Best Life Simulation Games: For Real Life Game Experience

The importance of life simulation games is immense in the world of gaming. Some of them play for the engagement they get from the chat or the people who follow them on Twitch, youtube, etc. In contrast, some of them play it for themselves, for their mental betterment; most want to escape from reality and become immersed in the video game world.

Life simulation games are a subgenre of simulation video games in which the player regulates or survives as one or more animated characters (human or otherwise). A game of this type could be based on individuals and relationships or a replica of an ecosystem. Continue reading to explore the best options. 

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Best Life Simulation Games

This list of 20 games will not only be limited to PC gaming; it will also extend to Mobile gaming, Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStations, etc. Thus, in this article, the year of publishing, the publishing studio, and lastly, the platform on which the game is available. Continue reading to explore the best options. 

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Stardew Valley

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Year of Publication: February 26, 2016.

Publishers: 505 Games, Chucklefish, Fangamer, ConcernedApe.

Platform: Windows, Mac OS X, PS4, Xbox One, Linux, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.

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The designer of the game Eric Barone is someone who does not stay sitting believing that they will get a better version of Harvest Moon, and thus he made a game that is better than theirs, and it is a good game; it is possibly the best Life simulation game that is available in the market, and this can be played on so many different platforms, as this game is available online too.

This genre of farming and Life simulation is something that kids born during the 90s know a lot about, and seeing this genre is so popular is something that validates them sincerely. Twitch is filled with people playing Stardew valley, which can be played for hours. The feeling of satisfaction after completing a particular goal is unreal, making the game much more addictive.

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Animal Crossing: New Horizon 

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Year of Publication: March 20, 2020.

Publishers: Nintendo.

Platform: Nintendo Switch.

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Becoming the Mayor and having more direct control over how your town looked is added to the game. The game is portable and revamped the villager system which has made the characters look more dynamic. There have been so many improvements in the visuals and gameplay.

Thus this version of animal crossing is superior to all those other games. Graphics matter in a game such as Animal Crossing, where gamers stare at the gameplay for hundreds of hours.

This game is, moreover, a feel-good game, and it feels good when the protagonist is roaming around in the middle of the autumn leaves falling. The best feeling in this life simulation game is that you do not have to be good at it, you have to enjoy it. 

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Spirit Farer

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Year of Publication: August 18, 2020.

Publishers: Thunder Lotus Games.

Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia.

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This game is, without a doubt, one of the best Life-Simulation games. The main gist of the game is that the protagonist has become the new spirit fairer, and it is the protagonist's job to gather spirits, bring them onto their ships, bring them some peace, and usher them onto the afterlife. 

This game barely qualifies as a life simulation, it looks almost like a 2D platformer adventure game, but the focus is much more on the life simulation mechanics. The protagonist does various jobs such as growing seeds, gathering resources, crafting things, and cooking, and you even get to know the NPC characters that inhabit the world by conversing with them and presenting them with gifts.

The gameplay is simple at the inception of the game. The first couple of nights is very simple and basic. Still, initially, as the game moves further, challenges grow harder, and the gameplay becomes more attractive as many characters get introduced. The primary gameplay starts when many goals come into the scenario, and the satisfaction of completing the goals is why one feels to keep going in the game.

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Sims 2

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Year of Publication: September 14, 2004.

Publishers: Electronic Games.

Platform: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Game Boy Advance, Game Cube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation Portable, Java ME.

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The Sims series is world known for its excellent presentation in Life Simulation game, and most of the games which have been in the gaming world for a long time have tried this game at least once or twice in their gaming career.

The Sims 1 is very nostalgic and has that vibe of life simulation; the Sims 4 has made the graphics a lot better and more prominent, with smoothness attached to it. But Sims 2 should be the best due to its graphics and ability to customize most of the things in the game; it was added the first time in the game.

There is a lot of stuff that one can do in sims; you can live the life you want, but my favorite is to roleplay, in which you can make the protagonist the way you want. Moreover, there are fantasy characters present in the game such as the dead personified, other witches, etc., you can make your world look like a fairytale story, or like a typical story where you can go to your office and live your life like an average person.

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Harvest Moon: Back To Nature

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Year of Publication: December 16, 1999.

Publishers:  Sony Interactive Entertainment, Natsume, and Ubisoft.

Platform: PlayStation, PlayStation Portable.

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The Harvest Moon series has not been that good lately, but the best version of the series is the Back to Nature. Some would disagree, saying that the best version of the series is Friends of Mineral Town, which is the GBA version, but Back To Nature has some reasons to be the best. 

