavor. In this case,players need to protect the internet café from robbers and random thugs. Generally, fists are enough to deal with unwanted guests, but that isn’t always the case, considering it’s possible to be bombed. It seems that owning an internet café is pretty dangerous.
Cooking Simulatorisn’t the easiest game on this list. Part of the reason isthe way the controls work intentionally makes it harder to complete tasks, and the other part is that each recipe requires exact amounts of the ingredients to be successful. While these aspects add to the difficulty, they also add to the fun and humor that comes from not being too serious about the game and simply enjoying a bit of virtual cooking.
Cooking Simulator Receives Inexplicable Post-Apocalyptic DLC
Although it initially seemed to be an April Fool’s joke, it appears that Cooking Simulator really will be getting a post-apocalyptic DLC.
This game is also available in VR, which is an experience that’s both frustrating and hilarious. Naturally, the hands are difficult to control, and it’s easy to lose track when seasoning items, resulting in far too much of an ingredient being used. Thankfully, it’spossible to unlock perks that make the game a bit easier, such as increasing reach and movement speed.
Supermarket Simulatorisn’t a new release, butit seems to be getting a lot of attention lately thanks to a recent update. As a game that’s still in Early Access, this might not feel like the most complete experience among the options on this list. However, being in Early Access means that it continues to grow and improve, so it has a lot of future potential as long as the developer regularly works on it.
With a focus on owning and operating a small supermarket,Supermarket Simulatorincludes the expected tasks that go into making a supermarket function. Among these tasks are pricing, ordering items, stocking, checking out customers, and arranging the shelves inside the store. Like other games here that center around running a business,seeing the market start to succeed makes it a satisfying and addictive game.
A few years beforeAmerican Truck Simulator, there wasEuro Truck Simulator 2. The concept is more-or-less the same, andthe focus revolves around making long-haul trips to deliver cargo. Just likeAmerican Truck Simulator, the gameplay experience ofEuro Truck Simulator 2is enhanced through the use of a steering wheel controller and pedals to make it truly feel like driving on stretches of road.
The biggest difference between these games is thatEuro Truck Simulator 2is set in Europe instead, specifically the United Kingdom. This makes it a great game for enjoying the scenery of someplace new within-game locations based on real places, and they often include landmarks that can be seen when actually visiting those locations. It’s another option that’s perfect for putting on music and enjoying the stretches of open roads.
Unlike other games on this list,House Flippergames come with the option to use a sledgehammer and destroy entire sections of buildings. After a hard day,destruction can be the best form of stress relief, which makes these games a fun option, since they don’t come with high stakes or time limits to offset the stress relief with, well, stress. However, both games also bring with them a lot of potential for creativity, which can be soothing in its own way.
To an extent,the creativity portion can be limited by how much money is available, and money is earned through accepting jobs and flipping houses. Jobs from NPCs who request specific modifications also limit how much redesigning can be done, but flipping houses doesn’t have that same restriction. In a lot of ways,House Flipperallows for more creativity compared to other simulation games in a way that has a zen feeling, andHouse Flipper 2is even better than the original.
Simulators come in a lot of forms, and there are plenty of games that are labeled as simulators with low effort or low quality designs, making it tough to find ones worth purchasing. Then, there’s also no guarantee that the gameplay of a simulator will be relaxing, since there are multiple options where there are high stakes or time limits, such asSurgeon Simulator. However, this list provides a set of options that stick out among relaxingsimulation gamesthat are perfect for unwinding after a long day.
