Simulator games, by their very nature, a weird. They often simulate mundane parts of life or busy work, like power washing a backyard. Or they help players experience something that would otherwise be impossible for them like flying through the Grand Canyon in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Related
7 Simulator Games Where You Are An Animal
Players who enjoy exploring the day in the life of an animal may want to consider the following simulators.
But sometimes simulators put players in the strangest situations. And some of the weirdest simulation games out there can be found on Steam. Some Steam simulation games are janky cash grabs, but there are absolutely amazing simulator games that players should definitely try – weird simulator games that push the boundaries of the genre and are 100% worth playing.
7
Placid Plastic Duck Simulator
Calling This A Game Is A Stretch
- Developer: turbolento games
- Release date: 2022
- Platform: PC
- Website
Placid Plastic Duck Simulator is an incredibly laid-back simulator that took the internet by storm for a brief period in 2022. When the game starts, it looks like the most boring game to ever be made. In fact, many people would not call it a game. But it is difficult to explain how captivating this strange little duck collector is.
From streamers playing the game for hours on end to Steam reviews that wax lyrical about it, people have become incredibly invested in watching these strange little ducks descend from the sky and bob around doing their own thing. There are over one hundred ducks to collect with DLC included (yes, there is DLC) and quite a few of them have their own unique properties.
6
Liar’s Bar
A Game Of Canine Bluff
- Released
-
October 2, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Curve Animation
- Multiplayer
-
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Liar’s Bar is essentially a dive bar poker simulator with animals. The premise is simple. The player is one of the bar’s seedy patrons and plays against up to four other players. There are two games, Liar’s Deck and Liar’s Dice. The rules are extremely simple, but the stakes are high.
If a player incorrectly calls someone’s bluff or gets caught out in their own lie, they have to take a chance with a revolver with one bullet in the chamber. It’s a multiplayer roulette with extra steps. Liar’s Bar won Steam’s most innovative gameplay award in 2024 and with good reason.
5
Not For Broadcast
Try To Stay Focused
Indie
Adventure
Simulation
- Released
-
December 11, 2019
- Developer(s)
-
NotGames
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
Not for Broadcast is as much a live broadcast production simulator as it is a propaganda simulator. In this darkly comedic game, the player is tasked with running a series of live broadcasts set in the rise of a populist fascist state.
Related
15 Best Political Sim Games, Ranked
Gamers who are interested in politics should check out these politically-fueled simulation games.
Players will have to censor live feeds, switch cameras and manage interference all while trying not get distracted by the extremely strange happenings on screen. That is much easier said than done, some of the content that needs to be censored is deeply satirical and some is NSFW. It’s the players’ job to decide what goes live. Their job and the satisfaction of thousands of viewers is on the line.
4
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Goofy Combat
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator takes the conventions of the strategy battlefield simulator and applies them to the strangest, most potentially useless warriors to ever exist. Position these goofy troops around the map in opposing armies and watch them awkwardly charge towards each other.
Pit musicians against mammoths, and mammoths against the Norse God Thor. Despite appearances, there can be an actual element of strategy to the game once players get used to the quirks of their armed forces. It can be played single or multiplayer and is a charmingly silly way to spend an evening.
3
Home Safety Hotline
What You’ve Got There Is A Hob
Home Safety Hotline
Adventure
Horror
Point-and-click
- Released
-
January 16, 2024
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Home Safety Hotline is a call center/help desk simulator with an eerie supernatural twist. The player is a new employee at a safety and security service. The job is pretty simple, and the supervisor, Carol, seems nice… at first.
Starting by helping players identify black mold and mice, the callers quickly start to report supernatural occurrences. Players need to provide information to clients about everything from the delightful hobs that clean up after house owners, to the false rose bush that eats children and pets. Sometimes these creatures can be appeased with dairy, and some clients are already doomed by the time they call in.
2
BeamNG.drive
Sandbox Vehicle Simulator Chaos
BeamNG.drive isn’t a conventional driving simulator. It’s described as a soft body vehicle simulator, with an emphasis on the “soft”. Players can create bizarre scenarios to run vehicles through, attempt prebuilt courses or simply smash cars into each other at high speeds.
Like a lot of simulators with strong physics sandbox elements, BeamNG.drive is as simple or complex as the player makes it. There is a huge variety of mods and assets available, and players can construct some truly weird scenarios for others to navigate. Self-imposed challenges are part of the unique joy of BeamNG.drive.
1
Goat Simulator 3
Pilgor Is Back
- Released
-
November 17, 2022
- Developer(s)
-
Coffee Stain North
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Fair
While BeamNG.Drive is certainly the most versatile on this list, nothing beats the pure chaotic joy of Goat Simulator 3. Players take on the role of Pilgor, a near invincible goat with a hyper-extendable sticky tongue that he can use to pull objects, and people, along.
There is ostensibly a plot, but most players will never truly engage in any kind of narrative, accidently completing side quests and achievements. The world is strangely detailed, and while the NPCs seem to wait around for Pilgor to tear through their lives, they often have names and built in narratives that players can completely ignore if they so wish. There is even an epic fantasy campaign that can be completed while wearing a legally distinct Groot costume if they so wish.
More
The Best Vampire Dating Sims, Ranked
Monster dating simulators have emerged as a style of dating simulators all their own. And the vampire is one of the most popular monsters to date.