Top 15 Simulator Games to Play in 2025

Simulator games have gained immense popularity by transforming everyday tasks and diverse professional careers into immersive, engaging experiences. Whether you’ve ever dreamed of piloting an aircraft, managing a bustling restaurant, or constructing a dynamic city, the simulator genre delivers it all with compelling realism and creativity. In 2025, simulation games continue to captivate players with innovative features, stunning graphics, and expansive worlds.

Why Simulator Games Are So Popular

Simulation games appeal because they balance realism with entertainment, often taking mundane activities and turning them into enjoyable challenges. According to Newzoo’s 2024 Global Games Market Report, simulation games represent approximately 12% of the global gaming market, reflecting steady growth fueled by technological advances in AI and physics engines.

• Realistic immersion: Advanced graphics and physics provide authentic environments.
• Wide variety of experiences: From flight and farming to crime and construction simulations.
• Accessibility: Many simulator games offer scalable difficulty with assists and tutorials.

With constant new releases and ongoing updates, the simulator genre offers something fresh for every gamer.

The 15 Best Simulator Games You Can Play Right Now

15. Fruitbus

Developer: Krillbite Studios
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch

Fruitbus provides a charming and relaxed culinary simulation set in the open world of Gustum. Players operate their own food truck, foraging for fresh ingredients and creating home-cooked meals to serve eager customers on the move. The game emphasizes creativity and progression through recipe refinement and kitchen upgrades, blending exploration with management mechanics.

14. Thief Simulator

Developer: Noble Muffins
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

This open-world stealth simulator provides a unique spin by enabling you to live out a life of burglary with a diverse array of tools and strategies. Players scout targets, study routines, bypass security systems, and carefully execute heists while avoiding capture. It’s a tense game of planning and stealth combined with a fun, stylized experience.

13. Euro Truck Simulator 2

Developer: SCS Software
Platforms: PC

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is widely praised for its blend of relaxation and strategic depth. Players manage delivery routes across a sprawling European map while juggling logistics like fuel and upgrades. Its appeal goes beyond truck enthusiasts, offering a meditative experience backed by a 9/10 Steam rating and consistent player activity years after release.

12. Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator

Developer: Cyanide
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, PC, Nintendo Switch

In Chef Life, players control every aspect of running a restaurant, from interior layout to the minute details of dish preparation. Managing kitchen staff, sourcing ingredients, and handling busy dinner services simulates the intense workload behind hospitality. Success transforms your establishment from a small cafe to a Michelin-starred venue.

11. Not for Broadcast

Developer: NotGames
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

This unique dystopian broadcast simulator combines fast-paced decision making with ethical dilemmas. As a broadcast technician managing live news segments in a censored 1980s world, you balance maintaining order and disrupting propaganda. The blend of live-action footage and sharp satire delivers a compelling narrative-driven experience.

10. Farming Simulator 25

Developer: Giants Software
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5

The latest entry in the Farming Simulator series delivers authentic agricultural gameplay featuring a vast range of licensed machinery and crops. New weather events like hail and tornadoes add realism and challenge, while multiplayer modes let players collaborate or compete, maintaining its place as a leading farming sim.

9. Planet Coaster

Developer: Frontier Developments
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC

For fans of theme parks and management sims, Planet Coaster offers deep customization for building rides, parks, and managing staff. Its attention to detail and extensive DLCs make it a modern successor to classics like Rollercoaster Tycoon, with features that keep it fresh and engaging.

8. Schedule I

Developer: TVGS
Platforms: PC

This Early Access title lets you rise through the ranks of an illicit business empire with a focus on resource management and evading law enforcement. Its dark humor and stylized visuals make it stand out, offering addictive gameplay for fans of simulation and crime genres.

7. Arcade Paradise

Developer: Nosebleed Interactive
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5

Simulate managing a laundromat that doubles as an arcade. From washing clothes to playing and expanding arcade machines, Arcade Paradise blends mundane management with nostalgic fun and a sense of progression that appeals to fans of multitasking simulators.

6. PC Building Simulator

Developer: The Irregular Corporation
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

PC Building Simulator immerses players in the detailed process of assembling, repairing, and upgrading computers. Featuring licensed real-world components from brands like Intel, AMD, and Nvidia, the game provides both a challenging experience and rewarding creativity in building dream rigs.

5. The Sims 4

Developer: Maxis
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X, PS5

The quintessential life simulator continues to evolve with hundreds of expansion packs adding depth, diversity, and new gameplay. From supernatural families to tiny homes and sprawling mansions, The Sims 4 offers unparalleled freedom in life simulation with a vast, engaged community.

4. Two Point Museum

Developer: Two Point Studios
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X, PC

The latest in the charming Two Point series, this museum simulator tasks players with managing various thematic museums. From curating exhibits and organizing tours to preventing theft, Two Point Museum offers strategic management wrapped in lighthearted, whimsical presentation.

3. Microsoft Flight Simulator

Developer: Asobo Studio
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X

Acclaimed for its photorealistic 4K planet Earth and extraordinary attention to detail, Microsoft Flight Simulator delivers the most breathtaking and authentic flying experience available. Whether you’re a flight enthusiast savoring technical realism or a casual explorer enjoying virtual tours, this game suits all levels of engagement.

2. Cities: Skylines

Developer: Colossal Order Ltd.
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, Nintendo Switch

Since revitalizing the city-building genre in 2015, Cities: Skylines remains a benchmark for urban simulation. It offers detailed systems and challenges — like managing pollution and infrastructure — while also being accessible enough for console gamers. Its popularity endures with consistent updates and a dedicated player base.

1. PowerWash Simulator

Developer: FuturLab
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, Nintendo Switch

PowerWash Simulator turns a monotonous chore into a calming and addictive experience. With realistic physics and rewarding feedback, cleaning dirt and grime becomes highly satisfying. The addition of a cooperative multiplayer mode enhances its appeal as a casual yet engaging simulator.

Conclusion

Simulation games in 2025 continue to offer immersive and diverse experiences across genres, platforms, and play styles. Whether you want to live vicariously through detailed life simulations, manage complex businesses, or enjoy relaxing gameplay, there’s a simulator game tailored to your interests. With ongoing technological innovations, future releases promise even deeper and more realistic adventures in simulation gaming.

Explore More

• Discover expert-curated lists covering best city building games.
• Dive deeper into life simulators with titles like games like The Sims.
• Find relaxing gameplay in best relaxing games.

Simulation games not only entertain but help players develop strategic thinking, multitasking skills, and even knowledge about real-world professions. According to a 2023 study published in the Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds, simulation gaming can improve cognitive flexibility and problem-solving abilities, making it a valuable form of interactive learning in addition to fun.

As 2025 unfolds, simulator games offer expansive worlds and captivating narratives that continue to inspire players worldwide.