The most interesting simulation games released in 2017
All the best and most popular games of the year, upcoming releases, and hits from the past. Use filters to narrow down search.
The Sims 4: Vampires
Simulation
January 24, 2017
The seventh expansion for The Sims 4, developed by Electronic Arts. This time the player can turn their Sims into vampires – after the transformation your protégés gain supernatural powers, such as the ability to assume the form of a bat or become a cloud of mist. Sims can also control the minds of others and feed on their life energy – another way to regenerate their strength is to rest inside a coffin. Note that transformed characters shouldn’t get exposed to direct sunlight, because these can weaken or even kill them. The Sims 4: Vampires also brings along a brand new location (Forgotten Hollow), with such features as a grim graveyard, new interior decorations as well as extra customization options for Sims – some of the things that you can adjust are the length of fangs, skin complexion and eye color.
Diluvion
Simulation
February 2, 2017
An arcade submarine simulator with crew management elements. The game was developed by an independent team known as Arachnid Games. The story of Diluvion takes place in the distant future, where an apocalyptic flood has forced humanity to colonize the ocean depths. The gameplay is focused around exploration of a marine world of a considerable size, completing various tasks, and combat with encountered opponents. Our travels often require the use of a sonar, which helps in navigating dark areas, as well as ranged weapons in the form of torpedoes or even cannons. We’ve also received access to a crew management module – throughout our journeys, the individual crew members gather experience, acquiring new skills over time. For example, an experienced coxswain offers better maneuverability, while a talented cannoneer is much more accurate.
Entropy
Simulation
February 3, 2017
An MMO space simulator created by a Norwegian studio Artplant. Entropy starts with the usual – the creation of our hero, and choosing the first ship which will allow us to traverse an enormous, open universe, constantly shaped by the actions of the individual players. The game offers impressive freedom in choosing your way, so there is a place for advocates of free exploration, as well as for trade enthusiasts, who, thanks to the knowledge of the basic market rules, can easily grow wealthy by trading goods. One of the most important elements of the game is combat, allowing clashes with up to 100 players at once. To increase their chances in a dogfight, each player has to develop his character, and upgrade his ship, improving its offensive and defensive capabilities.
Take on Mars
Simulation
February 9, 2017
An original simulator of a martian planetary rover, developed by Bohemia Interactive, the Czech developer team also responsible for the helicopter simulator, Take on Helicopters, and two famous military simulation franchises - Operation Flashpoint and ArmA. The game aims at realistically representing a research mission on Mars and simulating the behavior of martian rovers, including an extensive damage model. Take on Mars offers two game modes. During the campaign, we supervise a space agency, and our task is to explore Mars, conduct research on new technologies, and construct more advanced equipment while keeping an eye on the agency's budget. Single missions focus exclusively on surface exploration and a set of specific tasks prepared by the authors. The game is complemented by a powerful set of modding tools that allow us to create our own adventures, vehicles, and locations.
Farming Simulator 17: Kuhn
Simulation
February 14, 2017
Farming Simulator 17: Kuhn is another expansion for Farming Simulator 17. It was developed by GIANTS Software and requires the base game to be playable. The expansion only introduces eighteen machines made by the Khun company. We get: DC 401, HR 4004, PERFORMER 4000, DISCOLANDER XM 52 cultivators; ESPRO 3000, TF 1500, BTF 4000, PLANTER 3 R 12 planters; PF 1500, DELTIS 1302 MEA3, METRIS 4102 sprayers; AXIS 40.2 M-EMC-W fertilizer spreader, GMD 4411 mower, GF 8702 tedder, MERGE MAXX 902 hay rake, and bale wrappers, such as SW 4014, LSB 1290 D, and FBP 3135. After downloading the DLC, its contents are available in the in-game store and have to be purchased for the in-game currency. Farming Simulator 17: Kuhn uses the same game engine as the series’ previous installments, but was tweaked here and there to make the new machines look better.
