Sometimes people don’t want fast arcade games or light casual titles on their phones. They seek something more serious and well-crafted, or at least calmer. The simulator genre can captivate for a long time, as long as the project matches personal taste. This collection features ten free simulation games, spanning archaeological digs to survival in a post apocalyptic wasteland.
All of them run well on a range of devices, though not on the most powerful ones. In some titles the graphics may need to be toned down. Also, take a look at the collection of two-player games. Over the years a diverse selection has grown, from true classics to newer releases.
Fallout shelter
Let’s begin with a true classic. Fallout Shelter, released in 2015, invites players to act as a shelter caretaker. The role involves planning growth, expanding the base, maintaining order and the well-being of residents, and, of course, sending survivors into the wasteland to scavenge for resources.
The game doesn’t demand large time commitments, but progress can stretch over months. Players can spend half an hour or a short evening on duties as a caretaker. Each settler has indicators that determine success in various tasks. As more people arrive, maintaining comfortable living conditions becomes increasingly important.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
Yes, Animal Crossing exists on mobile devices, though in a more compact form. In Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp players manage a small campsite. They create a character, pick a campsite theme, and enjoy a slice of country life.
Interactions with visitors, fulfilling requests, making friends, exploring the world, and gathering resources are central tasks. Players also craft furniture and other items. As the level rises, inventory expands, new resources unlock, and more visitors arrive. The game has no final ending and offers a cheerful, positive way to pass the time.
What is the most important thing when gaming on smartphones?
Plague Inc.
Plague Inc. has become a classic. For more than a decade it has given players the chance to view viruses from the creator’s perspective. Players choose a bacteria, virus, or other disease, select a country of origin, and begin the spread.
The challenge is to balance severity, lethality, and other parameters so that the disease is highly contagious at one moment and deadly at another. The objective is to eradicate humanity, while defenders race to create vaccines.
Over time, many expansions appeared, offering options like vampiric pathogens, a Planet of the Apes style plague, and other intriguing twists.
Crane! To dig! My Museum!
Another distinctive take on simulators is Tap! To dig! My Museum. The core simulation remains conventional, yet the game remains engaging. Players inherit an abandoned museum, excavate, search for fossils, and assemble dinosaur exhibits as a puzzle.
With each new exhibition, visitor numbers rise. As the museum grows in character and equipment, more complex assignments can be tackled. And of course, the halls become more enjoyable to explore.
Day R
Day R offers a stark contrast with its simple visuals but ample depth. The setting is a postmodern Russia and surrounding regions after a nuclear conflict. Players begin in the Murmansk region, as survivors, learning what happened and finding a place in the new world.
Explore hundreds of cities to find supplies, contend with bandits and mutants, gather resources, craft gear, and strengthen the base.
There are many different systems and items to craft as the game progresses. In later stages, players can even assemble a real helicopter, though keeping it supplied is no easy feat.
More interesting TOPs and selections
Good pizza, great pizza
On the surface it looks calm. Good Pizza, Great Pizza puts players in charge of a small pizzeria. Don’t relax too soon—the queue of customers is long and orders keep coming. Build pizzas with a wide range of ingredients, from Pepperoni to bizarre combinations.
Fulfilling orders quickly and accurately earns tips. The revenue allows upgrading equipment and decorating the pizzeria. It’s a relaxing experience that should not be played on an empty stomach.
Truck Simulator: Europe 2
This is another quiet yet challenging title. Much like the classic PC truck simulators, Truck Simulator: Europe tasks players with transporting two types of loads reliably and without damage.
Players can choose from a variety of trucks and trailers. A management system asks for balance and steady decision making to satisfy customers and keep finances afloat. The visuals echo the late 2000s feel of traditional truck sims.
AltLife – Life Simulator
AltLife – Life Simulator presents a full life sim, though it leans heavily on text. It follows a character from birth to death, with opportunities to study, balance work and play, form relationships, and enjoy life activities. The game offers a wealth of options: various jobs, mini-games, stock market play, starting a company, skill upgrades, a lottery, and different diseases. The main caveat is the lack of meta-progression, which means new mechanics reveal themselves only across multiple playthroughs.
WorldBox
WorldBox has evolved from a modest idea into a well-developed god simulation with a strong community. The game is now available on PC and mobile after more than a decade of updates and additions.
What is the aim? Create a world, shape landscapes and biomes, revive civilizations, and unleash ideas. Players wield fantasy powers, atomic bombs, UFOs, and even acid rain.
Civilizations interact, respond to actions, fight, explore, and transform the world. WorldBox can be a quick, entertaining distraction or a longer creative session that fits into a break or commute.
Car mechanic simulator 18
The familiar Car Mechanic Simulator series has arrived on mobile in a simplified form. In Car Mechanic Simulator 21 the player repairs and sells cars, just as the PC version does.
As players progress, repairs become more complex and profitable. They can rebuild engines, replace suspensions, clean and repaint cars, and explore a catalog of brands, trophies, a map, and many activities that can stretch for hours.
Notice anything on this list yet? Feel free to share favorite mobile simulation titles in the comments.
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