7 of the best serious and silly simulator games

One gaming genre that still hasn’t really gone “mainstream” is simulators. Hardcore simul-enthusiasts, such as iRacing masters, spend thousands and more on their rigs. That rig at the top of this article is what  $150,000 can get you.

The average gamer can only drool at this. This is also what simul-enthusiasts consider “true simul.” The business model and market for true simul is naturally a rare and almost mysterious thing. Then we have our “less true simul” games which appeal to a much larger market. They can run on any modern system and cost anywhere from $1 –  $60. The “Sims” is considered a branch of simulation and so is Roller Coaster Tycoon. These sub-classes of simulation have become wildly popular in their own right.

Within them, we can do all kinds of crazy things, like flailing around objects stuck to a goat’s tongue, igniting some pretty insane explosions, and playing the role of a prison warden. The simulation genre has grown so popular it’s starting to get a little saturated. Just through Steam alone, there are hundreds of simulation titles available. It can get pretty crazy sorting through them all, if only to find a game or two worth investing our time in.

In light of that, here are seven serious – or silly – simulator games currently available that are celebrated and enjoyed by many.

Surgeon Simulator 2013

The absolute beauty of the simulator genre is you can do whatever the hell you want. Some games may have objectives or goals, but for the most part you are dropped into a sandbox where you can experiment to your heart’s content.

That’s exactly how it works with Surgeon Simulator 2013. If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at being a doctor, or you just want to see what happens when you go under the knife – this is a good place to do it. To be perfectly honest, this game is far from realistic, but that’s okay.

With a wide variety of tools and random objects, you must perform different types of surgery. You’ll do things like rip out innards, destroy skulls, crack ribs and tear apart the inside of your patients as you fumble around. Better yet, if you’re a Team Fortress 2 fan, you’ll even have the opportunity to take on the role of a medic as he… well, tries to patch things up.

Goat Simulator

Unlike most of the other simulators on this list, Goat Simulator doesn’t really try to emulate anything special. In it, you take full control of a goat and use various elements to interact with objects and the environment. For example, your tongue can stick to things, which you can then flail around thanks to the in-game physics. You can also blow up anything you want.

Who doesn’t love a game with goats, explosions and buggy physics? Did I mention the game will only set you back $10?

The video above is a pretty honest review from TotalBiscuit who is not all that impressed with Goat Simulator; however, gives us a full scope of the game and what we’re getting into.

Euro Truck Simulator 2

As the name implies, this is the second game in the series. The biggest improvement: the map has expanded to include the entirety of Europe. In Euro Truck Simulator 2 you take on the role of a truck driver, tasked with completing various objectives and transporting cargo from one location to another. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be trucker?

When you first start, you don’t own your own truck, so you have to manage expenses carefully. As you progress, you will eventually make enough cash to purchase a rig of your own – or you can take out a loan from the bank. Every time you successfully complete an objective or deliver cargo, you earn money that can be used to upgrade your vehicles or buy new ones. We’ll learn all about the real-world costs and specs of trucking in a safe, virtual environment where our (likely poor) decisions remain digital. That’s pretty much the gist of it but many players have – in one way or another – said, “there’s just something about this game…I can’t stop.”

With self-driving cars making their way into the market, these types of simulators may be the only way for truckers to reminiscence!

Arma 3

At first glance, Arma 3 looks like any other military themed shooter, but at its core lies one of the deepest combat simulators currently available – aside from the previous Arma games, of course. Arma 3’s predecessor, Arma 2, is actually the game modified to create the infamous zombie survival sim Day Z.

The game features a massive world map, with support for both single and multiplayer based gameplay. In fact, the giant sandbox world is equal to 290km in real life. In addition, there are 20 air, land and sea vehicles to control. There are also more than 40 different weapons, each with their own customization options.

As if that wasn’t enough, you can modify anything in the game using an extensive set of editing tools to create your own campaigns, game modifications and more. The possibilities are endless when it comes to Arma 3. If you’re in the market for a more realistic combat sim, Arma 3 is one of the best around.

Farming Simulator 2013

Forget Farmville, lame cartoony graphics and waiting for hours at a time to stock up on energy – Farming Simulator 2013 will drop you into the role of a modern farmer. Your job – should you choose to accept it – is to take responsibility of a farm and manage all the duties that come along with it. That includes tasks such as breeding animals, cultivating land, harvesting crops, maintaining property structures and servicing equipment and vehicles. In Farming Simulator you really do it all. Unfortunately, there’s no way to login to Facebook and send gifts – or receive them – to other players. Something tells me you’ll get along just fine without that feature, however.

Train Simulator 2014

What child hasn’t watched a train go by and at some point desired to be a conductor?

Train Simulator drops you into the front seat of a train, as you navigate through real-to-life tracks including those modeled after the London-Faversham High Speed, Donner Pass and Hamburg-Hanover railways. Just like in Euro Truck Simulator, there are a wide variety of objectives and goals you must complete in order to progress. More than 16 different locomotives are in offer here. There’s also an editor tool which allows you to build your own tracks and share them online. If you so desire, you can even download tracks that others have shared.

X-Plane 10

We can’t say goodbye without discussing at least one realistic flight simulator. Many turn to Microsoft’s Flight Simulator, which is a worthy game, but it’s safe to say it’s a bit outdated now. That’s why we’ve set our sights on X-Plane 10, which is touted as more of an ‘engineering tool’ by its developers. That’s okay because it accurately portrays the job of a pilot, allowing you to take control of more than 30 different airplanes ranging from small planes to commercial airliners.

If you get bored with the real world stuff, you can design your own aircrafts and take them out for a test run. Realistic weather options allow you to fly in different climates, depending on what you prefer. Personally, I never like to fly in the rain, but who does? You can even simulate an entire system failure if you want and watch your plane plummet to the ground. No one is that cruel though, right?