Firstly, Back to Nature has more cut scenes and better Holiday festivals, which means the story and graphics had been worked upon after the release of the GBA version, mainly the Tomato festival in the game where the gamers can hit this annoying character named Potpourri, with tomatoes. 

Secondly, it is a goal-oriented game, and there is the feeling of making your farm more extensive and more profitable, and sometimes that feeling is the best in the world for gamers. This game has been upgraded, but it takes a bit of time to upgrade all that; this game takes it a bit slower, and with time it makes itself better; it is more of a chill game than a fast-moving one.

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Rune Factory Frontier

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Year of Publication: November 27, 2008

Publishers: Marvelous, Marvelous Entertainment Inc., XSEED Games, Rising Star Games.

Platform: Wii

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Rune Factory Frontier is the fantasy spin-off of the harvest moon series, most of the Rune Factory games are suitable for being another standout, but Frontier, the Wii version, will be the best in the opinion of the majority. Just like the Harvest Moon series, you will be on the farm with crops and animals, but unlike harvest moon, there is a tad bit of violence in this game.

According to the Giant whale in the game, you are not killing the beings but sending them back to their original place. There are numerous reasons to be in love with this game. Still, one of the major reasons gamers like the game is because the characters in the game are fascinating.

One of the primary reasons these characters are so attractive is their dressing sense and style; they attract a lot of teenagers who want to cosplay like them.There is a female character obsessed with hot springs, another obsessed with mail, and another girl obsessed with books, but frankly speaking, this game is one of the good picks in the world of life simulation games.

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Graveyard Keeper

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Year of Publication: August 15, 2018.

Publishers:  Magic Cat, TinyBuild, MP Digital, LLC

Platform: Nintendo Switch, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac operating systems.

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Graveyard Keeper is similar to the Harvest simulation game, but the developers made a graveyard instead of a farm for some reason or the other. In this game, the protagonist has to take care of a Graveyard. The dialogues in the game are hilarious, there are jumping skulls, apparently, and you can be a part of the meat industry by selling beef and other meat products.

The player assumes the role of a person struck in a car who awakens in an unknown environment with a medieval fantasy setting and is tasked with looking after the local cemetery and church.

The graveyard keeper communicates with the locals whilst assisting them with their problems, determined to return home and reconnect with his lover. Eventually, the keeper discovers a portal that can be used to return home, but it requires some special magic items to function, which are held by some of the village's big bad. It's incredibly addictive. Overall, Graveyard Keeper is a moving love story filled with death and gore that will leave players eager for more.

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Princess Maker 2

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Year of Publication: 1993

Publishers: Gainax, Micro Cabin, CyberFront Corporation, CFK Co., Ltd., NEC CORPORATION, Namco, Game Park, and GameBridge.

Platform: PC-98, FM Towns, PC Engine, Sega Saturn, MS-DOS, Windows, Macintosh, GP32, PlayStation 2.

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In the whole Princess Maker Saga, the second part is the best. This is a game where you live in a fantasy world and raise a heaven child aged 10-18; you can either send her to different classes to learn different skills- or give her different jobs to make her earn money and depending on how well one balances these things one will get different endings, either good or bad.

Princess maker 2 is liked by most people, primarily because of the mechanics that the game possesses, which lets one explore a few different maps in a short RPG like a mini-game, like hunting down giant muscle ladies, man-eating plants, and kidnappers! The game is weird sometimes and acts weird, ultimately. Still, the majority of the time, this game is fun and different from any other life simulation game mentioned in the list.

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Medieval Dynasty

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Year Of Publication: September 17, 2020.

Publishers: Toplitz Productions GmbH, Toplitz Productions.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows.

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The Medieval Dynasty is a one-of-a-kind blend of life simulation, self-preservation, and strategy building. The game's story starts when your whole family gets murdered in front of your eyes, and the protagonist has to run away and start their life from the very scratch; the gamer will not get a house ready-made, as they get in other life simulation games, they have to make the house from the very scratch.

Time passes quickly in the game, and the protagonist must find a woman to marry, inherit her property for wealth, and have a baby to keep the game moving. This game is more like a survival game and not a life simulation game, but the aspect of life simulation where the person has to lead their life in a particular manner is still there.

This game has the features of life simulation, for example, farming, cooking, time-passing, season change, etc. The purpose of this game is not only to build a career and family life but eventually to build an entire community.

If the protagonist dies, there is still a chance to continue the game if the protagonist has a baby; in that case, the game will shift to the baby's life, and if the protagonist before dying did not have a baby, the dynasty would end, and the game will be over.

