You know I'm always wishing for more good simulation games on the Switch? Slowly but surely I'm fulfilling my wish. More and more simulation games are piling up on the system, and I suspect we haven't seen the last one yet. Not if Switch Lite doesn't reach even more people here.
Let's check out the list of great simulation games now available on Nintendo Switch! And if you like our lists, be sure to check them outThe best healthy gamesalso on Switch!
These are simulation games that deal with farming and some kind of harvest. Some do a combination with combat or crafting. They are not in any particular order, I don't have a clear favorite yet. But they are all great fun simulation games!
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons
To be clear, there's no game more fun, creative, social, and just plain cute than Animal Crossing (did you know I'm a fan?). So, New Horizons is a safe bet if you want to spend many, many hours of gaming fun. Retreat to an undiscovered island and live with animals, each with their own quirky and unique personalities. Decorate your home, catch bugs and fish. Search for fossils and be creative when it comes to creating patterns for your character's clothing.
There are no goals, play as you see fit and take your time. Nintendo is sure to keep you entertained with events and festivals like the Easter Egg Hunt and more.
OurThe game review is here! But we haveFührerabout the game, and I also wanted to share my feelings about Animal Crossing with you!
Proud to be an Animal Crossing player
summer in March
Summer in Mara: The Kickstarter project by Spanish studio Chibig is a simulation adventure of the kind that Switch needs even more items in its library. The game is based on missions: Koa helps the people on the islands and receives different things in return. It's a way to advance the story and make your home island more efficient, combining farming, animal care, and crafting with a colorful cast of characters.
If you're wondering if Summer in Mara is for you, remember one thing: you're not playing this game to get from point A to point B. You don't play to complete all quests and go on an adventure. No, you complete tasks to make Koa's home island more beautiful, richer and a real home. And in the meantime, you'll discover new islands, learn about new people's stories, and experience new adventures.
MeinSummer in Mara review is here.In addition, we have approxa set of guidesto help you too.
Stardew Valley
From the first days when this game appeared on Steam, it has been a fan favorite. Feels like old Harvest Moon, with retro graphics. So if you love Harvest Moon, check out Stardew Valley. In addition to the good gameplay we love about HM, they threw everything in and the sink! Not just farming, but side quests, finding things for humans, crafting things, a wizard making things interesting, mining...too many to really list.
Stardew Valley is available on all platforms, including mobile. My thoughts on the game are here:
Stardew Valley Farm is open for business
Little Dragons Café
The story begins with the twin brother and twin sister learning to cook and running a small cafe under their mother's tutelage. Everything went smoothly and routinely, until one morning the twins realize that their mother has fallen asleep and doesn't want to wake up. Suddenly, a strange old man appears and tells them that they need to raise a dragon to save their lives. Along with three quirky cafe employees, the siblings must figure out how to deal with the dragon and run the family business while finding a way to save their mother.
Little Dragons Café is no match for Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, Yonder, or any other fan favorite. You cannot farm, design patterns or even decorate your home. No dating or marriage. But that's not what the creators had in mind. Like Yonder, there's a lot of emphasis on exploration, but there's also a clear goal: to find out what each character's personal story is and to help them achieve their goals.
Our game review can be found here:Little Dragons Café
cemetery keeper
A game very similar to Stardew Valley, but this time you don't manage a farm or livestock. Instead, you rule the dead and all other dark aspects of life. The game does this with a lot of humor that makes you completely forget what you are dealing with.
It has an interesting plot, lots of side quests, complicated logistics system for making things....If you manage to chop up and bury the dead, don't hide it. Graveyard Keeper is a great addition to the Nintendo Switch, and it feels like the life of a mortician can certainly keep a player busy for hours thanks to the game's wide range of activities.
Our review is here:Rating switch for Graveyard Keeper
Orphaned Sails
In this simulation game you don't play a hero who lost his memory and occupies an abandoned farm. No, you know exactly who you are and when you are shipwrecked you realize that a cataclysm has happened. And to think that it should be fun to accompany your father on his discovery ship to explore new shores!
Meanwhile, your father is badly injured, so your task is to find the missing crew members and set up camp. This is the first thing, after all you have to endure this ordeal. Only after finding all the scattered crew members, placing them in shelters and eating properly, can you proceed to the next task.
What secrets does this exotic archipelago hide? Many of them are covered with impassable wasteland. Are you and your crew alone on the islands? And will you be able to build another seaworthy getaway ship? At least for now you have a small rowing boat that you can steer through the seas to explore the archipelago!
Our game review can be found here:Stranded Sails review for Switch
Cattails
Pikodoodle wrote in their review, "I'm struck by how Cattails differs from farm RPGs: fun hunting mechanics, colony relationships, and meaningful interactions with kids."
