10 Best Simulation Games on Nintendo Switch (2024)

Take a gander at the Nintendo Switch catalog, and you’ll be sure to find an entire host of great simulation games. With that said, if you’re looking to soak up the best of the best in the chosen category, then be sure to read on for a few quick recommendations. Here are, in our opinion, ten essential titles that’ll keep you busy over the next several months. Let’s jump right in.

10. Expeditions: A MudRunner Game

If you’ve a sweet tooth for long haul travel and temperamental terrain, then you ought to consider covering tracks in Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. Similar in design to its predecessor, the game revolves around drawn-out adventures and research missions that span a multitude of biomes. As a driver in these ostracized environments, you must build, upgrade, and maintain a vehicle that has the muscle and endurance to tackle dangerous endeavors. Sure enough, there’s a great deal to see and do here, and twice as many opportunities for you to flex your driving abilities in numerous locations.

9. Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure

Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure is a “cozy” sandbox-crafting adventure game in which you take control over four different characters, each of whom are connected to the barebones of a once-prosperous and frog-inhabited island. It’s within this world that you, playing as one of the four unlikely friends, will need to rebuild the shrines that allow the naturalization process to continue and flourish. Like a lot of life and farming simulation games of its kind, An Earthlock Adventure comes loaded with a treasure trove of quests, puzzles, and extracurricular activities to participate in. Given the fact that it’s also an award-winning game, to boot, it gives us all the more reason to allocate it a spot on the list as one of, if not the best simulation game in the Switch library.

8. Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines is a near-perfect spiritual successor for the likes of SimCity 2000, and is, all things considered, arguably one of the best city-building games of its kind. A sandbox builder at heart, Skylines provides the tools to allow you to branch out and create mesmerizing metropolises that not only generate economic value, but a sense of communal harmony and social justice. Thankfully, it doesn’t exactly hold back on the blueprints and customizable components, either; in fact, with thousands of options to choose from, it’s easy enough for anyone with a creative vision to lose dozens, if not hundreds of hours to. And that’s putting it lightly.

7. Two Point Campus

If it’s the world of academia that you’re interested in, then consider Two Point Campus, a world-building sandbox sim that grants its users permission to fashion educational institutions from the grassy roots up. Aside from its relatively beefy campaign, the game also includes an enormous array of customizable features in its full-fledged sandbox mode, too. What’s more, it has an ever-expanding catalog of classes, facilities, and extracurricular activities to implement into your creations, thus making it an ideal anchor point for fledgling academics and builders alike.

6. Cozy Grove

If you were to add a paranormal twist to Animal Crossing, then you’d ultimately generate something with the same aesthetic as Cozy Grove. Similarly, the game has an island-like locale that you can not only explore, but pluck clean of countless odd jobs and requests, too. There’s crafting, building, and a wealth of side activities to complete, and not to mention a host of genuinely interesting characters, all of whom share a spiritual connection with the world and its mysterious heritage.

5. Disney Dreamlight Valley

Disney Dreamlight Valley is yet another magical life and farming simulation game, and one that just so happens to incorporate the wealth of Disney’s picturesque locations and characters into its traditional sandbox-like mix. At the time of writing, the world has dozens of franchises in its ploy, as well as an entire pipeline of expansions scheduled to launch over the course of the forthcoming year. Again, like Cozy Grove or Animal Crossing, players can build their own homes, befriend character from all walks of life, and embark on epic adventures across dynamic Disney-Pixar worlds. There’s fishing, cooking, crafting, and an entire boatload of quests to shovel through, and so, if you are looking for something to tide you over for the long haul, then look no further.

4. PowerWash Simulator

Don’t let the title fool you; PowerWash Simulator is a lot more than what its title implies. Well, it isn’t, to be fair, though it does manage to make an otherwise monotonous semiannual chore come across as weirdly entertaining and, on occasion, rewarding. It’s simple, clean, and arguably one of the most digestible simulation games on Switch, thus making it a great addition in any avid gamer’s collection.

3. Unpacking

Yet another “cozy” simulation game that’s worth taking into account is Unpacking, a relatively short but relatable experience that touts a generous selection of levels and bite-sized puzzles. True to its title, the game invites you to work through various rooms, homes, and offices, and essentially tidy up the clutter to make room for something a little more, shall we say, Feng Shui. It’s simple fun, and it’ll certainly keep you busy for a few short hours between slightly more demanding roles.

2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons might’ve parted ways with its final expansion, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is still, even several years on, one of the best genre-defining games on Switch, period. Simply put, if you enjoy the art of fishing, crafting, and biting into the culinary world, then you’ll no doubt enjoy just about everything that pours out of this homely cult classic. It’s cute, heartwarming, and an honest beacon of pride in the Nintendo community.

1. Overcooked!

Overcooked! still stands tall as one of the best co-op games on the culinary monopoly — at least in the virtual realm, anyway. Its fast-paced, all-you-can-stomach banquet of mini-games is a true testament to the power of multiplayer and couch co-op, truly, and even today, it has given us no reason to doubt its ability to compel us into a second taking. There’s plenty of fun to be had with this one — especially if you’re a sucker for some good old-fashioned sibling rivalry.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up any of the above five simulation games on Nintendo Switch? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.