Top 10 Best Simulation Games for Windows

Clean and relax with a satisfying powerwash

PowerWash Simulator is a simulation video game wherein you can relax and just blast away dirt and debris. Developed by FuturLab, this 3D first-person game lets you clean various objects and locations with your handy power-washing tools at your own pace.

Similar to House Flipper, PowerWash Simulator aims to be accurate in terms of what really entails when handling a power-washing business. While it can be hard to spot the last remaining tiny patches of dirt and end up getting stuck in the same level for a long time, the game is overall both an enjoyable and challenging experience.

Does PowerWash Simulator have a story?

In PowerWash Simulator, you play as the owner of a local power-washing business that’s been commissioned with cleaning up the numerous large objects and locations in your town. Armed with your trusted hose and nozzle, you must completely wash down everything that’s covered in dirt and grime to earn money—using only the intense power of a high-pressure water stream. Your jobs will vary from hosing down a car to blasting away mud from an entire playground’s various playset components.

There are four game modes you can access: Career Mode, Challenge Mode, Free Play, and Specials. The first one features the main story campaign that lets you learn the strange secrets of your seemingly-quiet town. Here, there’s no timer or final score to worry about; simply clear everything to complete the levels. Doing so also nets you money for buying cool upgrades to your tools and improving your business. Meanwhile, Challenge Mode adds the timer and best scores to beat for those looking to prove their skills. 

If you’d like to replay your favorite levels without the story, simply enter Free Play to powerwash to your heart’s content. On the other hand, you can try out unique cleaning jobs—such as polishing a Mars space rover while on Mars—in the Specials mode. There’s lots of variety when it comes to the jobs you’ll take on so the game doesn’t ever really get boring despite the length of time it takes to complete certain huge levels.

Is PowerWash Simulator worthwhile?

The strongest selling point of PowerWash Simulator is that its gameplay is highly satisfying. Watching the water sluice off layers of grime to reveal sparkling-clean surfaces is both fun and addicting—most especially when a section lights up briefly to indicate that you’ve successfully cleaned it. Plus, the lack of any time pressure in most of the game modes allows you to go at it at your own pace. It also helps that you have unlimited water—unlike in House Flipper, where most resources need to be bought.

A common issue to be found here is that it can be hard to spot small patches of remaining dirt on an object unless you re-wash it. Fortunately, the game has a helpful system that auto-cleans an area for you once you get it to a nearly-complete percentage. The only real big drawback here is that most of the levels are massive and will actually take hours and perhaps even several gaming sessions to complete. Even with the best equipment unlock, you won’t be able to finish them fast enough.

Pretty great for any player

All in all, PowerWash Simulator is a great relaxing game to try out if you find the act of cleaning a calm pastime. Not only does it offer various modes that don’t pressure you into finishing quickly, but it also lets you clean the levels however you want. While it can be tedious to complete levels in one sitting, it’s still a pretty satisfying game to experience.

Run your very own Gas Station business

Gas Station Simulator is a simulation game for PC developed by DRAGO Entertainment. In this business simulator, players get to experience owning and running their very own gas station. They are tasked with turning an abandoned station into a full-fledged and successful operation.

Gas Station Simulator has a similar concept to games like Euro Truck Simulator 2 or Farming Simulator 17. They all put players in a role of an aspect of normal life. In its case, they get to experience becoming a business owner and all the ups and downs that go along with the responsibility.

Is it any good?

The rise of simulation games is in full swing, and it’s not showing any sign of slowing down any time soon. After the success of the Euro Truck Simulator series, and more recently, PowerWash Simulator, comes a new entry in the genre in the form of Gas Station Simulator. This time, players will get to experience what it’s like to own and run a gas-refilling and other auto services business.

In it, you are tasked with taking an old abandoned gas station and restoring it to its former glory. You clean up the place, renovate damaged sections, and repair or replace any broken equipment. You won't be just offering simple gas-refilling services, though. As you attract more customers and earn more, you'll be able to expand your facilities so that you can offer other services depending on your client's needs.