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Fantasy life

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Year of publication: December 27, 2012.

Publishers: Level 5, Nintendo.

Platform: Nintendo 3DS.

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In the game Fantasy life, a person is assigned to choose one of twelve professions referred to as lives, and these lives can be anything, for example, Paladins, or Wizards, which are typical fantasy classes, to less combat-oriented lives such as a cook or a fisherman, and one can switch between these lives whenever one wants, much contrary to the reality.

The game is pretty simple, but as the game progresses, the challenges and the difficulties increase as new quests unlock and the areas for exploration open up. Although this game fulfills the need to complete little tasks for personal gratification, the game has a lot of dialogues which kills a lot of time, and since it is a Nintendo 3DS game, the dialogues cannot be skipped so quickly, which is a bit annoying.

Some characters do not have their portraits, as they always look at the back side and never at the front; this game gives the vibe of Pokemon Red and Green Blue, which could be played in the Nintendo GBA emulator but with a little better graphics.

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Epic Astro Story

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Year of Publication: December 16, 2011 [1st release in Android]

Publishers: Kairosoft

Platform: iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows

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The gameplay in Epic Astro Story is divided into two parts. The first is a city-management simulation in which the player must build a colony and ensure its success. The second component is a colony exploration component, which allows the player to search for loot and land in caves, empty territory, and other planets, as well as a battle system in which the colony's explorers must fight aliens and monsters. 

As the colonist teams depart to explore, their progress in various areas is tracked via a bar at the bottom of the screen, allowing the player to continue with other management issues while the explorers continue their work. All of the colonists have names that are puns on famous Star Trek characters.

Epic Astro Story, another title from Kairosoft, is among their best. The game is a hybrid of city management and space exploration. Players are tasked with constructing a space colony and ensuring its survival in this sci-fi setting. Players must explore space to obtain more loot and land. The battle system, which breaks up the typical city management gameplay, distinguishes this from the rest of Kairosoft's other titles.

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Game Dev Story 

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Year of Publication: April 1997

Publishers: Kairosoft

Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone

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Kairosoft's first mobile game was Game Dev Story. You own a game company that creates games with fun, innovation, graphics, and sound. Many other factors determine a game's popularity, sales, fan following size, and the extent to which it can be sequelized.

While creating great games is your main objective, there are numerous other factors to consider, such as staff training, console construction, and enabling new categories and types.

From hiring the right staff members to selecting a good genre in pre-production to suppressing bugs before discharge, your studio can climb to the forefront of the industry by shipping consistently better games. New consoles are released all the time, and you must adapt. This is an excellent title for anyone who enjoys business simulations and video games.

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VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

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Year of Publication: June 21, 2016

Publisher: Sukeban Games

Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

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The gameplay in VA-11 Hall-A is nonlinear, and the plotline is impacted by the drinks created by the player and how the consumers react to them. The game has no dialogue options, and the only way to influence the story's progression is to make different drinks. VA-11 Hall-A has a diverse cast of characters who have been described as "average non-heroes," with developers noting that they were based on side characters who were never fully fleshed out in films.

Over time, the player gets to know the characters well enough to guess what drinks they want, resulting in a more personal experience. VA-11 HALL-A has a well-written narrative with many interesting characters to interact with while running your bar.

The rollercoaster of emotions the game takes the player on is praised in reviews. Furthermore, reviews frequently refer to it as one of the best visual games on the console. It's a simulation game, but it's still a slice of dystopian life that people might want to experience.

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Reigns: Her Majesty

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Year of Publication: December 6, 2017

Publisher: Nerial

Platform: Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC.

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Her Majesty is a strategy video game released by Devolver Digital and developed by Nerial. The game is a stand-alone sequel to Reigns, released in 2016. It is set in a fictitious Renaissance world and casts the player as a monarch who rules the queendom by accepting or rejecting advice from advisors.

Reigns are one of the most innovative yet straightforward simulation games available to players. The concept of commanding an entire territory using nothing else than a Tinder-style swiping mechanic is surprisingly entertaining. Its sequel has a queen at the helm this time, but it lacks some of the novelty of the first title. However, it is still a fantastic game that improves on the established mechanics of its predecessor.

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My Time At Portia

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Year of Publication: January 15, 2019

Publisher: Pathea Games

Platform: Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

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My Time at Portia takes place in a post-apocalyptic world of Portia, where humans are scarce, and relics of the past are scattered. The player assumes the role of a workshop builder tasked with creating items out of relics for the benefit of society. The game's primary goal is to expand the workshop by crafting items, upgrading tools, expanding the workshop, and accepting commissions from Portia residents, all while competing with other workshop builders.