Princess Maker Refine
Simulation
February 17, 2017
A unique management game and a remastered and extended edition of a PlayStation 2 title. Princess Maker Refine was created by Japanese studio Gainax, supervised by one of its co-founders, Takami Akai. You play as a hero, who already defeated the dark lord and saved the citizens of the kingdom invaded by the villain. The protagonist decided to settle down and adopt an orphaned girl, so that he can not only help with rebuilding the country, but also take care of her future. Thus you have to look after your foster daughter and make sure she has good education and skills, which will have an impact on her adult life. The girl's personality and skills are described with numerical values and statistics, and her daily schedule and what she can learn are entirely up to you. After eight years (divided into four seasons, dozens days each), when she becomes of age, you unlock one of the 74 possible endings, depending on her career path — this is when the girl's skills and experience become apparent. The game features vastly improved visuals and soundtrack, compared to those from the original release.
Landmark
Simulation
February 21, 2017
An online sandbox game set in the universe of the popular EverQuest MMO title. The game can be considered a spin-off created on the side while the developers work on the official sequel to the series. Daybreak Game Company is giving a huge open world to the players, who can shape and develop this environment freely. The gameplay is largely based on the mechanics present in the very popular Minecraft, and the most important aspect of the gameplay is an extensive crafting system, giving access to different tools as the player progresses. These allow the crafting of various things - from simple walls to complex and creativity-driven buildings. Interestingly, the players' creativity is appreciated by the creators, for the best ideas of the virtual architects are transferred to the world of EverQuest Next. What is important, the players' virtual creations are going to look the same in the two games, for both of them utilize the ForgeLight engine.
911 Operator
Simulation
February 24, 2017
911 Operator is a game, a strategy-simulator developed by Polish studio Jutsu Games, which is a reiteration of a project which won the Indie Showcase competition held during Digital Dragons 2016. In 911 Operator you become a rescue service operator, and your job is to answer calls from people in danger. The story campaign takes place in 10 cities – you will face many different challenges; some of them amusing, some serious, some frustrating. During the game you have to give advice concerning administration of first-aid as well as choose the right number of people and equipment to send to the scene. A nice touch in the game is the fact that you can sometimes receive prank calls, which have to be recognized and ignored.
Train Sim World
Simulation
March 16, 2017
An advanced railway simulator developed by Dovetail Games, a developer known from the popular Train Simulator series. Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul follows in the same vein, yet is treated as a separate project based on new technology. Unfortunately, this means that the title is not compatible with numerous add-ons released for the Train Simulator series. As always, the gameplay involves controlling various railway engines and traversing numerous railways found all around the world. Moreover, the players can create their own tracks thanks to the included editor. The game contains both single and multiplayer modes. Interestingly enough, the game is powered by Unreal Engine 4, an engine used in titles such as Final Fantasy VII Remake, Days Gone, or Gears of War 4. As a result, the new incarnation of the railway series received multiple fixes, as well as improved graphics and physics.
Everything
Simulation
March 21, 2017
Developed by an indie developer David O’Reilly, Everything generates worlds, which you can watch from any perspective you like. Each universe can be observed in both micro and macro scale. You start playing in a particular place of a procedurally generated world, but the rest is completely up to you – you are free to take control of a single atom, animal, or object, and focus on its immediate whereabouts, or control an entire planet, star or even galaxy. The gameplay has no specific goal – what you do and why you do it is your choice. As you jump between different elements of the universe you create its encyclopedia – objects that you discover are catalogued, after which you can view them in a special menu. All that is complemented by decent graphics and atmospheric soundtrack as well as lectures of the philosopher Alan Watts. Interestingly, Everything is the first video game in history nominated for Oscar in the Best Animated Short Film thanks to its several-minute trailer – that film had also won jury’s award at Vienna Shorts Festival.
Construction Simulator 2
Simulation
March 22, 2017
A continuation of the mobile construction simulator with strategy elements, developed by weltenbauer studio from Germany. Construction Simulator 2 takes place in a fictional state in the USA, Westside Plains. In the game we play as an owner of a company that builds roads and buildings. The game is set in an open world, in which you can complete 60 different jobs. In the beginning of the game we start with simple tasks but as we develop our company and increase its reputation we can get more complicated but also much better paid contracts. The game allows us to manually control 36 licensed and recreated with intricate details machines, among which we can find those that are produced by such companies as Caterpillar, Liebherr, Palfinger, Bell, STILL or ATLAS. The economic aspect, that requires players to manage their company and budget, complements the simulation elements.