Outside of running the business, there are various other things you could do like playing minigames. You can also do some decorations to spruce up the place. You can even interact with fellow retailers or nearby residents. Performance could use a bit more work with sudden frame rate dips happening from time to time. There are also some random character and object pop-ins that appear out of nowhere.

Absurd, chaotic, and a lot of fun

Gas Station Simulator is yet another way to scratch that itch of the satisfaction of completing mundane everyday tasks with a smile on your face. There is something to be said about fulfilling a dream of building a successful enterprise out of nothing, and this game lets you experience that. It could use some improvement in its performance but nonetheless, it's fun, chaotic, and is highly recommended.

Join the hustle and bustle

Bus Simulator 21 is a realistic simulation video game wherein you get to enjoy an even more immersive experience as a bus driver. Developed by stillalive studios, this 3D bus simulator game is part of the Bus Simulator series and is the sequel to Bus Simulator 18.

Similar to other vehicle simulator games, Bus Simulator 21 features numerous real-life bus models and brands, as well as the ability to fully customize your vehicle. This time, you can explore two huge open-world maps, meticulously manage your bus company, and play with two new bus types. 

What is the best bus simulator for PC?

When it comes to performance and graphics, the Bus Simulator franchise is still one of the best due to the power of Unreal Engine 4. The 3D models are hyper-realistic—and in Bus Simulator 21, this is heightened even more by the new dynamic weather, day-night cycle, and revised traffic and pedestrian AI. However, the real catches to this installment are the two open-world maps and the two new bus types.

Here, you can now drive double-decker buses and electric buses or e-buses. Plus, a fleet of 30 officially licensed buses by well-known international manufacturers—such as Blue Bird, Grande West, and Alexander Dennis—are now available in the game. The first map is a new fictional American city called Angel Shores, while the second map is the revamped version of the European Seaside Valley map from the previous game.

Aside from driving the buses yourself, you can handle your bus’ management elements yourself—such as creating timetables and planning efficient routes during peak passenger hours. You can also simply automate this and just enjoy driving, which is much faster now with fast travel. The choice between single and multiplayer modes returns here, as well as the Modding Kit, but the game can run pretty slow due to the high graphics performance.

Visually-stunning

All in all, Bus Simulator 21 is an exciting improvement over Bus Simulator 18. Not only does it add new models and brands for more customization options, but it also expands the explorable world and breathes new life into the visuals and AI to make things more immersive. While it still retains the series’ problems with running smoothly on lower-end PCs, it’s still a highly realistic bus game.

Free simulation game

Mr.TomatoS is a feeding simulation game where you basically just give what Mr. Tomato wants, be it solo food or blended. The game, developed by OXTORD games, is designed in the style of old web flash games, giving you a nostalgic feel while playing.

The gameplay is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is keep Mr. Tomato happy by feeding him. However, there are some twists and challenges that make the game a little more exciting, especially when you feed Mr. Tomato the wrong food. You can also reset the game for different endings. 

Hilariously challenging

Mr.TomatoS' art is very sloppy and sketchy, and it seems like it was made using MS Paint. However, it really matches the style and humor of the game, so it can be easily ignored. Meanwhile, the gameplay is pretty straightforward. However, the instructions can be really confusing for first-time players because there are a lot of things going on. 

You navigate through the game using your mouse. The left mouse button is used to both grab food and drop it in its place, either to feed Mr. Tomato or to use the blender. You use the blender to combine different food, but not all food can be combined together, and you can only blend two different products at the same time. 

After that, you earn points every time you make Mr. Tomato happy by giving him what he wants. These points will be used to buy different items in the shop, which you visit after every round. As you progress, the foods are hidden in bags like mystery items, so you have to guess which is the right one. Every mistake makes him angry until he becomes a devil tomato.

