They may occupy a relatively small niche, but titles in the management and simulation subgenre are some of the most absorbing and intricate in the video gaming space. Be they in-depth city-building simulators or far-future sagas of space colonization, these are the sorts of games to which gamers can unconsciously lose hours upon hours of their time.
From pioneering titles like Elite in the 80s to modern-day must-plays like Cities: Skylines, those who've shrugged off the genre in the past are missing out, and these titles represent the absolute best of the best.
RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999)
Though dated and encumbered by a restrictive isometric style and a clutter UI, RollerCoaster Tycoon and its sequels are among the most revered management games of all time. Fulfilling the dreams of every wannabe amusement architect, it was incredibly innovative and packed with features that allowed gamers to design and manage their parks in meticulous detail.
More than two decades after release, RollerCoaster Tycoon maintains a dedicated fanbase, and user-made mods and updates have drastically improved the overall experience. From designing simple rides to overseeing massive entertainment megaplexes, RollerCoaster Tycoon is the go-to for many management gaming fans.
Factorio (2020)
Finally reaching full release after a years-long Early Access campaign, Factorio is an immensely detailed management title that, to new players, may look to rival the almost impossible complexity of something like Dwarf Fortress. While later stages of the game can contort into tough-to-untangle slogs, Factorio is at no point boring or tedious.
Players begin the game in the wreckage of the crash-landed ship and must create machinery to generate materials with the ultimate goal of returning to space. However, players must also develop defenses to fend off hoards of alien creatures which feed off of the pollution generated by the machines.
House Flipper (2018)
One part management game, one part life simulator, and one part Viscera Cleanup Detail, House Flipper represents a totally unique amalgamation of relatively niche genres. Players begin their cleaning campaign as menial janitors living in dingy apartments and work their way up to becoming one-person renovation crews.
Graphically, House Flipper doesn't exactly impress, and the game's often wonky nature may drive away some. It was certainly developed with a particular kind of gamer in mind, but those who've always envisioned themselves hosting a hit home renovation television show may get quite a bit of mileage out of this one.
Frostpunk (2018)
A city-builder of a decidedly different sort, Frostpunk marries the endless possibilities of Cities: Skylines with the unending brutality of a game like Darkest Dungeon. The Earth has entered a miserable new ice age, and humanity's last survivors must struggle through the worst of it by collecting resources, building shelters, and keeping their massive generators running.
It's an uncompromising experience not fit for those unwilling to make difficult decisions. Yet, those who thrive on chaos and enjoyed causing natural disasters in their Sim City games may get a kick out of this.
Slime Rancher (2017)
Slime Rancher takes the easy-going approach of titles like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley and combines it with a stylized sci-fi look to create something wholly unique in the management genre. A farming game at its core, Slime Rancher is an indie game that tasks players with capturing and caring for various slime creatures who produce items called plorts when fed. These plorts can then be sold, and the money reinvested in the farm.
At the outset, it may seem a bit basic, but there's an undeniable appeal to Slime Rancher which makes it difficult to quit. It's very much the sort of management game that can suck up hours of an unwitting gamer's day.
Railway Empire (2018)
While it may attract model train enthusiasts lacking the space for a full miniature setup, 2018's Railroad Empire focuses more on the industry, economy, and nineteenth and twentieth-century logistics rather than actual railroad construction. That is a part of the game, but the experience is more in keeping with something like Transport Fever as opposed to games like Train Simulator 2022.
Railroad Tycoon offers enough depth to be engaging without overwhelming the player, and the era in which its set American history buffs, many of whom are likely to have an interest in railroad operations.
Cities: Skylines (2015)
EA's SimCity series has been dormant for eight years at this point, but fans of the city builder genre have likely been too preoccupied with Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive's Cities: Skylines to notice. A wonderfully detailed and open-ended urban planning simulator, this 2015 title is a near-perfect modernization of the aforementioned classic Sims experience.
Allowing for the micromanagement of everything from city districts to sewage lines, Cities: Skylines players can cultivate everything from futuristic megacities to relaxed rural towns.
RimWorld (2018)
RimWorld is a management title that places an enormous emphasis on the social climates of a player's base. While things like production, defense, and survival are still key to success, analyzing the social structures which have developed among the colonists under the player's control is vital to advancing or regressing the game's emergent narrative.
Dictated by a so-called "AI Storyteller" which can introduce random events and situations, there's quite a bit of randomness in RimWorld, and it can be difficult for those without experience in the genre to enjoy the title. That said, those with dozens of hours in Dwarf Fortress will instantly be at home here.
Planet Coaster (2016)
Created by Frontier Developments, a studio with prior experience in the genre, Planet Coaster was the spiritual successor to the acclaimed RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise for which fans had been waiting. The Atari-published titles bearing the RollerCoaster Tycoon moniker following RCT 3's release received mixed to negative reviews, but Plant Coaster proved to be the ultimate theme park-building experience.
Providing an unbelievably intricate suite of tools with which to construct an amusement park, Planet Coaster players can develop anything from a small carnival to a steam-punk themed wonderland. The possibilities are truly staggering.
American Truck Simulator (2016)
The follow-up to the beloved European Truck Simulator, 2016's American Truck Simulator is a surprisingly detailed and sprawling title that will reward players who are in it for the long haul. Replicating the demands and difficulties of being a long-distance trucker, American Truck Simulator asks players to know the ins and outs of both an eighteen-wheeler and the broader world of the logistics business.
The definition of a niche game, not all gamers will be able to enjoy this sort of title, but those who do have no problems sinking hundreds of hours in a game that makes no bones about the toughness and tedium of trucking.