Six of the best weirdly specific simulators

The market for games called “[x] Simulator” has exploded over the course of the last few years, but there’s a bit of a problem: at first glance, it can be a little hard to tell which games are joke streamer-bait that are not intended to be taken seriously at all, and which are actually genuine attempts to simulate — i.e. recreate as closely as possible — the appeal (or at least the reality) of doing a particular activity.

So that’s what this inaugural Six of the Best column is all about: weirdly specific simulators that are actually good games in their own right. And by “good game” we mean “at least reasonably accurate simulation of the activity in question”, not “game where you make physics objects go flying, hahaha, funny meme lol ASCII art arse 69 people found this review funny”. Some of these are already well-known, some you might not have considered, but all are worthwhile.

Let’s get in the middle of it!

Euro Truck Simulator 2

One of the all-time classics of weirdly specific simulators, I doubt anyone expected Euro Truck Simulator 2 to become the massive hit it has. Or maybe they did; Euro Truck Simulator 2 is, after all, an extremely well-designed game that is friendly to both casual players and dedicated sim-heads who are fully decked out with specialist controllers and 3D printed truck cockpits in their living room.

The reason Euro Truck Simulator 2 appeals to so many people is because it combines several proven forms of gameplay together. We’ve got a massive open world to explore in the form of a somewhat scaled-down Europe; we’ve got business management and progression as you earn money, upgrade your trucks and turn your company from a one-man operation into a thriving logistics organisation; and we’ve got enjoyable virtual driving.

If you feel like there’s no possible way hauling a container full of manure from one side of Germany to the other could possibly be enjoyable, I urge you to give Euro Truck Simulator 2 a go next time a Steam sale rolls around; it’s always super cheap during such events, and if you like it, you can get a good deal on the various expansion DLC packs also, each of which expand the available map quite considerably.

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is available on Steam.

PowerWash Simulator

Another popular title that has had a lot of attention since it first launched into Early Access, PowerWash Simulator is, at the time of writing, about to hit version 1.0 — and as such it’s a great time to check it out.

Developed by the fine folks at FuturLab who previously brought us the fantastic Velocity series on Vita, PowerWash simulator is a first-person “shooter” of sorts where you clean dirty things. It’s hard to put into words quite how satisfying this core activity is, but when it’s supported by a robust career mode, various challenges, achievements, a multiplayer mode and the ability to upgrade and customise your powerwashing equipment, it should be clear that this is a game which has been designed with care.

FuturLab tends to market PowerWash Simulator as a relaxing game, and they’re not wrong to do so; it’s a tranquil, relaxing activity, perfect for a summer’s afternoon — and it’s no coincidence that a lot of streamers (such as Nijisanji’s Nina Kosaka, above) have found it to be a great game to play while making casual and chilled-out conversation with their audience.

PowerWash Simulator is available on Steam. An Xbox version (available on Game Pass) will follow on July 14, 2022, along with the full 1.0 release of the PC version.

Escape Simulator

While people are a lot more willing to go out and do things than they were a year or two ago, the COVID-19 pandemic still lingers, meaning it’s perfectly understandable if you feel a little hesitant about locking yourself into an enclosed space with other people. And since that is kind of integral to the experience of escape rooms, it’s good that we have Escape Simulator to provide a remarkably similar virtual activity without anyone involved having to leave the house. You can even play solo.

Escape Simulator comes with 20 built-in rooms divided into four distinct themes, plus it ships with a level editor allowing you and the community to create your own puzzles. As you might expect, the game really shines in cooperative play, with the official levels recommended for small groups and some of the community-made maps specifically designed for larger parties.

Escape Simulator is available on Steam.

PC Building Simulator

Another to file under the heading of “I bet no-one expected this to become as big as it did”, PC Building Simulator has flourished from a virally popular pre-alpha demo into a fully fledged simulation that combines business management and, as the name suggests, actually building PCs.

What’s interesting about PC Building Simulator is that it’s actually accurate enough to teach you things that are useful in the real world. While many simulators aspire to this — with Microsoft’s long-running Flight Simulator series arguably being the most successful over the years — a significant number deliberately simplify things in the name of creating a “better” game. As such, it’s always a pleasure to come across something like PC Building Simulator, where the skills and knowledge you develop in the game have real-world applications.

Indeed, thanks to the use of officially licensed real-world components in PC Building Simulator, you could quite feasibly use the game to spec out your dream computer without having to spend a penny, then only commit to a purchase once you’re absolutely sure it’ll handle the things you want to throw at it!

PC Building Simulator is available on Steam.

Bus Simulator 18

Notable for being the game that taught popular VTuber Gawr Gura (above) that the word “bussy” is probably not something you should be bellowing at the top of your voice, Bus Simulator 18 is a solid combination of simple business management game and open-world bus driving game. It’s actually had a sequel since its original release known as Bus Simulator 21, but since that game is hideously unoptimised and full of bugs, the ’18 version remains the better purchase.

While set in a fictional environment, Bus Simulator 18 features real-world buses with all the interactive flicky buttons you’d care to fiddle with in the cockpit. You can even get out of your driver’s enclosure, wander around your bus and check people’s tickets — just remember to put the parking brake on first. Or, if you’re feeling particularly feisty, you can just do a runner from your bus and go explore the world on foot.

Multiplayer options and the ability to create your own bus routes mean that there’s plenty of longevity in this one — plus some optional DLC to expand your experience if you see fit.

Bus Simulator 18 is available on Steam. There’s also a PS4 version available physically.

Hacker Simulator

There have been a few attempts to simulate computer hacking over the years, with Introversion’s classic Uplink remaining a gold standard for many players. Hacker Simulator is interesting, though, in that rather than taking the fantastic, movie-style approach that many other hacking games do, it instead makes use of limited forms of real-life hacking tools. As such, while the game probably won’t give you enough knowledge to be able to cause any digital damage in the real world, it will at least give you a general introduction as to how hacking and the use of computers from a command-line interface works.

Some Steam reviews complain that the game is quite repetitive, though the same accusation could be levelled at any truly accurate simulation. So if you’re interested in cybersecurity and the various ways in which computers can be used via means other than graphical user interfaces, Hacker Simulator is worth a look — it makes a great companion piece to PC Building Simulator if nothing else!

Hacker Simulator is available on Steam.

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