My Time at Portia appears unimpressive at first glance, but players who choose to immerse themselves in this title will have a fantastic time. Exploring the history of this world and participating in the preparation of recipes is a surprising amount of fun. This title's aesthetics are also quite pleasing, which is a stress relief for gaming after a stressful day.

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Two Point Hospital

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Year of Publication: August 30, 2018

Publisher: Two Point Studios.

Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.

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The gameplay in Two Point Hospital is similar to that of Theme Hospital. Players take the role of Hospital managers, tasked with the construction and upkeep of a hospital. Building rooms and amenities that meet the needs (such as hunger and thirst) of patients and staff (such as toilets, staff rooms, reception desks, cafés, seating, and vending machines), expanding the hospital into new plots, hiring and managing doctors, nurses, janitors, and assistants to maintain the hospital, and dealing with a variety of amusing illnesses are among the tasks. 

The player can manage multiple hospitals, each with its own layout goals. Each version of the game received a similar rating, with the Switch receiving the highest rating. The reviews on this game are more like a zany and fun game, creating an easy-going atmosphere for a subject that can often be relatively grim. While it is not a game for everyone, those who play it thoroughly enjoy it.

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Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator

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Year of Publication: July 20, 2017

Publisher: Game Grumps

Platform: Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4

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It's a visual novel video game that was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux on July 20, 2017, and for Android on September 22, 2017. Game Grumps created and published the game, which was written by Vernon Shaw and Leighton Gray.

The extended Director's Cut for the PlayStation 4 was released on October 30, 2018, along with an update for the PC version. On July 2, 2019, it was released. Dating sims are one of the more popular sub-genres, with many options available and new ones being added daily.

The visual novel created by Game Grumps follows a single father who has recently moved to a cul-de-sac with his daughter where several other single fathers live. The game appears to be about "dads dating dads," but it tells a well-crafted and compelling story about social anxiety and toxic masculinity.

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Jurassic World Evolution

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Year of Publication: June 12, 2018

Publisher: Frontier Development plc.

Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch.

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Jurassic World Evolution is a simulation game based on business and administration, in which the player constructs a Jurassic World dinosaur theme park complete with rides and research facilities. Players must build an Expedition Center that dispatches paleontologists to dinosaur dig sites to collect dinosaur DNA. 

The Fossil Center's DNA sequencing reveals new dinosaurs and updates statistics such as lifespan and resilience. With enough DNA content, players can breed and incubate dinosaurs in the Hammond Creation Lab. Players can also improve the genes of dinosaurs by fusing DNA from modern species with dinosaur DNA to fill gaps and allow them to evolve. Changes in dinosaur DNA have an impact on everything from their basic statistics to their intelligence.

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Littlewood

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Year of Publication: June 18, 2019

Publisher: SmashGames LLC, SmashGames.

Platform: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac operating systems.

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The game begins by informing the player that they are the Solemn hero who defeated the Dark Wizard, and yet they lost their memories as a consequence of the battle. Everyone else, including your companions, is aware of your whereabouts, and now that they have delegated you with rescuing the world, they want you to construct a town for them where they can live out their peaceful, retired lives together.

Mining, fishing, woodcutting, assembling, farming, and bug catching are all required actions if you want to continue building houses in order to find potential villagers. In that regard, it's similar to Fantasy Life - there's a lot of foraging and resource gathering, and each activity has its own level. 

There are also stations where you can make new materials, cook meals, and complete quests for the villagers as well as yourself. With the resources you've accumulated, you can gradually upgrade these stations throughout the game, unlocking new skills, features, and even new locations.

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The Guild 3

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Year of Publication: September 17, 2017

Publisher: THQ Nordic.

Platform: Microsoft Windows

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The Guild 3 is a life simulation game set in a medieval estate where players must leave a lasting family legacy through wealth accumulation, properties, and businesses. To complete The Guild 3, players must be extremely strategic in their moves.

Power can be obtained in a variety of ways, ranging from being an honest craftsman to bribing city officials. While some players found themselves grinding to advance in the game, they also note that The Guild 3's economic and roleplaying aspects make it a highly enjoyable life simulation game.

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Conclusion

These are the best life simulation games and have been cult classics for ages. Some of the games are old, and some are incredibly new with excellent graphics. People do have different opinions, and it is excellent to have different opinions, and we apologize if we missed some good games. Try these amazing games right now for a hypnotic experience.