DrainSim

25 Games like DrainSim that you should try

Games like DrainSim · Find similar →

More about this game →

DrainSim is hard to replace: few games combine deep simulation and single-player focus in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 3 gameplay attributes and found 25 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Papers, Please, Papers, Please - The Short Film and Loom lead the list, with Papers, Please reaching a 91/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes DrainSim special.

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

Tags

Solo

Year 2020Dev DanBuckles

Stores

Quick answer

The closest game to DrainSim is Papers, Please — scoring 91/100 on our similarity scale. Papers, Please - The Short Film and Loom follow close behind.

#1Papers, Please91 #2Papers, Please - The Short Film91 #3Loom91 #4Do Not Feed the Monkeys91 #5Game Dev Tycoon91

🗳️

Help us build the best rankings

Community powered

Vote on each result below — good match or not. Every vote directly shapes how we rank similar games for everyone.

Games like DrainSim

25 similar games found

#1Papers, Please

91

iRank91

Papers, Please

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloFirst PersonNarrativeDarkCasual

Steam👍 97%· 79KRAWG👍 91%· 1.8KMC85IGDB82· 5

Year 2013Dev Lucas Pope · 3909Playtime ~4hOn PC · PS · iOS

✓ If you enjoyed DrainSim, expect deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

#2Papers, Please - The Short Film

91

iRank91

Papers, Please - The Short Film

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloFirst PersonNarrativeDarkCasual

Steam👍 97%· 79KRAWG👍 91%· 1.8KMC85IGDB82· 5

Year 2013Dev Lucas Pope · 3909Playtime ~4hOn PC · PS · iOS

✓ Like DrainSim, it's known for deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

91

iRank89

Loom

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloMagicNarrativeFantasyHistorical

Steam👍 89%· 699

Year 1990Dev Lucasfilm GamesOn Linux · PC · Mac

✓ Like DrainSim, it's known for deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus, while skipping visual first person

#4Do Not Feed the Monkeys

91

iRank84

Do Not Feed the Monkeys

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloFirst PersonNarrativeDarkManagement

Steam👍 93%· 12KIGDB75· 1OC77· 21

Year 2018Dev Fictiorama Studios · BadLand PublishingOn PS4 · Linux · Android

✓ Like DrainSim, it's known for deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

#5Game Dev Tycoon

91

iRank85

Game Dev Tycoon

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloCasualManagementIsometric2D

Steam👍 95%· 45KRAWG👍 86%· 758MC68IGDB80· 1

Year 2012Dev Greenheart GamesPlaytime ~8hOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Shared with DrainSim: deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings vibe casual, resource management and visual isometric, while skipping visual first person

91

iRank85

Beholder

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloStealthNarrativeDark2D

Steam👍 92%· 30KIGDB80· 3OC76· 27

Year 2016Dev Warm Lamp Games · Alawar EntertainmentOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ If you enjoyed DrainSim, expect deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, puzzle design and deep RPG systems, while skipping visual first person

#7New Pokémon Snap

92

iRank81

New Pokémon Snap

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloFirst PersonFantasySci-Fi

IGDB81· 12

Year 2021Dev Bandai Namco Studios · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Shared with DrainSim: deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, fantasy world and setting scifi

#8Governor of Poker 2 - Premium Edition

91

iRank83

Governor of Poker 2 - Premium Edition

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloCasual

Steam👍 83%· 302

Year 2010Dev I Sioux Game ProductionsPlaytime ~2hOn PC

✓ Like DrainSim, it's known for deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, card game strategy and vibe casual, while skipping visual first person

91

iRank82

Golf Story

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloNarrativeLootSkill TreeIsometric

IGDB83· 7OC81· 45

Year 2017Dev Sidebar GamesOn Switch

✓ Shared with DrainSim: deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings sports simulation, deep RPG systems and adventure storytelling, while skipping visual first person

91

iRank82

Moonlighter

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloMeleeProceduralFantasyExploration

Steam👍 82%· 22KIGDB82· 14OC82· 110

Year 2018Dev Digital Sun Games · NetflixOn PS4 · Linux · Android

✓ If you enjoyed DrainSim, expect deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: action RPG combat, deep RPG systems and roguelike runs, while skipping visual first person

92

iRank79

Observation

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloFirst PersonNarrativeDarkHorror

Steam👍 78%· 5.1KIGDB82· 11OC76· 81

Year 2019Dev No Code · Devolver DigitalOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ If you enjoyed DrainSim, expect deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, puzzle design and horror tension

#12AaAaAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity

92

iRank76

AaAaAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloFirst PersonMeleeFantasyHistorical

Steam👍 84%· 752RAWG👍 48%· 42MC81IGDB90· 1

Year 2009Dev Dejobaan GamesPlaytime ~1hOn PC

✓ Like DrainSim, it's known for deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person

≠ Where it differs: brings sports simulation, melee combat and fantasy world

91

iRank77

Yakuza

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloMeleeNarrativeSandbox WorldOpen World

IGDB77· 3

Year 2005Dev Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios · Sega

✓ Shared with DrainSim: deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: sports simulation, deep RPG systems and action RPG combat, while skipping visual first person

92

iRank74

Wii Fit

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloFirst PersonThird Person

IGDB74· 4

Year 2007Dev Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.5 · Nintendo

✓ Shared with DrainSim: deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person

≠ Its own twist: sports simulation and visual third person

91

iRank75

Uplink

GenreSimulationSubgenreJob Sim

SoloNarrativeProceduralOpen WorldSci-Fi

Steam👍 91%· 2.4KRAWG👍 56%· 145MC75IGDB70· 1

Year 2001Dev Introversion SoftwarePlaytime ~1hOn PC · iOS · Apple Macintosh

✓ If you enjoyed DrainSim, expect deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, roguelike runs and strong narrative focus, while skipping visual first person

Games like DrainSim

Port Royale 2

Port Royale 2

Simulation

Thief: The Dark Project

Thief: The Dark Project

Simulation · Adventure

SEGA Bass Fishing

SEGA Bass Fishing

Simulation · Sports

The Graveyard

The Graveyard

Simulation · Adventure

Pokémon Quest

Pokémon Quest

Simulation · RPG

AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome

AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome

Simulation · Sports

Pokémon Snap

Pokémon Snap

Simulation

Mario Paint

Mario Paint

Simulation · Puzzle

Sim Theme Park

Sim Theme Park

Simulation

World Basketball Manager 2010

World Basketball Manager 2010

Simulation · Sports

Rankings in the same genre

Best Job Sim Games Best Simulation Games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to DrainSim?: The closest game to DrainSim is Papers, Please, scoring 91/100 on our similarity scale. They share 3 gameplay attributes, including deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like DrainSim?: The three closest games to DrainSim are: 1. Papers, Please (91/100, 3 shared attributes) 2. Papers, Please - The Short Film (91/100, 3 shared attributes) 3. Loom (91/100, 2 shared attributes). All share DrainSim's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 25 candidates across 3 dimensions.
Is Papers, Please - The Short Film similar to DrainSim?: Yes, very much so — Papers, Please - The Short Film scores 91/100 similarity to DrainSim. They share 3 attributes, including deep simulation and single-player focus. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Simulation games are similar to DrainSim?: The best Simulation games similar to DrainSim are Papers, Please, Papers, Please - The Short Film, Loom and Do Not Feed the Monkeys. All share the Simulation genre alongside other key DrainSim attributes like deep simulation, single-player focus and visual first person.
How is similarity to DrainSim calculated?: We compare DrainSim against every game in our catalog using 3 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the DrainSim experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.