Train Mechanic Simulator 2017
Simulation
March 24, 2017
A simulator game which casts the player in the role of a train mechanic; it was created by Si7 Studio - an independent developer. The game is set in an open world (about 25 square kilometers) and the player is required to search for broken machines and repair them in one of three available workshops. The game features 9 trains falling into 3 categories - steam, electric and diesel. The player maintains the engines using different parts, and one will find over a thousand of them here. The action takes place in a three-dimensional environment and the visuals are decent. The game stands out both with its carefully-designed trains and the environment filled with detail.
X-Plane 11
Simulation
March 30, 2017
Another edition of one of the most advanced flight simulation games in development since the 90s by Laminar Research, a studio connected to NASA. X-Plane 11 does not deviate from the standards of the series in any way and offers its players the possibility of piloting a wide variety of civilian and military aircraft — starting from light planes, through giant passenger planes, and ending with helicopters. Traditionally, the game is characterized by impressive realism both in terms of the accurate recreation of available machines and flight physics. Compared to its predecessors, the production offers a revamped user interface, enhanced avionics, and even more detailed, fully functional 3D cockpits. Moreover, the title features new buildings and roads that better recreate the characteristics of Europe as well as airports that teem with life. There, we can see all kinds of vehicles, including maintenance and other AI-controlled machines.
Ready for Take off: A320 Simulator
Simulation
April 13, 2017
A complex flight simulator developed by ExViRe and SimWare Simulations that offers the ability to pilot two machines – Airbus A320, a middle range airliner, and Beechcraft Baron, a light twin-engine aircraft. The developers made the game more appealing for both beginners and advanced players through introduction of an extensive tip system and a wide range of options that can simplify the gameplay, as well as faithfully recreated cockpits with numerous monitors, handles, and additional features such as a day and night cycle, and a working radio dispatch for advanced pilots. Ready for Take off: A320 Simulator offers a number of gameplay modes, including a career mode and random flight mode that sees us traverse a landmass that offers numerous authentic airfields, including Hamburg, Paris, London, or Zurich. When it comes to graphics, we are offered decent three-dimensional visuals
Starfighter Origins
Simulation
April 25, 2017
A combat simulator which places the player in control of a starfighter. Developed by an independent British team - Mad About Games Studios Ltd., the game was inspired by space simulators from the 90s. Starfighter Origins is set in a futuristic world, where humans explore space and pirates are waiting among asteroids for unarmed transport ships and other easy loot. The player assumes the role of a pilot working for the Colonial Defense Force - a law enforcement group that use various kinds of combat ships in order to maintain order in space. The player has six unique ships to fly in the game, including fast, reconnaissance units with powerful radars, classic fighters - they handle well and are well-armed, and heavily-armored support craft. Eliminating the enemies involves use of both rapid-fire cannons and auto-targeting missiles. When fighting, the player must pay attention to how much resources they have left - both fuel and ammunition, as not every mission gives an opportunity to re-fuel the ship and refill ammunition. The game delivers exclusively a single-player experience. The four modes available include the story campaign, the Simulation and the Challenge modes (a series of independent scenarios), and the Instant Action mode. The last of these requires the player to choose a difficulty level at the beginning; both the battlefield and type of enemies are assigned randomly.
Interkosmos
Simulation
April 25, 2017
Interkosmos is a VR simulation game and the first game developed by Ovid Works, a studio made of developers who previously worked for Flying Wild Hog, CD Projekt RED, and CreativeForge Games. The game takes place in 1970's, during the Cold War and Space Race times. We play as an astronaut who travels back to Earth in a experimental Zevzda pod. Our job is to get back home safely with the help from NASA and Roscosmos operators. As we play, we have to adapt to difficult conditions and, when an unexpected problem arises, make swift decisions. We have to follow various procedures in order to stay on course and maintain the life support and power systems. The game has a lot of humor in it and, from time to time, can surprise players with plot twists and absurdities typical for the Cold War era.
Ace Academy: Skies of Fury
Simulation
April 25, 2017
Skillful flight simulation, in which we play the role of a German or British pilot fighting at the front of the First World War. In addition to the feature campaign, the production has a survival module; additionally, the version for the Nintendo Switch console has been enriched with a local multiplayer mode.
