News Tower

21 Simulation games like News Tower that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentUpdated May 19, 2026How this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

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We filtered the 27 games similar to News Tower down to the 21 that fit the “Simulation” category. Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator, Potion Craft and Poly Bridge top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to News Tower.

iRank94/ 100

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GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

Tags

NarrativeSolo

Year 2024Dev Sparrow Night

Stores

Quick answer

Within the “Simulation” category, the closest game to News Tower is Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator — scoring 77/100 on our similarity scale. Potion Craft and Poly Bridge follow close behind.

#1Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator77 #2Potion Craft77 #3Poly Bridge69 #4Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp68 #5Cooking Simulator62

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The best simulation games like News Tower

21 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to News Tower. Each one has been evaluated across 11 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1Potion Craft: Alchemist SimulatorClosest overall match

77

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldHistoricalCraftingManagement2D

Steam👍 93%· 43KRAWG👍 72%· 190OC77· 8

Year 2022Dev niceplay games · tinyBuildPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Xbox

✓ Both are crafting sandboxes — sharing sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings deep RPG systems, puzzle design and adventure storytelling, while skipping combat tactical

Potion Craft is an alchemist simulator where you physically interact with your tools and ingredients to brew potions. You're in full control of the whole shop: invent new recipes, attract customers and experiment to your heart's content. Just remember: the whole town is counting on you.

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: tone.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals100Setting51

77

Potion Craft

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldHistoricalCraftingManagement2D

Steam👍 93%· 43KIGDB70· 1OC83· 11

Year 2022Dev niceplay games · tinyBuildOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, deep RPG systems and adventure storytelling, while skipping combat tactical

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: tone and setting.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals100Setting45

69

Poly Bridge

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldCrafting2D

Steam👍 91%· 19KIGDB75· 2OC66· 12

Year 2016Dev Dry CactusOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, punishing difficulty and cozy, relaxing feel, while skipping combat tactical

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: setting and tone.

It predates News Tower by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100World100Visuals100Progression48Tone39

#4Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

68

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloSandbox WorldCraftingIsometricThird Person

IGDB78· 2

Year 2017Dev Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development · NintendoOn Android · iOS

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and sandbox world

≠ Where it differs: brings visual isometric, visual third person and free to play, while skipping strong narrative focus

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: visuals and progression.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression48Visuals0

#5Cooking Simulator

62

Cooking Simulator

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloSandbox WorldManagementCraftingCo-op

Steam👍 85%· 19KOC70· 7

Year 2019Dev Big Cheese Studio · Forever Entertainment S.A.On PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and sandbox world

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual, vibe relaxing and co op, while skipping strong narrative focus

A physics kitchen where every ingredient is an object you grab, cut and throw, which makes cooking chaotic in a way that is either the joke or the frustration depending on the day. Career mode adds pressure. Controls are deliberately unwieldy, and the difficulty comes from fighting the interface rather than from the cooking itself.

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: tone and visuals.

Genre100World100Progression100Game mode72Tone0Visuals0

#6Space EngineersClosest on combat

61

Space Engineers

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloTacticalSandbox WorldCraftingEarly Access

Steam👍 89%· 134KRAWG👍 58%· 269MC68IGDB80· 1OC80· 5

Year 2013Dev Keen Software HousePlaytime ~5hOn PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and sandbox world

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and open world exploration, while skipping strong narrative focus

A voxel engineering sandbox with real physics: ships flex, break apart along stress lines and drift, and building something that survives its own thrust is the actual game. Deeply satisfying when it clicks. It is heavy on performance and light on direction — large builds tank the framerate, and there is essentially no guidance on what to do.

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: setting and visuals.

It predates News Tower by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat88World76Progression41Game mode28Setting0

#7Kitchen Simulator 2015

58

Kitchen Simulator 2015

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldCraftingMelee

Steam👍 40%· 329

Year 2015Dev WhackAKey GamesPlaytime ~4hOn PC

✓ Both are crafting sandboxes — sharing sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, horror tension and vibe casual, while skipping combat tactical

Description Kitchen simulator The game that turns you into the chef.

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: combat and setting.

On reception: its Steam reviews are mixed, against very positive for News Tower.

It predates News Tower by 9 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression45Tone30Combat0

#8Stardew Valley

57

Stardew Valley

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldCrafting2D

Steam👍 98%· 1.0MRAWG👍 88%· 2.5KMC89IGDB91· 13OC90· 76

Year 2016Dev ChucklefishPlaytime ~13hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and visual novel storytelling, while skipping combat tactical

A farming sim that is really a schedule-management game: every in-game day forces a choice between crops, mining, fishing and the villagers, and the calendar never gives you enough hours. The first year is the hook. Fishing is the wall most players hit — the minigame is fiddly and unforgiving early, and several quests gate behind it.

