SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerCo-opPvPOnline
Steam👍 91%· 302KRAWG👍 91%· 1.7KMC90IGDB91· 14OC92· 143
Year 2018Dev Playground Games · Microsoft StudiosPlaytime ~13hOn PC · Xbox
Best Simulation Games
This is the ranking of the best simulation games, sorted by iRank score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the iRankGames community votes into a single number. Unlike opinion-based editorial lists, this order is computed from real data and applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment so games with few reviews can't inflate the top of the chart. Forza Horizon 4, Papers, Please - The Short Film and Papers, Please lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average iRank is 87/100, out of 155 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
The best simulation games game is Forza Horizon 4 (89.7/100). Close behind: Papers, Please - The Short Film and Papers, Please.
Full ranking
155 games cataloguedUpdated July 2026
Ranked by iRank Score
SimulationJob Sim
SoloNarrativeDarkCasualHardcore
Steam👍 97%· 79KRAWG👍 91%· 1.8KMC85IGDB82· 5
Year 2013Dev Lucas Pope · 3909Playtime ~4hOn PC · PS · iOS
SimulationJob Sim
SoloNarrativeDarkCasualHardcore
Steam👍 97%· 79KRAWG👍 91%· 1.8KMC85IGDB82· 5
Year 2013Dev Lucas Pope · 3909Playtime ~4hOn PC · PS · iOS
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlinePvP
Steam👍 89%· 272KRAWG👍 88%· 771IGDB94· 11OC92· 184
Year 2021Dev Playground Games · Xbox Game StudiosPlaytime ~15hOn PC · PS · Xbox
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
MultiplayerSoloCo-opRelaxingNarrative
Steam👍 97%· 918KRAWG👍 88%· 916MC79IGDB88· 2
Year 2012Dev SCS SoftwarePlaytime ~12hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux
SimulationJob Sim
SoloMeleeCasualNarrativePixel Art
Steam👍 98%· 25KRAWG👍 90%· 143MC88OC88· 18
Year 2020Dev Draw Me A PixelPlaytime ~5hOn PC · iOS · Android
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerMeleeSandbox WorldOpen World
Steam👍 97%· 393KRAWG👍 88%· 127
Year 2015Dev SureHit StudioPlaytime ~4hOn PC · iOS
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerCo-opRelaxingNarrative
Steam👍 97%· 191KRAWG👍 85%· 254MC76IGDB81· 5
Year 2016Dev SCS SoftwarePlaytime ~6hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux
SimulationLife Sim
MultiplayerCo-opOfflineOnlineSolo
Steam👍 90%· 81KRAWG👍 90%· 806MC82IGDB81· 11OC82· 108
Year 2018Dev Team17 DigitalPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerCo-opRelaxingNarrative
Steam👍 97%· 191KRAWG👍 85%· 254MC76IGDB81· 5OC78· 20
Year 2016Dev SCS SoftwarePlaytime ~6hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
MultiplayerOfflineHardcoreManagement
Steam👍 94%· 40KRAWG👍 69%· 115MC88OC88· 100
Year 2020Dev CodemastersPlaytime ~8hOn PC · PS · Xbox
SimulationJob Sim
SoloCasualManagementIsometric2D
Steam👍 95%· 45KRAWG👍 86%· 758MC68IGDB80· 1
Year 2012Dev Greenheart GamesPlaytime ~8hOn PC · iOS · Android
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerHardcoreFirst PersonThird Person
Steam👍 88%· 40KRAWG👍 71%· 674MC86IGDB85· 13OC85· 59
Year 2015Dev Feral InteractivePlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloManagementIsometric
Steam👍 92%· 14KRAWG👍 80%· 97MC81IGDB90· 1OC82· 16
Year 2014Dev Playsport Games · SEGAPlaytime ~8hOn PC · iOS · Android
SimulationJob Sim
OfflineSoloMultiplayerCasualFirst Person
Steam👍 95%· 3.6K
Year 2023Dev LandfallPlaytime ~1hOn PC
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerFirst PersonThird Person
Steam👍 89%· 345MC84IGDB85· 2
Year 2005Dev SimBin Studios · LibrediaPlaytime ~1hOn PC
SimulationJob Sim
SoloCasual2DFree to Play
Steam👍 95%· 8.0K
Year 2022Dev Oni GamingPlaytime ~2hOn PC
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOfflinePvPMelee
Steam👍 91%· 6.4KRAWG👍 87%· 402MC72IGDB80· 2
Year 2004Dev Bugbear Entertainment · Strategy FirstPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerPvPCo-opOnline
Steam👍 83%· 20KRAWG👍 76%· 780MC86IGDB90· 8
Year 2010Dev Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox
SimulationJob Sim
MultiplayerSoloManagement
Steam👍 89%· 32KRAWG👍 85%· 117MC84IGDB89· 2OC86· 31
Year 2019Dev Sports Interactive · SEGAPlaytime ~29hOn PC · Apple Macintosh
More to consider
#21
84#22
87#23
88#24
85#25
87#26
81#27
88#28
83#29
80#30
85#31
80#32
80#33
84#34
87#35
87#36
84#37
92#38
80#39
81#40
88#41
79#42
86#43
82#44
79#45
86#46
89#47
84#48
80#49
88#50
79
Superflight
Simulation · Racing
CarX Drift Racing Online
Simulation · Racing
Football Manager 2022
Simulation · Sports
My Summer Car
Simulation · Racing
Football Manager 2021
Simulation · Sports
TIS-100
Simulation · Puzzle
GTR 2 FIA GT Racing Game
Simulation · Racing
F1® 2021
Simulation · Racing
DiRT Rally 2.0
Simulation · Racing
Overcooked!
Simulation
F1 2018
Simulation · Racing
TrackMania Nations Forever
Simulation · Racing
Car Mechanic Simulator 2021
Simulation · Racing
Brick Rigs
Simulation · Racing
Unpacking
Simulation · Puzzle
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Simulation · Puzzle
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Simulation · Racing
Assetto Corsa
Simulation · Racing
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
Simulation
Gnomes Garden
Simulation · Puzzle
Project CARS 2
Simulation · Racing
Driver
Simulation · Racing
Secret of the Magic Crystals
Simulation · Adventure
Wreckfest
Simulation · Racing
Gran Turismo 4
Simulation · Racing
Crime Scene Cleaner
Simulation · Adventure
Wii Sports Resort
Simulation · Racing
Railroad Tycoon 3
Simulation
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game
Simulation · Racing
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946
Simulation · Shooter
Related rankings
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best simulation game?
- According to the iRankGames ranking, Forza Horizon 4 (89.7/100) tops the list. Close behind are Papers, Please - The Short Film and Papers, Please.
- How is this ranking calculated?
- Each game receives an iRank score (0-100) blending several weighted sources: Steam reviews, IGDB community + critic ratings, Metacritic, OpenCritic and the iRankGames community votes. The sort order additionally applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment: games with few reviews get pulled toward the genre average so small samples can't game the top of the chart.
- How many simulation games are in this ranking?
- 50 games appear in this list (filtered by minimum popularity, excluding DLC, expansions and unclassified shovelware).
- What makes a good simulation game?
- The highest-rated entries in this genre tend to share design coherent with subgenre conventions, tight controls, balanced challenge-and-reward loops, and an active player base that sustains their reception across multiple platforms. Examples in this ranking: Forza Horizon 4, Papers, Please - The Short Film and Papers, Please.