Summary
From colony-sims andspace simulation games, all the way to ultra-realistic flight simulators, the simulation genre houses games of all shapes and sizes. Due to the nature of simulation gameplay, they often don’t suit linear structures and narratives, opening the genre up to the dynamic and player-driven gameplay of sandbox games.
These games vary in realism, but all of them contain simulation as part of their core gameplay loop. Whether it be spaceflight, trade, survival, management, or life itself, there’s something here to suit all kinds of players.
My Summer Cartasks players with building andmaintaining a vehicle with simulated mechanics. The game has a massive focus on vehicle customization and players pursuing self-appointed goals. Besides building out their car with the game’s detailed assembly mechanics, players can expect to spend a lot of time running errands, exploring, and doing odd jobs.
My Summer Caralso features survival simulation, requiring players to worry about fatigue, hunger, stress, and thirst, among other things. The game alsofeatures a permanent death mode, though this mode is entirely optional, giving players the choice to enjoy the sandbox elements of the game without worrying about losing their progress.
With its core gameplay of buying, repairing, and selling houses of varying degrees of quality,House Flipperis an addictive sandbox that simulates the process of renovation through simple mechanics that are easy to learn.
AlthoughHouse Flipper’sgameplay can get a little repetitive, its sandbox elements come into play with the design and decoration aspects of the game, allowing players to design houses the way that they see fit. Furthermore,House Flipper’sgameplay loop is near-endless, allowing players to flip houses to their heart’s content.
This role-playing business simulator has players starting and building businesses while playing as a physical character. The game has a focus on entrepreneurial gameplay, tasking players with growing and expanding their businesses.
Big Ambitionscombines itsbusiness simulation gameplaywith an in-depth life-sim, allowing players to purchase and decorate a home and buy cars to get around the city faster. The game also features light survival simulation, requiring players to buy and eat food. For players who enjoy the laid-back gameplay of life simulators but want more in-depth business mechanics,Big Ambitionsis a great choice.
Arguably the most accessible oftheSimsgames(disregarding its unfortunate abundance of DLC),The Sims 4is a life-sim management game that allows players to build and decorate a house for their simulated family to live in.
The gameplay ofThe Simshas always focused on giving players a good sandbox to play in, and althoughThe Sims 4lacks the expansiveness ofThe Sims 3’s open world, decorating buildings and managing the lives ofSimsis still an accessible and relaxing experience for those not looking for anything too intense.
This exploration-focusedsurvival simulation gamehas players attempting to survive in extremely harsh winter environments, battling against hunger, bloodthirsty wolves, and the cold itself.The Long Darkis thick with a quiet ambiance, and its sandbox nature allows players to make their own goals.
The game’s excellent visuals, sound design, and music combine to create a truly immersive sandbox survival experience, makingThe Long Darka quiet and contemplative game that can become a frantic fight for survival in a matter of moments.The Long Darkalso features a story mode, several challenge runs that give players an objective to follow, and multiple customizable difficulties for its survival mode.
This spaceflight and trade simulator allows players to explore the vastness of space, collecting bounties through intense dogfights, buying and selling goods, and making long cargo hauls. AlthoughElite Dangeroushas its action-packed moments, it is more often than nota quiet, relaxing experience.
Some may find the gameplay ofElite Dangeroussomewhat repetitive, but its sandbox nature allows for a variety of ways to play the game. Players can choose to customize their ship for combat and focus on bounty hunting, or be a peaceful trader hopping from one station to the next to make a steady living.
This prison simulator allows players to plan, design, build, and manage their very own prison.Prison Architectis extremely detailed, tasking players with managing the flow of water and electricity in the prison as well as several security levels, and the prison staff.
Although making money inPrison Architectis the inherent goal, players are free to design, build, and run their prison how they see fit, allowing for open-ended sandbox gameplay. Furthermore,Prison Architectallows players to sell their prison once they’re finished with it, allowing players to start over with a hefty sum of well-earned cash.
From the developers ofTwo Point Hospital,Two Point Campusis a very similar game with a fun twist on the original game’s theme. InTwo Point Campus, players will design and manage their own University, tasked with building out their campus, hiring staff, and managing courses.
Two Point Campusis primarily a business simulation and management game, but the various courses that students can take in the game have a level of quirkiness that fans ofTwo Point Hospitalwill be used to. Needless to say,Two Point Campusdoesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s better for it.
This sandbox zombie survival game was one of the first games to be released in Steam’s Early Access and has come a long way since its initial release in 2013.Project Zomboidfeatures heavy simulation elements in its gameplay, with the core loop being focused on staying fed, staving off thirst, and appropriately dealing with injuries. Not only that, but players must also worry about the mental health of their character, all while dealing with the looming zombie threat.
Project Zomboidgives players total freedom over how they play, allowing them to explore, build bases, and decide how to survive in the game’s extremely hostile world.Project Zomboidalso includes multiplayer, allowing players to team up and survive together in the game’s sandbox where even the simplest errand can lead to a frantic struggle for survival.
Although it doesn’t take itself too seriously with its titular fictional race of “Kerbals,“Kerbal Space Programgoes to great lengths in an attempt to realistically simulate aerodynamic and orbital physics, creating realistic simulations of rocket launches and real-world spaceflight.
Kerbal Space Programleans heavily into its simulation elements, but players are left to their own devices with the freedom to create whatever vehicles they can think of to satisfy their own set of goals. Although its heavy simulation and technical controls might make it inaccessible to some,Kerbal Space Programis worth the learning experience.