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: setting and tone.

It predates News Tower by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100World81Progression43Visuals34Game mode28Tone24

#9Scrap Mechanic

52

Scrap Mechanic

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloSandbox WorldCraftingEarly AccessMultiplayer

Steam👍 92%· 117KRAWG👍 70%· 124

Year 2016Dev Axolot GamesPlaytime ~6hOn PC

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and sandbox world

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and open world exploration, while skipping strong narrative focus

A building sandbox where the physics are the point: vehicles you assemble actually flex, tip and fall apart under load, and getting a working machine is a genuine engineering problem. Creative mode is the strong half. The survival campaign has been in early access for years and remains unfinished, with long gaps between updates.

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: combat and visuals.

It predates News Tower by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100World71Progression40Game mode21Combat0Visuals0

#10No Man's SkyClosest on tone

51

No Man's Sky

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldCraftingMultiplayer

Steam👍 85%· 407KRAWG👍 67%· 1.6KMC75IGDB74· 38OC71· 149

Year 2016Dev Hello GamesPlaytime ~15hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and shooter, while skipping combat tactical

Years of free updates turned it into a genuinely broad survival-exploration game: base building, freighters, settlements, multiplayer. The scale is unmatched. The core loop is still the criticism — planets are procedurally varied rather than designed, so after twenty of them the discoveries start to rhyme, and the inventory management never stops being fiddly.

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: combat and setting.

It predates News Tower by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Tone100World48Progression40Game mode29Combat0

51

Terraria

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldCrafting2D

Steam👍 97%· 1.5MRAWG👍 80%· 2.5KMC81IGDB81· 13OC79· 33

Year 2011Dev Engine Software · 505 GamesPlaytime ~15hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are crafting sandboxes — sharing sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and survival mechanics, while skipping combat tactical

A 2D sandbox that is far more combat-driven than its look suggests: progression runs through boss fights, and each one unlocks a tier of materials. Building is deep but optional. It explains almost nothing — crafting chains, boss summons and biome requirements are opaque enough that most players keep a wiki open throughout.

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: combat and setting.

It predates News Tower by 13 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100World61Visuals58Tone52Progression48Game mode22

48

Minecraft

GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox

SoloSandbox WorldCraftingOfflineMultiplayer

OC90· 44

Year 2016Dev Mojang StudiosOn Xbox · PS4 · Linux

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and sandbox world

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and turn-based strategy, while skipping strong narrative focus

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: tone and setting.

It predates News Tower by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100World74Progression41Game mode14Tone0Setting0

Xbox PS Nintendo

35

Democracy 3

GenreSandboxSubgenreCreative Sandbox

SoloSandbox WorldManagement

Steam👍 74%· 7.3KIGDB67· 2

Year 2013Dev Positech GamesOn Linux · PC · iOS

✓ Like News Tower, it's known for sandbox freedom, deep simulation and sandbox world

≠ Its own twist: turn-based strategy, while skipping strong narrative focus

On reception: its Steam reviews are mostly positive, against very positive for News Tower.

It predates News Tower by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Game mode100World100Progression70Genre50

35

The Sims

GenreSandboxSubgenreCreative Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldFantasyIsometric

IGDB85· 1

Year 2000Dev Maxis · TransGaming TechnologiesOn Linux · PC · Mac

✓ Shared with News Tower: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with fantasy world and visual isometric, while skipping combat tactical

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: setting and visuals.

It predates News Tower by 24 years, with what that implies technically.

Game mode100Tone100World100Genre50Setting0Visuals0

35

The Sims 2

GenreSandboxSubgenreCreative Sandbox

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldFantasyIsometric

IGDB71· 7

Year 2004Dev Maxis · Aspyr MediaOn PC · Mac

✓ If you enjoyed News Tower, expect sandbox freedom, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, fantasy world and visual isometric, while skipping combat tactical

Where it drifts furthest from News Tower: setting and visuals.

It predates News Tower by 20 years, with what that implies technically.

Game mode100Tone100World100Genre50Setting0Visuals0

Complete list of simulation games like News Tower

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with News Tower, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

Sandbox · Simulation

RollerCoaster Tycoon

RollerCoaster Tycoon

Sandbox · Simulation

Viva Piñata

Viva Piñata

Sandbox · Simulation

SimCity 2000

SimCity 2000

Sandbox · Simulation

Zoo Tycoon

Zoo Tycoon

Sandbox · Simulation

Harvest Moon

Harvest Moon

Sandbox · Simulation

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