10 Best Simulation Games on Steam (February 2026)

The sense of accomplishment after successfully completing a simulation game is difficult to put into words. It makes an expert out of you, of some of the world’s toughest jobs and responsibilities. 

Taking care of a family, for one, ensuring they’re well-fed and lead happy lives. Or more career-driven roles from architecture to aviation. You might even be charged with managing the policies that run a city as big as New York. 

The only challenge is choosing the hobby or skill you’re most drawn to, perhaps starting with the best simulation games on Steam we’ve highlighted for you below.

What is a Simulation Game?

A simulation game is a mimicry of someone or something in the real-world. It can be a businessman, pilot, or politician, with players making decisions on the job. There’s no limit to what activities you can run and manage in simulation games.

Best Simulation Games on Steam

Among hundreds of games on Steam, the following best simulation games on Steam stand out above the rest.

10. Cities: Skylines

By far, Cities: Skylines II by Paradox Interactive is the best modern city-building simulation game out there. It lets you build cities from scratch, setting up skyscrapers and highways, down to the miniscule road and water filtration systems. 

All the utilities that make a city run smoothly are yours to run and manage, which then translates to happy virtual citizens, alongside streams of incoming tourists. For extra flair, the game adds atmospheric and ambient sounds, from the chaos of traffic to the buzzing of city markets and construction sites.

9. Satisfactory

But you might want to narrow it down further to constructing and managing a chain of factories. Satisfactory sets up camp on an alien planet, and challenges you to explore for resources, build multi-storeyed factories, and automate production with massive conveyor belts. 

You’re always expanding your network, while also looking for ways to streamline processing. Meanwhile, you’ll find all sorts of surprises gathering resources in the wild, including hostile alien species you might have to battle. 

8. People Playground

There’s no one-size-fits-all in the best simulation games on Steam. So, having a game like People Playground doesn’t come as too big a surprise. Players control human ragdolls, testing their research and new technologies on them.

Fair warning, it can get pretty violent and even gory, with all the shooting, burning, vaporizing, and stabbing you’re free to do across a vast testing area.

7. Stardew Valley

Not all simulation games are stressful. Some encourage you to kick your feet up and relax, taking care of your very own plot of land. Stardew Valley is a return to roots farming simulation, where your everyday tasks are planting, watering, and harvesting crops. 

If you’re a curious George, though, you’ll find plenty of other interesting things to do, from dungeon crawling to romancing the townsfolk.

6. Euro Truck Simulator 2

Another laidback simulation game on Steam is Euro Truck Simulator 2. Trucking fans will love this one, thanks to the numerous licensed trucks available to unlock. These enable you to haul goods across Europe, delivering them safely to interesting NPCs, and passing by lots of scenic routes. 

5. Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault

Company of Heroes has been a fan-favorite military simulator for a while now. In Ardennes Assault, you control the American Armed Forces during World War II. There are 18 scenarios, inspired by the Battle of the Bulge, with pretty heavy, emotional scenes, and intense combat. Faced with extreme odds, will you defeat the German Force and enact control over the Ardennes region?

4. The Sims 4

The biggest life simulation game is a must-play, with the latest release, The Sims 4, featuring the most up-to-date content. You’re the master over the lives of custom Sims, and whatever you say goes. Whether it’s fashion choices, home decor, career paths, or parties to attend, the Sims await your go-ahead. 

As you can imagine, all that freedom to create your own stories comes with lots of opportunities for wild imagination and chaos. It’s your chance to experiment and showcase your style in a virtual world.

3. MiSide

It’s amazing how MiSide quickly shifts gears from a cute anime into a psychologically horrific game. It’s nothing stomach-turning, yet still leaves you questioning a lot of weird things. The story will definitely hook its tentacles in you, and the gameplay isn’t too complex for any gamer to jump into. Keeping in mind that some scenes are pretty scary.

For the best simulation games on Steam, this one’s definitely the ugly duckling. Yet, its uniqueness is exactly what many Steam users are finding special. 

2. Microsoft Flight Simulator

If you’ve ever wanted to hop into the cockpit of an aircraft and feel what it’s like to fly anywhere across the globe, Microsoft Flight Simulator comes pretty close. The graphics and attention to detail are delightful, truly thrilling as you fly through the skies and prepare for a smooth landing.

Over 40,000 airports and runways are featured here, as well as more than 60,000 helipads. That’s not even going into the tons of airplanes you’ll be able to unlock, from helicopters to jets and general airliners. The immense variety comes with several certifications as well, whether you’ve wanted to transport civilians, save lives, or stop wildfires. 

1. Subnautica

The deep, alien seas in Subnautica have natural wonders and danger in equal measure. They are fantastic places to explore, easily taking your breath away with the majestic aquatic life you swim by and with. Diverse biomes exist here, too, whether it’s pitch-black caverns, volcanoes, or coral reefs.

But there are unknown dangers, too, demanding preparation and crafting gear. You’ll have a submarine for exploration, but also protection from unforeseeable danger. As far as the best simulation games on Steam go, this one takes the crown home because of the delicate balance between realistic deep-sea diving, resource management, and survival at all costs.