Those 23 hours of gameplay were relaxing and rewarding. A light survival element in the form of the hunger mechanic ups the ante without added stress. While I have no plans to continue the game or play it again, I would recommend it to gamers who love cats and the farming RPG genre.
Cattails is a smaller, less varied game than Stardew Valley, but well done. Although there is no farming, it is not a loss. The farming substitute, hunting, is actually more fun and provides instant gratification at a certain level.”
Our game review can be found here:Cattails review for Switch
farm together
In Farm Together you will be given a plot of land and plenty of seeds to use to build a beautiful farm. Expand it to create a massive farm that stretches further than meets the eye. Unlock new items to place on your farm, unlock animals and even more seeds. Follow the seasons and use all your creativity in the game.
Visiting and farming with friends is fun and works well as it predestines what you can do on your friends virtual farm. So there are no breakdowns caused by accidentally torn out crops or the like.
As I was reviewing the game, I was reminded of HayDay, a mobile game that I've spent many, many hours playing over the past few years. Farm Together has the same addictive atmosphere as HayDay but better without the need for microtransactions and with a much, much larger playing field.
Our game review can be found here:Farm Together review.
My time in Portia
At the beginning of the game you inherit a workshop and try to develop your workshop by collecting resources and completing quests for the townspeople. It's also your home and can be expanded into a larger home by adding more rooms to house any furniture you can assemble.
In the game you can farm, but not in the way that you have to water your crops every day. You can use the semi-automatic irrigation system. You can dig in abandoned dungeons and search the workshop for other things you need. There is also fishing, in rivers, swamps and even on a tropical island. All that farming and fishing comes in handy as there is also cooking in the game.
For fans of simulation games, My Time at Portia has it all: farming, quests, combat, and socializing. In addition, they are all equally well implemented. My Time at Portia offers a very well-rounded package with plenty of content. A real time waster.
Our game review can be found here:Review of "My Time in Portia".
Dort: Cloudcatcher Chronicles
An island beautifully detailed and colorful, but haunted by a mysterious dark purple mist called "Darkness" that scares the islanders and effectively pollutes the environment. No wonder your task is to collect gnomes. Only they can banish the darkness.Collecting sprites isn't all you have to do, this game is just heaven for players who love side quests. Each area you find in Gemei has several side quests to complete.
Yonder is the kind of casual game that the Switch could use more of in its library. There are no enemies or monsters to fight in this game. There's some farming and animal care, but not in the hands of Harvest Moon Games. The game is all about exploration, resource gathering, fishing and crafting, and most importantly, gathering. Just for fun and to help the fellow residents of this beautiful country. While there are main quests that advance the story of activating the cloud catcher and rescuing Gemei from the darkness, the plot isn't what it's about.
Our game review can be found here:There's the Cloudcatcher Chronicle
FAQs
What switch game is most like The Sims? ›
- Stardew Valley. Stardew Valley comes first to mind since it hits all of the right notes in a life simulator game. ...
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons. ...
- SimCity. ...
- Cities: Skylines. ...
- Planet Zoo. ...
- House Flipper. ...
- Disney Dreamlight Valley.
Take Off – The Flight Simulator for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site.
What was the first life simulation game? ›History. Artificial life games and life simulations find their origins in artificial life research, including Conway's Game of Life from 1970.
How do you make a good simulation game? ›Overall, a good simulation game should manage a balance between a high degree of realism and player engagement. Its mechanics should be as faithful as possible to the processes that it attempts to model.
What is the new simulation game like Sims? ›It looks like The Sims is getting some competition. As was teased earlier in the month, Paradox revealed an upcoming game called Life by You today, a life simulation title with development led by Rod Humble, who previously had significant roles on both The Sims franchise and Second Life.
Is Sims 5 coming to switch? ›Whether The Sims 5 would come to Switch in future remains to be seen. Judging by EA's recent track record with Nintendo, we're likely to say that no, it won't.
Does Nintendo Switch have a game like Sims? ›Cities: Skylines
Now available on all platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, this game is much more in the vein of Sim City than The Sims base games, but this game is sure to remind you of the building and management aspect of The Sims.
Is Roblox Available On Nintendo Switch? Roblox remains unavailable on Nintendo Switch. But users can still access the Roblox website via the Nintendo Switch's web browser mode.
Do Switch games have mods? ›Modding the Nintendo Switch can be a difficult process, and it's made even harder with these strict requirements. Still, if you're able to, modding the Switch will grant you access to a wide range of custom firmware and homebrew games that would otherwise be impossible to use.
Is there a real life simulation game? ›Real Life Simulator will be a Simulation and Role Playing game. In this game you will be able to spend time in an imaginary world with real people online.