Bus Simulator 17
Simulation
April 28, 2017
Bus Simulator 17 is a bus driving simulation developed by Alexandru Marusac, an experienced mobile app developer. The creator prepared a number of varied vehicles – from a school bus to an urban double-decker. We drive the vehicles, transporting people not only throughout a city but also in the mountains, on a desert, or other rural areas. The game features advanced physics and destruction system, which forces us to drive carefully. Dynamic weather conditions and traffic also influence the driving. The production, available for Android and iOS, lets us play solo in the campaign and the Free Ride mode or with other players in the multiplayer. The above is complemented by three-dimensional graphics with carefully modeled vehicles. Bus Simulator 17 is available for free within the free-to-play business model, featuring micropayments, for example, for removing advertisements displayed during the game.
Birthdays the Beginning
Simulation
May 9, 2017
An original open-world game combining elements typical for titles such as Spore or Minecraft. The game was created by Arc System Works, and the TOYBOX Inc. studio led by Yasuhiro Wada - the father of the Harvest Moon series. Birthdays the Beginning casts the player in the role of a creator of worlds, whose goal is to create a planet, along with a breathing ecosystem rich in life. Once a universe has been generated, the player decides about topography-related aspects through raising mountains and creating valleys where water, the source of life, can gather. What's more, the player has to provide things such as adequate temperatures. At the beginning, the player uses simple, unicellular organisms that get to inhabit the game world. Later on, the player leads them through subsequent stages of evolution - from different plants and dinosaurs, through creatures resembling present-day animals, and ultimately to reach humanoid beings. Birthdays: The Beginning offers colorful, three-dimensional visuals accompanied by a light atmosphere.
Farming Simulator 17: Big Bud DLC
Simulation
May 9, 2017
Farming Simulator 17: Big Bud DLC is an expansion to Farming Simulator 17, developed by the creators of the original game, GIANTS Software. Big Bud DLC requires the base game to be playable. This add-on introduces new agricultural machines like the two enormous tractors: Big Bud 450 and even bigger Big Bud 747. The latter one, designed in 1977, is over eight meters long, six meters wide, weights more than fifty tons, and has over 900 horsepower. Unlike Big Bud 450, the 747 is no longer used and the only 747 tractor ever built is currently displayed at the Heartland museum. Due to their size and weight, both machines have a very different 'driving feel' than the ones from the base game. In addition to these two colossal machines, Big Bud DLC introduces a couple of other tractors, spreaders, and ploughs that we can use to make our job on the farm easier.
Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China
Simulation
May 29, 2017
An arcade flight simulator set in Southeastern Asia during the Second World War. It was developed by Ace Maddox - a Swedish game-making studio. The plot is based on historical events and the game tells a story of a secret combat squad of volunteers standing up for China against Japan's aggression. The game is characterized by arcade flight physics, focusing on spectacular aerial acrobatics and shooting in the TrazerTime mode which slows down the passage of time. Faithfully recreated Far-Eastern setting and a set of fighter planes belonging to the American, British and Japanese air forces are definitely strong features of the game. It is also worth noticing that the game offers dynamically changing weather conditions, which affects the air battles. The game features a standard single player campaign and several multiplayer modes for up to 16 players in one session.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Simulation
May 30, 2017
A spaceflight simulator game developed mainly for virtual reality headsets by Ubisoft Red Storm, best known for many action games based on Tom Clancy's works. Star Trek: Bridge Crew is set in the cinematic universe based on the popular science-fiction TV series. During the game, you explore a previously unknown region of the galaxy, known as the Trench, in search for a new home for the Vulcan race. The gameplay was designed with a co-op mode for four players in mind, and each player becomes a different crew member of the ship. The positions to choose from are: Captain, Helmsman, Engineer, and Tactical Officer. Each of them has unique duties, which you perform by using the ship's equipment in the virtual world. Star Trek: Bridge Crew features attractive 3D visuals, stylized to resemble the game's movie predecessor.
