Simulator games appeal?

[StaceyPowers]

I was compiling a list of games on sale at the PlayStation Store today, and I chuckled when I saw that a game called “Job Simulator” is on sale (upon looking up this title, I see it is a rather tongue-in-cheek game).

It seems like sim games which involve “ordinary” life occupations or hobbies, i.e. farming, fishing, running a hospital, etc. are quite popular.

I have never played one of these types of games before, aside from, say, flight simulators, which I didn’t really get into. For those who play sim games, what is the draw?

 

 

[The Blackangel]

I played SimFarm on Win95, but was never gung-ho about it. Unless things like Roller Coaster Tycoon count as sim games, I never played any other sim games. It doesn't have the appeal to me that it needs to keep my attention. More power to those that enjoy it, but in all seriousness, with the Job Simulator I have only one thing to say:

WHAT THE HOLY FUCK????

[Shagger]

I see "simulator" on the title of a game, I immediately social distance myself from it... before that it was cool. The world is full of posers.

[Juneberry]

I'm a big fan of simulators myself. They let me quasi-experience things I myself would never experience in the real world, which I find super enjoyable. I want to experience all sorts of things, so for me, who is disabled and barely leaves her house, simulation games are a great method of pretending I have experience in life.

[The Blackangel]

4 hours ago, Juneberry said:

I'm a big fan of simulators myself. They let me quasi-experience things I myself would never experience in the real world, which I find super enjoyable. I want to experience all sorts of things, so for me, who is disabled and barely leaves her house, simulation games are a great method of pretending I have experience in life.

I'm disabled as well, and in a wheelchair. But some of these simulators are just going too far. I got to experience a lot of things before I was stuck like this. I had a lot of different kinds of jobs, grew up on a small stock farm, was a bull rider as a teen, and a lot of other things. Now, however, there's not a lot I can do that I enjoy. So I guess I got a lot of it out of me that simulators would cover. But I still think they're going too far when there's one called Job Simulator.

[SaucyPastaTho]

The only sim games I can really tolerate are on roblox. The rest are just pointless to me.

[Juneberry]

15 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

I'm disabled as well, and in a wheelchair. But some of these simulators are just going too far. I got to experience a lot of things before I was stuck like this. I had a lot of different kinds of jobs, grew up on a small stock farm, was a bull rider as a teen, and a lot of other things. Now, however, there's not a lot I can do that I enjoy. So I guess I got a lot of it out of me that simulators would cover. But I still think they're going too far when there's one called Job Simulator.

There are some of us who've never worked in an office before, so I'm guessing that's why that game was made? I agree though, some games are ridiculous. I tried a writing simulator on mobile once. It was...honestly I don't know what it was. It just wasn't as fun as I expected it to be as a writer. Probably because it focused more on the other parts of life besides writing, and made writing feel like a background project... Which it can be for many people, I admit, but... It just didn't entertain me like farm simulations and other games do. So I can kinda see why they wouldn't work for you if you have experience.

[The Blackangel]

I write as well. It's more of a hobby than anything. At the moment I've finished 2 full length novels, 3 short stories, 2 songs, and a shitload of unconventional poetry. At the moment I don't have any real aspirations of getting published, but maybe one day I'll look into it. I have them uploaded to a website, but I rarely give out the link.

[Juneberry]

1 hour ago, The Blackangel said:

I write as well. It's more of a hobby than anything. At the moment I've finished 2 full length novels, 3 short stories, 2 songs, and a shitload of unconventional poetry. At the moment I don't have any real aspirations of getting published, but maybe one day I'll look into it. I have them uploaded to a website, but I rarely give out the link.

If you ever feel like sharing, I'd be happy to see it. Also, I think it's amazing you've finished so many things! Finishing is the hardest part for me.

[The Blackangel]

That first line is the hardest for me. From there the story flows organically, and writes itself for me. I know when to take a break, I know when a chapter ends, and I know when the story has ended. But the thing to remember, is that you can't force it. You have to let it come to you about when to start writing the story. If you try to force it, then typically the story will not be any good. That has been my experience anyway.

[skyfire]

I think I won't be surprised if people make the virus lockdown type of simulators game. I think experience managment is possible with such games. 

[Dead2009]

6 hours ago, skyfire said:

I think I won't be surprised if people make the virus lockdown type of simulators game. I think experience managment is possible with such games. 

There's Plague INC which is a simulator that lets you design diseases to wipe out populations, they also created a mode in game that lets you create vaccines to repair them.

My main go to simulators though are Rollercoaster Tycoon and Planet Coaster. Both are extremely addicting.

[The Blackangel]

I have one simulator game that I've been playing. It's Thief Simulator. A bit odd, but a lot of fun. It would only appeal to a select few in a small demographic. So I doubt it will be very popular. It was, if I remember right, the game that was selling for 1 penny. If it wasn't that one then I think it was the one that I bought for either 19 cents or 49 cents. I honestly don't remember. But I do know for a fact that it was less than 50 cents. At least when I bought it, it was.

[StaceyPowers]

On 4/5/2020 at 4:30 AM, Juneberry said:

I'm a big fan of simulators myself. They let me quasi-experience things I myself would never experience in the real world, which I find super enjoyable. I want to experience all sorts of things, so for me, who is disabled and barely leaves her house, simulation games are a great method of pretending I have experience in life.

I suppose in a way that is gaming’s appeal altogether, experiencing things we don’t get to IRL—or things that IRL would not be fun as they are in a game. Like you, I am disabled and don’t get around much, so I love playing games that feature exploration, since that is what I like doing, and I can’t do much of it outdoors like I could when I was young.

Actually, in a way, I guess all games are sim games! Skyrim is just an “exploration and combat simulator.” =D

On 4/6/2020 at 1:13 AM, Juneberry said:

There are some of us who've never worked in an office before, so I'm guessing that's why that game was made? I agree though, some games are ridiculous. I tried a writing simulator on mobile once. It was...honestly I don't know what it was. It just wasn't as fun as I expected it to be as a writer. Probably because it focused more on the other parts of life besides writing, and made writing feel like a background project... Which it can be for many people, I admit, but... It just didn't entertain me like farm simulations and other games do. So I can kinda see why they wouldn't work for you if you have experience.

Since I am a writer, I am terribly curious about this writing sim. What was it called? It seems kind of superfluous conceptually, in that one can write in or out of a sim and one hardly requires a sim to write. Was it simulating stuff like dealing with agents and publishers and stuff? Cause that just sounds nightmarish =D

3 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

have one simulator game that I've been playing. It's Thief Simulator

That actually sounds pretty promising to me. Kind of like a whole game that is nothing but the recurring thief missions in Skyrim. I know someone who literally does almost nothing but that when he plays Skyrim, so I bet he would get into thief simulator.

[skyfire]

18 hours ago, Dead2009 said:

There's Plague INC which is a simulator that lets you design diseases to wipe out populations, they also created a mode in game that lets you create vaccines to repair them.

My main go to simulators though are Rollercoaster Tycoon and Planet Coaster. Both are extremely addicting.

Sounds like closer to our current situation.