What is the newest game of life? ›
The Game of Life 2 is the sequel to Hasbro's board game, The Game of Life, played by over 50 Million players worldwide. With more choices than ever before, join friends and family for a multiplayer adventure in a fun 3D world and live your way!
What is the best example of simulation? ›Some examples of computer simulation modeling familiar to most of us include: weather forecasting, flight simulators used for training pilots, and car crash modeling.
Why is simulation the best? ›Simulations help students learn both concepts and how to apply them in a nuanced way in an unforeseen situation. Students often find them more deeply engaging than other activities, as they experience the activity first-hand.
Why do people love simulation games? ›For many people, the appeal of simulator games lies largely in the control that they have – depending on the type of game, most elements are customizable, from the way your on-screen avatar looks to the surroundings in the background of the action.
What is the most current Sims game? ›...
| The Sims 4 | |
|---|---|
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a hybrid between a life-sim and an adventure game rich with quests, exploration, and engaging activities featuring Disney and Pixar friends, both old and new.
What game system is best for Sims? ›1 The Sims GameCube Edition - 85% Metascore
With the scores for all The Sims console ports coming out quite close, the GameCube edition is the highest Metascore at 85%. The game had single and multiplayer options, as well as free play and story mode.
People prefer to play games on other consoles rather than on the Nintendo Switch, the boss of EA has said. Many classic games – including The Sims – will not be coming to Nintendo's consoles because people simply chose to play them on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One or PC, its CEO Andrew Wilson said.
Has Sims 5 been confirmed? ›After plenty of rumours and speculation, The Sims 5 is official. It is being developed under the codename "Project Rene" and is still some way off from release, but the team behind it confirmed some details during The Sims Summit streamed online back in October 2022.
Will Sims 4 update babies? ›The Infant update for The Sims 4 released for the base game on March 14, 2023.
Is Animal Crossing a farming sim? ›
ACNH is a fantastic life sim as it is, with plenty of bug catching, fishing, and friend-making to keep you busy when you're not trying to pay off your mortgage, but now that you can actually grow crops and cook food, it's an even heartier recommendation from us.
What game is similar to Sims 4? › Are The Sims 4 free? ›The Sims 4 is free to download! Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that's an expression of you. Choose how Sims look, act, and dress, then manage the ups and downs of their everyday lives.
Is there safari on Nintendo Switch? ›It's not possible to use an Internet browser on the Nintendo Switch.
Where is the hidden browser on Nintendo Switch? ›- Open your settings by pressing the gear icon on the Switch home screen.
- Scroll down to Internet.
- Select Internet Settings.
It is illegal to sell circumvention devices (such as game copiers, USB piracy sticks and mod chips). Nintendo has obtained many decisions from criminal and civil courts across the world that confirms this. It is also unlawful to use these devices when playing unauthorized copies of Nintendo games.
Why jailbreak a Switch? ›You might also be able to alter the features and functionality in the games you play, including cheats and mods that weren't originally baked into the game. A jailbroken console also gives way to cool apps like emulators and media players that otherwise wouldn't be available.
What game is most like real life? ›While SimCity and Sim Ant were developed before The Sims, there is just something about this game that is revolutionary to us. Originally released in 2000, The Sims, developed by Will Wright of Maxis, allowed players the opportunity to create characters and lives that simulated real life for the very first time.
What is the most realistic city simulator? ›'Cities: Skylines 2' revealed as the "most realistic" city-building game.
What do you do in simulation games? ›A simulation game attempts to copy various activities from real life in the form of a game for various purposes such as training, analysis, prediction, or entertainment. Usually there are no strictly defined goals in the game, and the player is allowed to control a character or environment freely.
What is the largest simulation in the world? ›
The largest and most accurate computer simulation of the universe has been created by scientists, showing the entire evolution of the cosmos since the Big Bang. This amazing 3D map was developed by a team from Durham University in England, revealing the correct locations and properties of local group galaxies.
What are examples of real-life simulation? ›- Climate and weather models.
- Avalanche, Earthquake, Tsunami, and Hurricane models.
- Solar activity models.
- Planetary and star movement and illumination models.
- Highway and street traffic models.
- Communications and computation models.
- Electric power distribution and gas and petroleum pipeline models.
And although the game within “Nerve” is fictitious, an app that was released this week sounds very similar (although it is not directly associated with the movie). Double Dog is a game that allows users to send and receive dares within the community on the app.
What is the game that life and death play? ›Life and death (死活) is a fundamental concept in the game of Go, where the status of a distinct group of stones is determined as either being "alive", where they may remain on the board indefinitely, or "dead", where the group will be lost as "captured".