Funny with a scary twist

Overall, Mr.TomatoS is a really fun game where you just sit and think everything is easy until it’s not. The mystery items add a challenging twist after two rounds of incredibly easy food demands. However, the game gets even more difficult when his anger reaches 10 points, and he becomes a monster who eats body parts, with a matching devil voice that can easily scare kids.

Simulation game for building enthusiasts

Builder Simulator is a PC game developed by Live Motion Games. As the name suggests, this is a simulator that allows players to build structures. Here, you can create a house from the ground up, brick by brick.

The game is played from a first-person perspective. It also offers various difficulty levels, allowing you to play with instructions or completely on your own. Unlike other construction simulators, the Builder Simulator game has a realistic premise. Every part of the game is well-detailed. However, the game is still in the pre-alpha stage. With this, expect a few glitches that need patching.

What is Builder Simulator?

Builder Simulator is a game for those who want to build a structure. Here, you can create your own projects, whether a house, a shop or an industrial building. Like real-life construction, you will have tools and specialist equipment at your disposal. Of course, you will also use real-life building materials. Be careful in using these materials and ensure that you do not run out of them to continue building.

As mentioned, the game offers various difficulty levels. In the easy stage, you can build a structure with full instruction guiding you step by step. On hard mode, however, you will get no help. Instead, you will rely on your builder skill alone.  Even on the easy mode, there will be no workers helping you. You will have to do everything.

As of this writing, the Builder Simulator is in the pre-alpha demo stage. With this, expect issues that need the developer's attention. One of which is the glitch in creating the foundation. Some players were unable to fill the entire foundation with concrete. Moreover, concrete mixing proved to be difficult as it is almost impossible to get the precise mix. Finally, the motion blur made the game uncomfortable to play.

Should you download it?

Overall, Builder Simulator is a good game to pick up when you are into building games. Here, you can have the pleasure of building a house from scratch. The app brings everything that a real-life construction project has to give you a realistic experience. Although, since it is a demo game, various issues affect the gameplay. Nevertheless, it can still get you excited for the full game. 

Haul your goods and make some profit

The Legend of Bear-Truck Trucker is a silly driving simulation video game that lets you buy and sell goods within the vast lands of post-apocalypse Idaho as a bear. Developed by Captain Games, this 2D pixelated indie game features wacky physics, satisfying stacking gameplay, and a challenging trading system despite its appearance.

Similar to that of Enviro-Bear 2000, The Legend of Bear-Truck Trucker has you playing as a brown bear driving a vehicle. Instead of first-person POV, however, you control the car in side-scroller mode and also have to grab items in order to haul them to your next destination.

Careful with that paw

In The Legend of Bear-Truck Trucker, you start off as a bear perpetually stuck inside a red pick-up truck. Your goal is to buy items at a store, stack them up as securely as the wobbly physics will allow on your pick-up truck, and journey towards the next store to sell them and make a profit. There are daily challenges available to prove your trucking skills.

Your controls here are limited to your truck movements and the stretchy hand or paw that you can use to grab items. The vehicle controls are reminiscent of Enviro-Bear 2000’s—with you having to accelerate, shift gears, brake, and park in order to safely navigate the different terrains you’ll encounter. Fortunately, there’s a helpful tutorial at the start for this. It doesn’t include how to play the game in general, though.

The real challenge here lies in the physics-based movements. Driving at high speeds over bumpy roads with a truck full of items will naturally cause said items to fly off if you’re not careful. Additionally, unlike in Townseek, you need to plan your route on the map in order to maximize profit with the different areas in need of items as the in-game days pass by.

Just a bear driving by

All in all, The Legend of Bear-Truck Trucker is a great alternative to Enviro-Bear 2000 if you want additional gameplay aside from the driving simulation. While the tutorial doesn’t fully encompass the game, it’s easy enough to figure out as you fiddle with the interface. Plus, the satisfaction of surviving treacherous roads with dozens of items piled behind you can’t be beaten here.

