Over recent years, there has been a significant increase in the sheer number of simulator games available on the market, with Steam boasting over 29,000 different games tagged as such. While some sims aim to be as authentic and realistic as possible, like tending to a player-owned farm or power-washing a car, other simulator games toss realism aside entirely
The end result of these strange simulator games is often a bizarre parody of real-life and combined with eccentric storylines and humor, famously with Goat Simulator, which is expected to have a third installment. No matter how outlandish, every gamer should try these quirky simulator games at least once in their lifetime.
10 Rock Simulator
Exactly what it says on the tin. Rock Simulator allows players to become their best selves: a rock. They get to watch the world pass them by with no distractions and zero worries - a peaceful break from the realities of life.
They can listen to the wind and other relaxing sounds in nature, with different landscapes to choose from. There are even challenges to complete to unlock alternate rock skins. Do what rocks do best and just: exist.
9 Fishkeeper
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Own an aquarium in Fishkeeper, an upcoming life simulation/business tycoon game! Players get to look after their own fish and monitor their needs in real-time for that added immersive. They can also breed exotic species, give them food and sell their best specimens at auctions.
The aquarium is customizable, as players can choose the size and shape of their fish tank and buy beautiful plants to decorate it with to improve their quality of life. Fishkeeper is a relaxing simulation game, not one to be missed, and it's definitely a must-add to Steam wishlists!
8 Bee Simulator
Explore a world teeming with life and beauty in the semi-realistic Bee Simulator! Players get to take orders from their Queen Bee and set on a journey to save their hive from some destructive humans who want to chop it down.
Collect pollen from different flowers in an environment based on New York's Central Park while learning about bees and other creatures in the animal kingdom. An in-game encyclopedia tracks all the animals and plants players encounter along the way, adding a fundamental educational aspect to the game.
7 Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
As the name suggests, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator is a silly sandbox game that allows players to simulate battles using a wacky and wobbly physics engine, and hilarity ensues. Players can recreate wars from history or use some of the weirdest in-game units, like a man in a banana costume, to win battles.
Players can battle against enemy units and devise unique strategies to deal with them. They can even control individual units to witness the chaos firsthand!
6 Surgeon Simulator
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Skip straight ahead to the operating table with Surgeon Simulator! It has an intentionally haphazard and wonky physics engine that makes the player character's arms almost impossible to control. It makes for an entertaining game, coupled with the seriousness of real-life surgery.
Players get to choose unconventional tools like hammers to tackle their patient's cases with, as there are three different types of surgery: Kidney Transplant, Heart Transplant, and Brain Transplant. Just take care not to let the patient die; otherwise, that's an instant fail.
5 Bird Simulator
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Bird Simulator lets players become a bird, though not everything is as it seems. Players are tasked with the destruction of humanity to get birds back to their glory days of being at the top of the food chain with many destruction options. They can use items like grenades, chairs, or even their own feces to create chaos in the world below.
This game is pure bird madness, as players can unlock seven bird types, ranging from ducks to owls. There's an in-built survival system where players must scout out water and food supplies to keep things realistic. Players can simply fly through the skies like a bird if they want a relaxing game.
4 Bear Simulator
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Bear Simulator is precisely like it sounds: players get to live life through the eyes of a bear. A game of exploration and scavenger hunting, there are seven regions to survey, ranging from towering mountain peaks to their regular forest home. On their adventures, players can collect cosmetics like hats worn and viewed through the Bear Face Cam and find furniture items to decorate their den.
While exploring, they can forage for food, like mushrooms, bugs, or food discarded by humans, increasing their bear stats like intelligence and strength. As the player increases their bear stats, they can progress further through the game, sniffing hidden hints and completing platforming puzzles. Very bear-life!
3 DEEEEER Simulator
Players take on the role of an average deer. They can run around and frolic in a field with other animals, investigate their local town, and wreak some havoc! DEEEEER Simulator is in a similar realm to Untitled Goose Game, in which it is a slow-life town destruction game. If players choose the destructive route, they may even end up being chased down by police sheep!
DEEEEER Simulator has an open world, and the player can explore it as a lone deer. They can ride horses, swing from different objects, and whip their crazily long neck around. There are also over 40 different weapons players can use to become the master of pure chaos!
2 PowerWash Simulator
PowerWash Simulator is self-explanatory: the player owns a power-washing business, cleaning various items and locations until they are sparkling clean, making all the dirt and grime disappear while being paid for it!
This game allows players to clean surfaces to their heart's content, using various tools and pressure-washing heads to help finish the job. There are currently over 30 different levels to complete, ranging from train stations to vans, so they will never run out of things to clean. PowerWash Simulator perfect game to decompress and relax after a long day!
1 Goat Simulator
Ever wanted to be a goat? Goat Simulator fulfills that desire and more! Gameplay-wise, as a physics sandbox game, Goat Simulator is all about causing as much destruction as humanly (or goatly) possible to get points, with plenty of achievements and challenges to complete. There are often intentional bugs and glitches, but that's all part of the fun!
Goat Simulator has around five different DLC to pick up, each with different themes. Some of the DLC can be considered a satirical exploration of different game genres and poke fun at them, like MMORGs and sci-fi. There is no limit to life as a goat!