What game is still alive? ›About This Game
"Still Alive" is a sci-fi visual novel about Mirai Alloris who lives with her mother and sister in one of the inhabited sectors hidden from the radars of the enemy. One day some mechanical monsters attack their sector, they slaughter Mirai's mother and her sister Aila is kidnapped.
All current figurines are compatible with its most recent installment, Skylanders: Imaginators (2016). While new games were since published, it has not seen a new main console release that would follow the "toys to life" genre since then, due to Activision's desire to take an extended break from the main series.
What are 3 examples of simulation? ›Some examples include fire drills, weather forecasting, CGI graphics in entertainment, and simulation used in healthcare to teach skills or prepare for emergencies.
What are 4 applications of simulation? ›- Logistics simulation. Optimize complex and dynamic logistics processes with simulation.
- Simulation in production. ...
- Detailed production planning. ...
- Emulation. ...
- Artificial Intelligence. ...
- Hospital Simulation / Healthcare. ...
- Control station simulation. ...
- Personnel simulation.
Not all simulations are useless.
A good simulation can teach the users about themselves. It can make them aware of biases and default behaviors that they bring with them. It can show them that not everybody around them thinks exactly the same way they do.
Disadvantages of modelling and simulation
The cost of a simulation model can be high. The cost of running several different simulations may be high. Time may be needed to make sense of the results. People's reactions to the model or simulation might not be realistic or reliable.
What are the disadvantages of simulation? ›
- Simulation is not precise. ...
- A good simulation model may be very expensive. ...
- Not all situations can be evaluated using simulation. ...
- Simulation generates a way of evaluating solutions but does ...
Anticipating the results of our actions improves our ability to solve new problems. Mental Simulation relies on our memory, learned via perception and experience. Without supplying a goal, a destination, mental simulation can't exist. Mental Simulation is extremely powerful if you learn how to harness it consciously.
Are games actually good for you? ›Gaming is really a workout for your mind disguised as fun. Studies have shown that playing video games regularly may increase gray matter in the brain and boost brain connectivity. (Gray matter is associated with muscle control, memories, perception, and spatial navigation.)
Why are simulation games so addictive? ›They offer a sense of control. In these types of video games, the player has almost absolute control. Contrary to what happens in real life, in the simulation we can control the characters at will, have clear rules and consequences, and it's easy to obtain the results we want.
What games are similar to The Sims 4? › Is there a Disney switch game like Sims? ›Disney Dreamlight Valley is a hybrid between a life-sim and an adventure game rich with quests, exploration, and engaging activities featuring Disney and Pixar friends, both old and new.
What games are like Sims Freeplay? › Is there any games like The Sims? ›Paralives has promised unparalleled customization when it comes to building houses and creating characters, and is a game very similar to The Sims 4. There are aspects of the simulation The Sims franchise hasn't even touched upon, such as in-depth personalities and interests that truly define who each Para is.
Is there a game where you can build houses like in Sims? ›Builder Simulator is the perfect game for those who want to build a house, from the ground up, one brick at a time. On easy, the game will guide and teach you by showing you full instruction, but on hard you will get no help - instead rely on your builder skills and make everything yourself.
What Disney game is coming to the switch 2023? ›Disney Speedstorm, the kart racing game developed by Gameloft (Disney Dreamlight Valley), will officially launch in early access for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox on 18 April 2023, with keen players now able to preorder the game via an array of Founder's Packs.
Is Starlight valley free on switch? ›
The straight answer is Yes, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a free-to-play game.
Is Disney Dreamlight Valley for kids or adults? ›This is a great game for anyone! It's nostalgic, innocent and fun! I would allow my child to play it at any age but some of the tasks would probably be too hard for younger children.
Why does Nintendo Switch not have Sims? ›People prefer to play games on other consoles rather than on the Nintendo Switch, the boss of EA has said. Many classic games – including The Sims – will not be coming to Nintendo's consoles because people simply chose to play them on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One or PC, its CEO Andrew Wilson said.
Is Zoo Tycoon on Nintendo Switch? ›Zoo Tycoon Switch has 3 modes of play: Freeform mode, Challenge mode, and Campaign Mode.
Can you play homeless Sims? ›For Simmers who are looking for some serious challenges in their game, this is the perfect solution. The Sims 4 homeless challenge is not only difficult, but it offers a wide range of storyline options that can be very fun to play around with.
Which is better The Sims or Sims FreePlay? ›The Sims Mobile features smoother animations and more realistic graphics and environments than The Sims FreePlay. The Sims FreePlay operates in real-time with limited-time events, whereas you can complete many quests instantly in The Sims Mobile.
What Sim game is free? ›The Sims 4 is free to download! Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that's an expression of you. Choose how Sims look, act, and dress, then manage the ups and downs of their everyday lives.