Free 80s security-themed simulator

Contraband Police is a game in which you role play as a border post commander in the early 80s Communist era. You’re assigned as the new police inspector at the checkpoint. There are smugglers trying to fool you, and the vehicles are packed to the brim with illegal goods. 

The game begins with a senior officer driving you to your assignment. You hear the commissioner’s voice giving orders as soon as you arrive. The mission briefs are held in a room at your border post. You go to the lever and let the first car pass after obtaining the day's mission.

How do you play Contraband Police?

You will begin by checking the driver and his paperwork, just like a real checkpoint officer. Players must identify inconsistencies between the driver's passport and the vehicle's registration papers. Are they the legal owner of the vehicle? Is the car safe to drive? After completing the tedious and time-consuming task, you will proceed to the final vehicle inspection. 

Anything can happen so it's important to make certain that no stone is left unturned at the conclusion of your inspection. In Communist Russia, collecting contraband is considered a service to your country, from secret compartments under the hood to the underside of the vehicle and tires. Your tasks in Contraband Police will range from merely visually examining the vehicle to dismantling car parts.

Vehicle accumulators should be smashed, and tires should be torn open. Developers - Crazy Rocks and PlayWay - seem to have ensured that there’s no limit to what the smugglers will do. Find and confiscate illicit food, beverages, and also banned drugs. Following your decision on whether to let them enter or refuse them access, the game prompts you and rewards you with extra funds if your decision was right.

Niche security simulator 

Contraband Police is currently just a demo version and the game is still being actively developed yet, it doesn’t leave much to be desired. You may enjoy the menial tasks of checking documents, looking for inconsistencies, and stamping passports. The gameplay will even be more interesting when it offers you a perp that you will need to apprehend or chase down. 

Mow the Great British countryside

Lawn Mowing Simulator is a calming simulation game developed by Skyhook Games. Unlike Giants Software's Farming Simulator, the core gameplay of this agriculture sim focuses mostly on lawn mowing in the beautiful rural British countryside. You will experience riding an authentic, expansive, and real-world roster of licensed lawnmowers from renowned manufacturers such as Toro, SCAG, and STIGA.

In this pay-to-play game, you will also build your own lawn care business starting from the ground up. Expect to be immersed physically in a true lawn mowing experience that's hard to find in other game simulators in the market.

Immersive lawn mowing and business management

As mentioned, the gameplay of Lawn Mowing Simulator basically requires you to cut or trim grasses in the stunning Great British countryside. Using the licensed lawnmowers from prestigious manufacturers that you can find and utilize in real life, you'll mow the lawn. In fact, if ever you're planning to purchase this kind of equipment, this game can actually help you to test out what will fit your needs.

There are three game modes that you can enjoy here—Career Mode, Free Mode, and Challenge Mode. By adding some attachments to your lawnmower vehicle, you can do more with it. You can opt to put extra stripe rollers, mulching kits, grass collectors, recyclers, flail decks, etc. You can choose from 12 mowers for starters, and each of them contains its own challenges, attachments, and upgrades to seek.      

Aside from doing the groundwork, you will also build, manage, and expand your own lawn care business. As it grows, you will have to hire employees, purchase advertising, balance the books and upgrade your headquarters. An unforgettable farming simulator experience for all the interested players. If you wish to be kept up-to-date with the latest improvements about the game, you can join its Discord community.

A whole lot of lawn care experience

From realistic Great Britain countryside graphics, visually and physically re-created real-world mowers machines as well as dynamic business management game feature, Lawn Mowing Simulator authentic lawn care experience for its players. This promising simulation game will make the worth of your money. It is highly recommended especially if you enjoy chill but still, immersive gameplay.

Free horror simulation game

Security Booth is a free horror simulation game where you play as a security guard in a gate entrance security booth. The game is developed by Kyle Horwood who created it in a first-person perspective to give you a more immersive experience. It is similar to the horror game, Dispatch.

