What is a 'Simulation Game'? ► Simulator, Sims, Genre VOTE!

What is a 'Simulation Game'? Every year since 2014 I have made upcoming games list videos that have been super popular but almost always controversial when it comes to how I curate the games. I always maintain that it's not my job to define what the words in genres mean and I try to go based on popular understanding. People define words by popular usage, so I generally follow the 'casual' or 'wikipedia' definition of words. (Simulation is a particularly difficult one as some people want the strict simulators and tell me things like 2 point hospital aren't simulation games, whereas others tell me the strict simulators aren't even games) Let's face it, whatever I do with a list video, some people are gonna love it and some are gonna hate it, but this time and from now on, YOU get a direct say in defining what the 'popular' or 'casual' definition of the genres are! In this video, I'll talk about various scenarios and types of games. Unfortunately video polls were deleted by YouTube, but comment down below to help shape the definition of the Simulation genre, so let's get started!

Watch the upcoming games lists here!

There are 3 levels of where to draw the line for a 'simulation game'. What do you think? Do you only consider strictly simulators, medium game-like simulations, or all tycoon/management games as 'simulation games'?

1. Strict - Only real life 1:1 realistic simulators allowed (X Plane)

2. Medium - Some 'gamey' elements allowed but must still be realistic (Kerbal Space Program)

3. Relaxed - Tycoons, management games, & colony sims allowed (Two Point Hospital, RimWorld)

You can vote on other genres here!

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[GamerZakh]

There are 3 levels of where to draw the line for a 'simulation game'. What do you think? Do you only consider strictly simulators, medium game-like simulations, or all tycoon/management games as 'simulation games'?
1. Strict - Only real life 1:1 realistic simulators allowed (X Plane)
2. Medium - Some 'gamey' elements allowed but must still be realistic (Kerbal Space Program)
3. Relaxed - Tycoons, management games, & colony sims allowed (Two Point Hospital, RimWorld)

You can comment on other genres here!

[Niscimble]

For me, a 'simulator' is a game where you are simulating something that happens in real life. So that could be anything from flying a plane like in Flight Simulator, planning a city like in SimCity, running a theme park like in Rollercoaster Tycoon, or fighting in combat like in Red Orchestra 2. I think there is also overlap, which is where there is not really a pure 'simulation' game. Sim games are usually 'city sim' or 'business sim' or 'flight sim'. Another important consideration is simulators typically put an emphasis on realism and detail, which may not be necessary to qualify as a 'sim' game per se. And then of course there are the facetious sims, like Goat Simulator or Surgeon Simulator. That's just my two cents.

[gentlesirpancakebottoms]

This is an interesting idea. For me a sim/simulation is when the game behave like whats going on is "real life". Even cartoony and over the top games like Sid Meier's Pirates from 2004 can be considered a simulation game. There are no game over until you die of old age or retire. Everything you do have actions and consequences in a simulation of a living, breathing world and even affect you the player. If you get caught doing pirate stuff you go to prison, you can then choose to bribe the guard and try to escape or serve your time in jail. you can serve nations, get promotions, conquer land and colonies in the name of the king etc.. Its very gamey but its a simulation of a 17th century adventurer in many ways:)

[Chanbro]

In my opinion in a simulation game you have to do every thing as in your real life. Not every simulation is a game. So I first thought if there is a win and lose it is a game. But most of simulation game doesn't has win and lose. So after that I realize if there is objectives to do it is a game. Others are not games. If there is a game that player must do as exact real life it is a simulation game. Without any doubt

[krotenschemel]

A lot of answers here about simulations depicting "real life"... well I beg to differ. I wouldn't say a simulation needs to be realistic at all. I'll put Mechwarrior and Octodad in the simulation category. I would set two indicators whether something qualifies as a simulaion, for one it's about the "goal" of the game. A game usually has a win or lose condition, and while this may be true for a simulation, it's not really the goal to win or not lose, but to experience a certain proccess. Kind of "the journey is the goal" approach. The other is basically controls. In a game, your controls are usually streamlined, you don't have buttons for what you don't need. Does it have a general purpose "use" button? Then it's pobably less on the simulation side. Controls in simulations are more on the feature-creep side. Buttons for everything, switching the lights on, powering your mech up, retract landing gear, prohibit your employees from smoking, cuddle your god-creature so it gets rewarded for eating villager.
On the semantics on simulation vs simulator, I disagree with Zakh. A simulation is what runs on a simulator. For example, MS Flight Simulator is a software that runs a simulation in which you fly. As a genre term, I found the difference neglectable.

[Irawulf]

I just wish steam and co would use the term economic simulation to further divide sims into more distinct genres.

[PainterVierax]

That embedded poll is a nice feature of YT.
I voted #3 because I agree with you, a game must have a design that differentiate it from a tool for You still can hack its usage but it's not the main purpose of the design.

[NikozBG]

For me a simulation is not a genre by itself. There are management sims, racing sims, flying sims, and so on and so forth, that trying to take all those games with completely different mechanics and dynamics and shove them in the same box is frankly ridiculous. I think a better way of thinking about simulation is as an adjective, not as a noun. So if you say management sim, means that the game is PRIMARILY a management game and in addition of that it has simulation elements. Like roguelite.

[valentinfelix]

I guess there are two issues that are (1) how advanced/deep the simulated stuff are and (2) how relevant they are to the game (?) experience.

[ZoidbergForPresident]

Every game system is a simulation in its own right... by the very definition of system.

I think a simulation game is just a game that has systems which use models that are closerr than usual to its awaited real-life counterpart.

So I guess I'm going to vote for 3 even though it is not really what I meant by this post.

[ephycs]

I feel like anything can be a simulation, like really just focus on the point of the game ie. sandbox vs citybuilder vs etc.

[msslilyofgoldenia]

From WikiPedia
Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system. The act of simulating something first requires that a model be developed; this model represents the key characteristics, behaviors and functions of the selected physical or abstract system or process. The model represents the system itself, whereas the simulation represents the operation of the system over time.


This is pretty strait Forward ... clicking on a icon to build a building is not a simulation ^.^
the confusion of language has to stop >.<

[theblackbaron]

We are living in a simulation (game) :3

[Thingsyourollup]

I wasnt aware the definition of "simulation" game was so lose that it required a vote to define.