7 Simulation Games You Can Keep Replaying

Simulation games belong to one of the most replayable genres simply because of their design, and bigger games tend to have creative modding communities that add to the joy of hopping back into the game. Sometimes, it's the relaxing nature of many simulation games that keep you coming back to play, especially since they can be the perfect way to unwind from a stressful day in real life.

While the market has been flooded with simulation games, there are some that stand above the others in quality and in how many times you can go back in and replay them, or simply play them indefinitely. From classic franchises to standalone games, these simulation games are easy to sink time into and keep playing.

7 The Sims

A Classic Simulation Franchise

When it comes to simulation games, The Sims might be the most well-known. This virtual dollhouse has been going strong for decades, and the franchise shows no sign of stopping. Instead, there's another expansion that's been revealed for The Sims 4, and two projects within the franchise that are in development.

In The Sims, you can stop aging and play the same Sims indefinitely, or you could build a grand legacy by staying with the same family through generations. Then, if you get tired of them, you can always start over with a new family. The staggering amount of content that's available offers plenty of variety for The Sims 4, but the re-release of The Sims and The Sims 2 means that you can now go between all four main games as you please.

6 American/Euro Truck Simulator

Enjoy the Open Roads

American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator are essentially the same game set in different locations, and both of them are among the most realistic simulator games with how much detail went into building their worlds to be as accurate as possible. While driving long distances in a game might seem boring to some players, it could also be a break from the stress of life that you don't realize you need.

Since you play as a long-haul driver, it's not surprising that the games are so replayable. You can hop into the game when you want to enjoy some scenery on the road, and complete as many deliveries as you want before returning to the real world. It's perfect for when you don't want to commit to a long gaming obligation that could be stressful.

5 Cities: Skylines

Design Your Dream City

Where the most recent entries to the Sim City series failed, Cities: Skylines has picked up the slack and become the ideal city planning simulator. While the sequel, Cities: Skylines 2, had a rough launch, the game has been steadily receiving updates since, and now it's in a condition where the step down in quality from the first game isn't as noticeable, making both games great options to pick up if you love designing cities like in Sim City.

Whether you want to see how long you can keep one city surviving, or you want to try building cities in different locations, Cities: Skylines lets you choose how you want to play, and you can save to log out whenever you need to. However, part of the replayability comes from how addicting the games are, as you want to keep returning to expand, or to try again if everything goes wrong.

4 Microsoft Flight Simulator

Enjoy the Open Skies from Home

One of the earliest simulator games, Microsoft Flight Simulator continued to release games after the initial game came out in 1982. With that in mind, it's not surprising that it's one of the most replayable simulators, regardless of which entry in the series you pick up. Part of the fun comes from how many accessories you can add to your gaming rig to feel as close to being a pilot as possible, but it's also fun to just hop into the game and fly around with your standard set-up.

The size of the world certainly helps with the replayability, and like most simulators, there's not too much stress involved. This lets you unwind from the day and explore the world from the comfort of your own home without having to deal with airports and the stress of boarding times.

3 Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley might look like a standard farming simulator on the surface, but the game has an incredible amount of charm alongside other features that make it difficult to leave its peaceful world. It also has a simple, yet relatable, story. You decide that you've had enough of the corporate world, and quit your job to take over your grandfather's farm. However, the valley isn't free from the influence of large corporations, and you can impact how much influence they hold onto.

In the meantime, you can build relationships with the villagers, start a romance, have children, go fishing, and attend festivals on top of completing side tasks. There's no shortage of content, and you can add even more features with mods, many of which encourage a replay of the game with how different they can make it feel. It's no wonder this is one of the best-selling indie games of all time.

2 House Flipper

Renovations Have Never Been so Relaxing

In reality, house flipping is a lot of work, stressful, and expensive. In House Flipper, and its sequel House Flipper 2, it's actually a relaxing experience. You don't have the physical effort to deal with, which comes with a high risk of injuries given the nature of the projects, and you don't feel pressed for time. If you start a project and don't like how it looks, it's not a disaster to have to start over when you're working in a virtual world.

While you start the games with various small jobs for clients to start earning money, the replayability comes later. You'll unlock the option to purchase houses and redo them as you please in order to flip them. At this point, you have a lot more creative freedom to design however you want to.

1 Planet Coaster

Simulate the Management of an Amusement Park

Planet Coaster is similar to the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon games, letting you design a theme park and unleash customers into it, which could go well. However, it tends to be more fun when the park is chaotic and possibly not designed in a way that would be allowed to operate in real life. It's also the kind of game that you can leave running when you step away, and that can be essential depending on your responsibilities in life.

Maybe you want to create your dream theme park, or you want to simply see how insane of a design you can make. Either way, Planet Coaster is a great option for a simulator that you can keep playing and trying to create new parks in, even if not every idea for a park is a good one.

Simulators can seem boring when explained or if you only glance at them, but they often end up being some of the most time-consuming games. Not only can you sink hours into them, but you can replay them without each playthrough feeling like the same experience, but with maybe a few tweaks, which is often the case for other genres. When looking at the most replayable simulation games, it's difficult not to just say that all of them are replayable.