Simulators are one of the earliest PC game genres, and remain compelling experiences to this day, even if they’re not as popular as they used to be.
I like all kinds of combat flight sims; the MS Combat Flight Simulator from 1998 was something special, and I’ve had some similar fun in IL-2 Sturmovik. The newest civil air sims are pretty great too, I’ll pop on a podcast and make a flight. They’re particularly cool in VR.
I’ve also found the MechWarrior games to be fun, but I’ve only played 2 and 5. I got to play a bit of Steel Battalion with the full crazy controller at a con a few years back, and that’s got to be a lot of fun once you really know what you’re doing.
I spent a lot of hours in F-19 Stealth Fighter on the Atari ST as a kid. The manual for that thing was unbelievably in-depth. I’m utterly convinced I could fly real combat missions in that (fictional) plane.
I credit Kerbal Space Program for my ability to think in three dimensions. Without KSP, I would have been some kind of dumbass. I thought getting to orbit was just a matter of going up until I was like 18 years old
Have you ever pulled up an old save file to look at the stuff you used to design? I did that the other day and found out that I used to be good at this game. Folded space stations, massive mining rigs, Apollo Style landers, a beautiful SSTO that’s braindead easy to fly, an interplanetary module that can dock to the back of said SSTO, I made fancy shit. Nowadays I just slap boosters and docking ports on fuel tanks and call it good enough
I gotta post pictures from that save file sometime
Assetto Corsa, hands down. The mod community have made it into something quite special. I’ve got pretty much every other driving/racing sim as well, but I keep coming back to AC.
The experience of chill driving across europe and listening to podcasts is nice. The game isn’t complicated enough to affect listening experience, but also engaging enough on it’s own right that it stays interesting.
I have probably seen 80% or so of the roads and cities, bit they still feel fresh… Could be that I’m forgetting places faster than I’m getting familiar with them as well.
I do have a steering wheel and pedals, but they’re just too cumbersome to get out and my wheel stand is made for someone at least 20 shorter than I am, so the experience is hampered a bit anyway. Because I’m lazy I’ve just resulted to driving witn mouse and keyboard combo.
It’s so good in VR. I call it a rubbernecking simulator. You’re missing most of the game without it imo. I spend most of my time looking out the windows at the views.
Came here to say ETS2 as well. I want to eventually get a sim rig set up so it’s even better, but even with just a controller it’s a very relaxing experience, supports VR too.
XWing Alliance will probably always be my favorite, but Elite Dangerous is up there. If Elite had story missions and a singleplayer campaign to elaborate on the world building, it probably would be my favorite.
Motor Town, Operation Harsh Doorstop, Easy Red 2, Sailwind, Hydroneer, Liftoff!, Shredders, Old Market Simulator, Cold Waters Dot Mod, Nebulous Fleet Command, From The Depths, Helicopter Gunship DEX and Out Of Ore are all great “sims”.
I also consider extremely mechanically deep rpgs with realistic systems like Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead or Unreal World to be simulators and both are superb.
I am trying out Ships At Sea but don’t have enough experience yet to give a thumbs up or down yet on it (Check out Sailwind!).
Sailwind is a “sailing simulator” as in actual sailing!
It isn’t marketed primarily as a racing game or a high speed driving game, but it just feels so damn good I have put SO many urgent taxi job miles in that game it isn’t even remotely funny.
I regret none of that time lol
I also love doing urgent taxi jobs and cruising in multiplayer while being around players doing radically different vibes of driving jobs.
It makes the whole driving experience so much more interesting than when everyone is just driving lamborghinis and ferraris are 200mph and the rest of the vehicles are AI. The map just ends up feeling “more alive” somehow in Motor Town, idk I love it.
I’ve always been a little obsessed with Sopwith Camels because they are one of the prettiest but also most insane things to fly into battle with. ROF does an excellent job or giving me that fix :) Also ROF is free to play (and the DLC with the Sopwith right now is super cheap).
I spent way too much time on Red Baron. The simulation was just good enough to convey the awkwardness of piloting machines that in the end were made of wood, fabric and heroic faith, including the Sopwith Camel’s notorious torque issue that made it constantly drift to the right.
Not so much the collecting. I like learning how to drive them, and driving them. I blew up my steam engines the first several times I touched the controls
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I spent a lot of hours in F-19 Stealth Fighter on the Atari ST as a kid. The manual for that thing was unbelievably in-depth. I’m utterly convinced I could fly real combat missions in that (fictional) plane.
YES! I PLAYED THE SHIT OUT OF THAT GAME!!!
I like goat simulator
KSP 1
2nding this, but also I’m looking forward to KSA, hoping it can be the true successor
I credit Kerbal Space Program for my ability to think in three dimensions. Without KSP, I would have been some kind of dumbass. I thought getting to orbit was just a matter of going up until I was like 18 years old
Have you ever pulled up an old save file to look at the stuff you used to design? I did that the other day and found out that I used to be good at this game. Folded space stations, massive mining rigs, Apollo Style landers, a beautiful SSTO that’s braindead easy to fly, an interplanetary module that can dock to the back of said SSTO, I made fancy shit. Nowadays I just slap boosters and docking ports on fuel tanks and call it good enough
I gotta post pictures from that save file sometime
I like OpenTTD. Based off the old Transport Tycoon game
Assetto Corsa, hands down. The mod community have made it into something quite special. I’ve got pretty much every other driving/racing sim as well, but I keep coming back to AC.