The Sims 4: Parenthood
Simulation
May 30, 2017
Another expansion pack for the 2014 life simulation game The Sims 4 by EA Maxis. As the title implies, Parenthood focuses mostly on the virtual kids of your Sims. The pack features e.g. expanded interactions with children and parental options, and a new “parenting” skill, which affects the offspring's obedience and their relationship with their parents. There are also various school projects given by teachers, which can be done together with your Sim son or daughter, gaining their trust and respect. You can also e.g. make school lunches for your children. Additionally, the pack adds a board with a schedule for your family, new interactive objects (such as building blocks or teen diary), and new clothes and furniture.
Cold Waters
Simulation
June 5, 2017
A mix of simulation and strategy game developed by the independent studio Killerfish Games. The plot is loosely based on Tom Clancy’s works, telling an alternative version of history, in which the Cold War eventually turned into World War III. The player assumes the role of a submarine captain and tries to stop the Soviet Union’s plans to establish an outpost in Scandinavia. Mission objectives focus on fighting enemy naval and land units, preventing sea landings, and raiding convoys. We not only get an extensive arsenal at our disposal, which consists of torpedoes and long-range missiles, but also various kinds of defensive means and a realistic sonar. Combat takes place in real time. We get to face over forty types of enemy units, starting with ships, though submarines, to choppers and aircraft. The developers put emphasis on realism, which translates into battle tactics applied by our adversaries and units recreated with attention to detail.
Farming Simulator 18
Simulation
June 6, 2017
Another installment in the annually released farming simulator series developed by GIANTS Software. This time, however, the creators decided to develop a game exclusively for handheld devices like PS Vita or Nintendo 3DS. In terms of mechanics, Farming Simulator 18 highly resembles the previous installments, especially the handheld version of Farming Simulator 16. The game sees the players running their farms in an attempt to make a profitable business out of it. To achieve this, the players have to take care of a number of things, such as soil and plant cultivation, harvesting and selling the crops, and finally the successive development of the farm. Farming Simulator 18 does not lack the series’ representative feature, namely a wide range of licensed agricultural machinery of the world’s top makers, which are available for the players to utilize while working in the field.
Passpartout: The Starving Artist
Simulation
June 6, 2017
An original production in which the player plays the title artist trying to earn money for wine and baguettes by selling paintings he has painted. The title allows us to create these works by hand, without imposing any restrictions on what is to be found on them. However, while having fun, it is worth taking into account the varied tastes of art connoisseurs who are our customers.
Air Missions: HIND
Simulation
June 14, 2017
An arcade simulator in which the player gets to pilot a Russian Mi-24 Hind gunship. Developed by a Slovakian studio 3Division, Air Missions: HIND allows players to carry out diverse missions taking place in four different corners of the Earth – thick forests of Eastern Europe, deserts of Central Asia, the exotic South-East Asia, and the airspace over the Arctic Ocean. Among the mission objectives, one can find i.e. supporting allied ground units, advancing on enemy artillery positions and Air Force Bases, taking out convoys, rescuing hostages, and even fighting other gunships. During combat, the player is often accompanied by wingmen, who actively support him by shooting at the enemies from their on-board weapons. The game allows the players to customize their munitions in accordance with their preferences and the situation on the battlefield. Among the available types of weapons, there are various Russian guided missiles - both anti-tank and anti-aircraft - pods with unguided missiles, machine guns, mines, and bombs. Another aspect of the game that one can adjust is the level of realism – in Air Missions: HIND the player can select the general difficulty level, one of the three available craft handling systems, and the gunship’s collision damage level, separately for particular elements of the environment. The game delivers both competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes. Moreover, it allows the players to design their own scenarios.
Carrier Deck
Simulation
June 15, 2017
A management-based simulator developed by Every Single Soldier. The player assumes the role of air traffic control officer aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Particular missions take place on the oceans all over the world and involve managing the crew and equipment of the ship - all this to prepare the machines in time for a safe take off from the deck and to ensure their safety when they return from each mission. The aircraft carrier hosts various airplanes (E-2 Hawkeye, F/A-18 Hornet) and choppers (Seahawk, Chinook). Designing the right queue for the machines and avoiding any collisions is crucial, as the difficulty level increases with one’s progress through the game. Moreover, the player has to pay attention to the changing weather conditions. The visuals featured by Carrier Deck are limited; nonetheless, the developers managed to represent the models of particular aircraft quite well - this regards also the USS Ronald Reagan itself.