The game is set in 1996, and you are working for a company called Nova Nexus. Your job role is to man the gate and only allow authorized personnel to enter the premises. You need to look at the license plates of every car and validate them on the logbook.

Simply creepy

Security Booth takes you into the perspective of a gate security guard on night duty. The atmosphere is eerie, but not too dark, which makes it a little different from other horror games. However, the game doesn’t fail to provide an immersive experience to its players with simple, but effective effects—from the sporadically flickering lights to the thrill of going out in the dark to check the plates of each car.

The game has straightforward goals and instructions. Along the way, you’ll have small hints around the explorable area that give you more insight into what’s happening inside Nova Nexus. Moreover, none of the cars that arrive roll their windows down, so you never really know who or what’s inside. This adds mystery, combined with the thrill of not knowing what happens if a car is not on the list.

One downside of the game is that it’s too short. The developer estimates that the average game time is only ten minutes. However, it has a total of two endings, so it’s up to you to know how and what to do to experience both conclusions. Either way, there is no cheap jump scares, even when there are quite a lot of opportunities for at least one.

Short but chillingly good

Security Booth is a good game that offers an immersive horror experience to its players. It provides a chilling atmosphere without any cheap attempts of scaring you. Everything is subtle, making it both thrilling and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the fun doesn’t last long because the game is quite short. However, you can still play around with the game to stall and just poke around your booth.

The farm life is a rewarding one in FS22

Farming Simulator 22 is a simulation video game wherein you can raise crops and farm animals to earn a living. Developed by Giants Software, this 3D photo-realistic farming simulation game is part of the Farming Simulator game series and is the sequel to Farming Simulator 19.

Similar to Ranch Simulator and Farm Manager 2018, Farming Simulator 22 offers realistic farming mechanics for its gameplay—such as maintaining the entire life cycle of crops to yield a good harvest. It adds various features to the franchise, like the all-new seasonal cycle, new crops, new machines, and new maps.

The farming saga continues with FS22

Farming Simulator is a farming sim video game series first developed by Giants Software and published by Focus Home Interactive back in 2008. In it, you play as a farmer who must earn money to fix up their farmhouse and various machinery in order to sustain their living expenses. You primarily do so by harvesting crops and selling them, but you can also raise livestock and even dabble in forestry. 

In Farming Simulator 22, the core gameplay and tools available are still mostly the same as with the previous titles. However, there are three new crops here, as well as new machines and 34 real-life brands added to the game. The biggest update is the seasonal cycle, which lets you plant different crops and plan for the coming season in order to maximize your profits. There are even three new maps available.

Just like the previous games, you can do co-op multiplayer on a farm with your friends. The game even supports free community-created mods to elevate your gaming experience. This is on top of the numerous graphical and gameplay overhaul updates implemented. However, if you’re an old fan of the series, FS22 is not too impressive when compared to FS19—most especially when it comes to mod content.

What vehicles are going to be in Farming Simulator 22?

As mentioned, FS22 comes with a variety of machines and vehicles that you can control—and most of them are from real-life farming equipment brands. For vehicles, we have different truck models—like the Lector Crystal HD, Case Magnum AFS Connect Series, and Fendt Katana 650—and brands such as Mack Trucks, Versatile, and McCormick. These now have gear shifting for a more realistic driving simulation. 

Aside from vehicles, you can also buy tractors and harvesters, as well as HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles) for transporting your products. There’s even a new tire brand, automatic header tilt and height controls, and new ground working tools for your machines. These expand your gameplay opportunities alongside the ability to set up production chains for a more seamless farming experience.

Has room to grow

All in all, Farming Simulator 22 is a great farming sim to try out if you want something more realistic and accurate. Not only does it add new gameplay mechanics and content to the beloved familiar features, but it also updates the graphics quality and other aspects of Farming Simulator 19. It doesn’t have an expansive mod community compared to its predecessor but it’s still a solid title.