For example, here’s a clip of me driving a Ferrari 321PB around Targa Florio from dawn to dusk. Almost everything in this clip is a mod.
Any idea if there is a way to get the mods to work on Linux?
Not sure, maybe through Wine, but I’m almost certain it won’t work with my Moza wheel and pedals, or VR.
Sim Collector Simulator
I’m going to go with Euro truck simulator 2.
The experience of chill driving across europe and listening to podcasts is nice. The game isn’t complicated enough to affect listening experience, but also engaging enough on it’s own right that it stays interesting.
I have probably seen 80% or so of the roads and cities, bit they still feel fresh… Could be that I’m forgetting places faster than I’m getting familiar with them as well.
I do have a steering wheel and pedals, but they’re just too cumbersome to get out and my wheel stand is made for someone at least 20 shorter than I am, so the experience is hampered a bit anyway. Because I’m lazy I’ve just resulted to driving witn mouse and keyboard combo.
Edit: typos. Typing on phone is butts
Yep. I have all the map and special delivery DLCs too and it’s awesome.
I don’t get it why exactly, but it’s awesome just seeing the detail they put into the game. Getting all the photo locations is really hard!
And some of the achievements take a looooong time to get.
It’s so good in VR. I call it a rubbernecking simulator. You’re missing most of the game without it imo. I spend most of my time looking out the windows at the views.
It’s great in VR, i just have an ancient oculus devkit 2 or so, its horrid mess of cables I don’t want to deal with
Too early adopter issues. :P
Came here to say ETS2 as well. I want to eventually get a sim rig set up so it’s even better, but even with just a controller it’s a very relaxing experience, supports VR too.
Farming Simulator.
I grew up in the country and moved to a city. It’s neat to see how accurate the older tractors and equipment are to real life.
XWing Alliance will probably always be my favorite, but Elite Dangerous is up there. If Elite had story missions and a singleplayer campaign to elaborate on the world building, it probably would be my favorite.
Motor Town, Operation Harsh Doorstop, Easy Red 2, Sailwind, Hydroneer, Liftoff!, Shredders, Old Market Simulator, Cold Waters Dot Mod, Nebulous Fleet Command, From The Depths, Helicopter Gunship DEX and Out Of Ore are all great “sims”.
I also consider extremely mechanically deep rpgs with realistic systems like Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead or Unreal World to be simulators and both are superb.
I am trying out Ships At Sea but don’t have enough experience yet to give a thumbs up or down yet on it (Check out Sailwind!).
Sailwind is a “sailing simulator” as in actual sailing!
Check out eSail as well, if you like sailing.
Motor Town is amazing from such a small team. Great force feedback and VR support as well.
It isn’t marketed primarily as a racing game or a high speed driving game, but it just feels so damn good I have put SO many urgent taxi job miles in that game it isn’t even remotely funny.
I regret none of that time lol
I also love doing urgent taxi jobs and cruising in multiplayer while being around players doing radically different vibes of driving jobs.
It makes the whole driving experience so much more interesting than when everyone is just driving lamborghinis and ferraris are 200mph and the rest of the vehicles are AI. The map just ends up feeling “more alive” somehow in Motor Town, idk I love it.
I’ll definitely look at Sailwind, I’d love a good sailing sim. Thanks for the rec!
I have only heard of two of those so youve given me a large list of games to check out, thank you
Rise Of Flight - United
I’ve always been a little obsessed with Sopwith Camels because they are one of the prettiest but also most insane things to fly into battle with. ROF does an excellent job or giving me that fix :) Also ROF is free to play (and the DLC with the Sopwith right now is super cheap).
I spent way too much time on Red Baron. The simulation was just good enough to convey the awkwardness of piloting machines that in the end were made of wood, fabric and heroic faith, including the Sopwith Camel’s notorious torque issue that made it constantly drift to the right.
That was another great one; it’s one of the most fun eras to fly in.
X-Wing was the reason I jumped from Atari ST to DOS/Windows.
Damn. And I thought I was old, Methuselah. 🙇🏼♂️
Derail Valley Simulator. I like my trains.
I should get back into that one. I played some in early access, and it was fun.
Depending on how long ago it was, we’ve had a couple of updates recently. You can now paint all your engines, and there’s a ton of gadgets
If you like building sets, you should check out Rolling Line.
Not so much the collecting. I like learning how to drive them, and driving them. I blew up my steam engines the first several times I touched the controls
Assetto Corsa
Amazing game, could have more varied maps in free access servers, but the game is old so it’s ok
It’s my favorite racing sim. Good pick.