Elite: Dangerous - Legendary Edition
Simulation
June 27, 2017
A special edition of Elite: Dangerous - a game which casts the player in the role of a pilot aboard a spaceship, who traverses distant regions of the galaxy, completing various assignments, fighting enemies or getting rich through trading. The game came out in the form of a Blu-ray disc. Apart from the base version of the game - created by Frontier Developments, a team led by the legendary Chris Sawyer, who had produced all the previous installments - this Legendary Edition includes all the gameplay improvements introduced since the original release, and the Horizons expansion pack. The latter introduced an opportunity to land on the planets without atmosphere, in order to explore the surfaces using an on-board rover. Moreover, Horizons enriches the game with a character creation system and gives an opportunity to invite others to explore space together, aboard one starship.
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Viewing Revolution
Simulation
July 19, 2017
An interactive concert developed for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR. The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Viewing Revolution is a spin-off of the popular Japanese series The Idolmaster, and features the characters known from the previous installments and the anime series. The performances take place on a large stage in a concert hall full of people. There are many spots from which you can view the concert, including the perspective of an ordinary spectator standing by the stage. By using PlayStation Move controllers, you can also wave colorful flares to the rhythm of music. Before the concert starts, you can also choose the songs to be performed and the number of performers. The core edition of The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Viewing Revolution features three songs, each several-minutes-long, while six more can be unlocked by buying DLC packs.
Ultrawings
Simulation
July 20, 2017
Developed exclusively for VR headgear, Ultrawings is a simulation game created by Big Planet Games. Gameplay mechanics are not complicated, as the player assumes the role of an ultralight plane pilot and explores a vast open world comprising topographically diverse islands filled with environmental obstacles. Ultrawings offers the player a number of aircraft, varying in terms of their structure and performance – the key to success lies in the proper utilization of particular parameters. One can participate in e.g. classic time challenges, tournaments, in which one has to fly precisely through consecutive checkpoints, as well as events featuring complex maneuvers and stunts. The player gets to observe the action from the first-person perspective and is free to look around the environment – they can also use the dedicated motion controllers to steer the craft.
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Simulation
July 20, 2017
A hilarious dating simulator, which is the debut project of Game Grumps - a studio founded by YouTubers from a popular channel devoted to video gaming. Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator tells the story of a lonely father, who along with his daughter, moves to a sleepy town Maple Bay. Soon after their arrival, it turns out that all the males in the neighborhood have lived lives similar to that of the protagonist - he decides to arrange a date with one of them. This is when the player enters the stage and further developments in the story depend entirely on them. Assuming the role of the father, the player has to take care of his daughter Amanda and leads the protagonist through his romantic journey. The experience focuses on trying to inspire romantic feelings towards the protagonist in one of seven males differing in their appearances and personalities. The player talks to them, completes different quests and takes part in various mini-games. The game relies on the visual novel formula.
Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
Simulation
July 28, 2017
The third installment of a unique simulation series that begun in 2014, developed by Polish studio PlayWay. The player assumes the role of a car mechanic who attempts to promote themselves with a number of high-profile jobs. Our task is simple – find the issue, remove the individual parts to get access to the faulty part and finally replace it with a brand new element. The title is characteristic for its detailed, simulation-like gameplay. The authors introduced various helpful features, such as highlights for individual elements. Moreover, each vehicle can be taken for a test drive and repainted. The game is characteristic for its decent visuals, with faithfully-recreated models of over forty vehicles and an impressively detailed workshop.
The Trail: Frontier Challenge
Simulation
August 16, 2017
The Trail: Frontier Challenge is a survival game developed by Peter Molyneux's studio 22 Cans, creators of Godus and Curiosty. We play as a traveler who, after a long journey, reaches the New World and begins to explore it. Our job is to venture deeper into the land. As we play, we travel from town to town, camping on the way. We also collect and craft various items during our adventures. The game is slow-paced and focuses on being more relaxing than challenging. We will also find some multiplayer elements here - we can create communities with other players and work on our towns with them. The Trail: Frontier Challenge has colorful minimalist visuals.