Best games
Best Simulation games in 2026
The 250 best Simulation games, ranked from 16,154 critic and player ratings.
The best Simulation game right now is Grand Theft Auto III — updated August 2026.
Also covers sim games, simulator, tycoon.
01
Grand Theft Auto III
Featuring a fully 3-D living city, a combination of narrative driven and non-linear gameplay and a completely open environment, Grand Theft Auto III represents a huge leap forward in interactive entertainment. For the first time, players are put at the heart of their very own gangster movie, and let loose in a fully-realised 3 dimensional city, in which anything can happen and probably will. With a cast of hundreds, 50 plus vehicles, ranging from sports cars to ice cream trucks and from boats to buses, 3 hours of music, including opera, reggae, house, drum and bass, pop and disco, a huge array of street ready weapons and some of the seediest characters in video game history, Grand Theft Auto 3 is a sprawling epic which will show you that sometimes, crime can pay and sometimes it can pay you back. Available now for PlayStation2, Xbox, PC and Macintosh.
93
/100
02
Dwarf Fortress
93
/100
03
Unpacking
Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. Over the course of eight house moves, you are given a chance to experience a sense of intimacy with a character you never see and a story you’re never told.
92
/100
Grand Theft Auto III
Featuring a fully 3-D living city, a combination of narrative driven and non-linear gameplay and a completely open environment, Grand Theft Auto III represents a huge leap forward in interactive entertainment. For the first time, players are put at the heart of their very own gangster movie, and let loose in a fully-realised 3 dimensional city, in which anything can happen and probably will. With a cast of hundreds, 50 plus vehicles, ranging from sports cars to ice cream trucks and from boats to buses, 3 hours of music, including opera, reggae, house, drum and bass, pop and disco, a huge array of street ready weapons and some of the seediest characters in video game history, Grand Theft Auto 3 is a sprawling epic which will show you that sometimes, crime can pay and sometimes it can pay you back. Available now for PlayStation2, Xbox, PC and Macintosh.
93
/100
02
Dwarf Fortress
93
/100
03
Unpacking
Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. Over the course of eight house moves, you are given a chance to experience a sense of intimacy with a character you never see and a story you’re never told.
92
/100
04
Opus Magnum
Master the intricate, physical machinery of the transmutation engine— the alchemical engineer’s most advanced tool— and use it to create vital remedies, precious gemstones, deadly weapons, and more. Design Machines - Design and build machines that carry out alchemical processes using a variety of components. Open-Ended Puzzles - Compete against your friends and the world to build the simplest, fastest, and most compact solutions. Export animated GIFs to show them off. Steam Workshop - Make and share your own puzzles with full Steam Workshop integration and an easy-to-use puzzle editor. Solitaire Minigame - Take a break with Sigmar’s Garden, an original alchemy-based solitaire game.
92
/100
05
Abiotic Factor
Abiotic Factor is a survival crafting experience for 1-6 players set in the depths of an underground research facility. Caught between paranormal containment failure, a military crusade, and chaos from a dozen realms, the world’s greatest minds must survive against the universe’s biggest threats.
92
/100
06
F1 2021
Every story has a beginning in F1 2021! Enjoy the stunning new features, including the thrilling story experience 'Braking Point', two-player career, and get even closer to the grid with 'Real-Season Start'. Take your team to the top in the acclaimed ten-year 'My Team' career mode, or race head-to-head in split-screen and multiplayer. Immerse yourself in the greatest racing spectacle on the planet and race with the authentic lineup of twenty heroic drivers and ten iconic teams from the 2021 season.
92
/100
07
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
Based on a true story. Set during the famous airdrop before the invasion at Normandy, where Sgt. Matt Baker and his squad of 101st Airborne Paratroopers were scattered over the French countryside. As the story unfolds, you must choose between the success of your mission and the lives of your men - your brothers in arms. Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30 will immerse players in the historic, eight-day invasion of Normandy - with unparalleled imagery, authenticity, sound, and gameplay. One of a kind: Brothers In Arms Road to Hill 30 is the only first-person tactical shooter set in WWII. Real military tactics: Intuitive and easy-to-use squad controls appeal to both the hardcore and mainstream gaming audience. Real soldiers: Featuring a cast of more than 20 characters, each with a unique personality, appearance, and style. Revolutionary AI system: Allies and enemies use the standard operating procedures of fire and maneuver to flank and kill their foes. Unprecedented authenticity: Historically accurate and detailed battlefields, events, and equipment re-created from Army Signal Corps photos, aerial reconnaissance imagery, and eyewitness accounts. Innovative multiplayer: Players command three-man AI teams in a battle of wits and skill to accomplish exciting objectives. Award-winning team: Gearbox Software, creators of Half-Life Opposing Force and developers of James Bond: Nightfire, Counter-Strike, and Halo (PC).
92
/100
08
Crusader Kings III
Crusader Kings III is the newest generation in the medieval role-playing grand strategy game series Crusader Kings. Expand and improve your realm, whether a mighty kingdom or modest county. Use marriage, diplomacy and war to increase your power and prestige in a meticulously detailed map that stretches from Spain to India, Scandinavia to Central Africa.
91
/100
09
Ticket to Ride
91
/100
10
Guitar Hero
91
/100
11
Against the Storm
90
/100
12
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
90
/100
13
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
90
/100
14
Sid Meier's Civilization III Complete
90
/100
15
Theme Hospital
90
/100
16
Thief II: The Metal Age
90
/100
17
Shenmue
90
/100
18
Thief Gold
90
/100
19
Strange Horticulture
90
/100
20
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
89
/100
21
Stardew Valley
89
/100
22
Rise of Nations: Extended Edition
89
/100
23
B
Cult of the Lamb
89
/100
24
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
88
/100
25
Football Manager 2020
88
/100
26
Grid Legends
88
/100
27
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
88
/100
28
Her Story
88
/100
29
Medieval II: Total War
88
/100
30
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
88
/100
31
Sid Meier's Pirates!
88
/100
32
ROME: Total War
88
/100
33
Total War: Shogun 2
88
/100
34
Lonely Mountains: Downhill
88
/100
35
Hacknet
88
/100
36
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
88
/100
37
What the Golf?
88
/100
38
Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom
88
/100
39
Euro Truck Simulator 2
88
/100
40
Football Manager 2019
88
/100
41
King's Bounty: The Legend
87
/100
42
RimWorld
87
/100
43
Bully
87
/100
44
F1 2019
87
/100
45
Animal Crossing
87
/100
46
Palia
87
/100
47
Two Point Hospital
87
/100
48
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
87
/100
49
OpenTTD
87
/100
50
World of Goo
87
/100
Opus Magnum
Master the intricate, physical machinery of the transmutation engine— the alchemical engineer’s most advanced tool— and use it to create vital remedies, precious gemstones, deadly weapons, and more. Design Machines - Design and build machines that carry out alchemical processes using a variety of components. Open-Ended Puzzles - Compete against your friends and the world to build the simplest, fastest, and most compact solutions. Export animated GIFs to show them off. Steam Workshop - Make and share your own puzzles with full Steam Workshop integration and an easy-to-use puzzle editor. Solitaire Minigame - Take a break with Sigmar’s Garden, an original alchemy-based solitaire game.
92
/100
05
Abiotic Factor
Abiotic Factor is a survival crafting experience for 1-6 players set in the depths of an underground research facility. Caught between paranormal containment failure, a military crusade, and chaos from a dozen realms, the world’s greatest minds must survive against the universe’s biggest threats.
92
/100
06
F1 2021
Every story has a beginning in F1 2021! Enjoy the stunning new features, including the thrilling story experience 'Braking Point', two-player career, and get even closer to the grid with 'Real-Season Start'. Take your team to the top in the acclaimed ten-year 'My Team' career mode, or race head-to-head in split-screen and multiplayer. Immerse yourself in the greatest racing spectacle on the planet and race with the authentic lineup of twenty heroic drivers and ten iconic teams from the 2021 season.
92
/100
07
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
Based on a true story. Set during the famous airdrop before the invasion at Normandy, where Sgt. Matt Baker and his squad of 101st Airborne Paratroopers were scattered over the French countryside. As the story unfolds, you must choose between the success of your mission and the lives of your men - your brothers in arms. Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30 will immerse players in the historic, eight-day invasion of Normandy - with unparalleled imagery, authenticity, sound, and gameplay. One of a kind: Brothers In Arms Road to Hill 30 is the only first-person tactical shooter set in WWII. Real military tactics: Intuitive and easy-to-use squad controls appeal to both the hardcore and mainstream gaming audience. Real soldiers: Featuring a cast of more than 20 characters, each with a unique personality, appearance, and style. Revolutionary AI system: Allies and enemies use the standard operating procedures of fire and maneuver to flank and kill their foes. Unprecedented authenticity: Historically accurate and detailed battlefields, events, and equipment re-created from Army Signal Corps photos, aerial reconnaissance imagery, and eyewitness accounts. Innovative multiplayer: Players command three-man AI teams in a battle of wits and skill to accomplish exciting objectives. Award-winning team: Gearbox Software, creators of Half-Life Opposing Force and developers of James Bond: Nightfire, Counter-Strike, and Halo (PC).
92
/100
08
Crusader Kings III
Crusader Kings III is the newest generation in the medieval role-playing grand strategy game series Crusader Kings. Expand and improve your realm, whether a mighty kingdom or modest county. Use marriage, diplomacy and war to increase your power and prestige in a meticulously detailed map that stretches from Spain to India, Scandinavia to Central Africa.
91
/100
09
Ticket to Ride
91
/100
10
Guitar Hero
91
/100
11
Against the Storm
90
/100
12
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
90
/100
13
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
90
/100
14
Sid Meier's Civilization III Complete
90
/100
15
Theme Hospital
90
/100
16
Thief II: The Metal Age
90
/100
17
Shenmue
90
/100
18
Thief Gold
90
/100
19
Strange Horticulture
90
/100
20
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
89
/100
21
Stardew Valley
89
/100
22
Rise of Nations: Extended Edition
89
/100
23
B
Cult of the Lamb
89
/100
24
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
88
/100
25
Football Manager 2020
88
/100
26
Grid Legends
88
/100
27
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
88
/100
28
Her Story
88
/100
29
Medieval II: Total War
88
/100
30
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
88
/100
31
Sid Meier's Pirates!
88
/100
32
ROME: Total War
88
/100
33
Total War: Shogun 2
88
/100
34
Lonely Mountains: Downhill
88
/100
35
Hacknet
88
/100
36
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
88
/100
37
What the Golf?
88
/100
38
Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom
88
/100
39
Euro Truck Simulator 2
88
/100
40
Football Manager 2019
88
/100
41
King's Bounty: The Legend
87
/100
42
RimWorld
87
/100
43
Bully
87
/100
44
F1 2019
87
/100
45
Animal Crossing
87
/100
46
Palia
87
/100
47
Two Point Hospital
87
/100
48
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
87
/100
49
OpenTTD
87
/100
50
World of Goo
87
/100
FAQ
What is the best Simulation game right now?
Grand Theft Auto III currently tops the ranking with a score of 93/100 across 1,647 ratings. Ranking updated August 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.