Ranking by genre

The best simulation games.

142 games compete in this selection. Stardew Valley tops it with 1,873 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Stardew Valley 2016 · Simulation 1,873
  2. 2 Kerbal Space Program 2015 · Simulation 1,865
  3. 3 Factorio 2020 · Simulation 1,829
  4. 4 The Sims 2000 · Simulation 1,817
  5. 5 The Sims 2 2004 · Simulation 1,791
  6. 6 Prison Architect 2015 · Simulation 1,775
  7. 7 Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2020 · Simulation 1,772
  8. 8 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2007 · Simulation 1,756
  9. 9 Euro Truck Simulator 2 2012 · Simulation 1,754
  10. 10 SimCity 2000 1993 · Simulation 1,743
  11. 11 Cities: Skylines 2015 · Simulation 1,732
  12. 12 Garry's Mod 2004 · Simulation 1,715
  13. 13 The Sims 3 2009 · Simulation 1,713
  14. 14 Animal Crossing: New Leaf 2012 · Simulation 1,674
  15. 15 RollerCoaster Tycoon 1999 · Simulation 1,656
  16. 16 Battlefield 4 2013 · Simulation 1,648
  17. 17 The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe 2022 · Simulation 1,638
  18. 18 The Sims 4 2014 · Simulation 1,616
  19. 19 Flower 2009 · Simulation 1,616
  20. 20 Overcooked! 2016 · Simulation 1,611
  21. 21 Pokémon Snap 1999 · Simulation 1,600
  22. 22 Eve Online 2003 · Simulation 1,597
  23. 23 SnowRunner 2020 · Simulation 1,591
  24. 24 Animal Crossing: Wild World 2005 · Simulation 1,587
  25. 25 Tropico 4 2011 · Simulation 1,577
  26. 26 Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp 2017 · Simulation 1,577
  27. 27 Fallout Shelter 2015 · Simulation 1,572
  28. 28 Dredge 2023 · Simulation 1,565
  29. 29 Mario Paint 1992 · Simulation 1,562
  30. 30 PC Building Simulator 2019 · Simulation 1,562
  31. 31 New Pokémon Snap 2021 · Simulation 1,559
  32. 32 Cookie Clicker 2013 · Simulation 1,553
  33. 33 Animal Crossing 2002 · Simulation 1,552
  34. 34 Animal Crossing: City Folk 2008 · Simulation 1,552
  35. 35 TheHunter: Call of the Wild 2017 · Simulation 1,550
  36. 36 Sunflower Land 2022 · Simulation 1,550
  37. 37 VRChat 2017 · Simulation 1,545
  38. 38 RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 2004 · Simulation 1,545
  39. 39 BeamNG.drive 2015 · Simulation 1,544
  40. 40 Spore 2008 · Simulation 1,536
  41. 41 Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War 2004 · Simulation 1,534
  42. 42 World of Tanks 2011 · Simulation 1,530
  43. 43 Slime Rancher 2017 · Simulation 1,523
  44. 44 Zoo Tycoon 2001 · Simulation 1,521
  45. 45 Oxygen Not Included 2019 · Simulation 1,519
  46. 46 SimCity 4 2003 · Simulation 1,512
  47. 47 Star Wars: TIE Fighter 1994 · Simulation 1,512
  48. 48 Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere 1999 · Simulation 1,511
  49. 49 Hacknet 2015 · Simulation 1,510
  50. 50 Dwarf Fortress – · Simulation 1,507
  51. 51 Euro Truck Simulator 2008 · Simulation 1,505
  52. 52 Tomodachi Life 2013 · Simulation 1,504
  53. 53 Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway 2008 · Simulation 1,502
  54. 54 Star Wars: Squadrons 2020 · Simulation 1,499
  55. 55 Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation 2007 · Simulation 1,498
  56. 56 Coral Island 2023 · Simulation 1,497
  57. 57 Hay Day 2012 · Simulation 1,494
  58. 58 Punch Club 2016 · Simulation 1,492
  59. 59 Palia 2023 · Simulation 1,485
  60. 60 The Urbz: Sims in the City 2004 · Simulation 1,484
  61. 61 World of Warships 2015 · Simulation 1,483
  62. 62 My Summer Car 2025 · Simulation 1,482
  63. 63 War Thunder 2013 · Simulation 1,479
  64. 64 PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator 2016 · Simulation 1,474
  65. 65 Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes 2015 · Simulation 1,473
  66. 66 Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance 1999 · Simulation 1,473
  67. 67 Inzoi 2025 · Simulation 1,469
  68. 68 Elite: Dangerous 2014 · Simulation 1,468
  69. 69 flOw 2006 · Simulation 1,468
  70. 70 Viva Piñata 2006 · Simulation 1,466
  71. 71 Lake 2021 · Simulation 1,463
  72. 72 Totally Reliable Delivery Service 2020 · Simulation 1,462
  73. 73 Exo One 2021 · Simulation 1,460
  74. 74 Infinifactory 2015 · Simulation 1,459
  75. 75 Game Dev Story 1997 · Simulation 1,458
  76. 76 Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town 2003 · Simulation 1,457
  77. 77 Crime Scene Cleaner 2024 · Simulation 1,455
  78. 78 A Game About Digging A Hole 2025 · Simulation 1,454
  79. 79 Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War 2006 · Simulation 1,454
  80. 80 Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise 2008 · Simulation 1,453
  81. 81 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 · Simulation 1,451
  82. 82 Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer 2015 · Simulation 1,451
  83. 83 Star Wars: Starfighter 2001 · Simulation 1,448
  84. 84 Wing Commander 1990 · Simulation 1,448
  85. 85 Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies 2001 · Simulation 1,448
  86. 86 Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream 2026 · Simulation 1,448
  87. 87 Top Gun 1987 · Simulation 1,448
  88. 88 From Dust 2011 · Simulation 1,447
  89. 89 Pokémon Channel 2003 · Simulation 1,446
  90. 90 Star Wars: X-Wing 1993 · Simulation 1,446
  91. 91 Freespace 2 1999 · Simulation 1,446
  92. 92 Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown 2019 · Simulation 1,444
  93. 93 SimCity 2013 · Simulation 1,438
  94. 94 Digimon World 1999 · Simulation 1,436
  95. 95 Slime Rancher 2 2025 · Simulation 1,436
  96. 96 Spintires 2014 · Simulation 1,434
  97. 97 World of Warplanes 2013 · Simulation 1,433
  98. 98 Always Sometimes Monsters 2014 · Simulation 1,431
  99. 99 Pokémon: Magikarp Jump 2017 · Simulation 1,431
  100. 100 Webfishing 2024 · Simulation 1,428

Filter, combine and travel back in time in the full ranking

Other rankings

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In detail

The best simulation games, what this ranking says

Stardew Valley leads this selection with 1,873 ELO points, ahead of Kerbal Space Program and Factorio. The 142 games competing in it have played 17,937 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 142
Duels played by those games 17,937
Game in the lead Stardew Valley (2016)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,873
Point gap between 1st and 10th 130
Best represented decade 2010s
Last reading September 18, 2026

The best simulation game of every decade

A selection is not read in one block: here is what leads each of its brackets.

The best simulation game of every decade
Decade Games competing In the lead ELO score Duels played
1990s 15 SimCity 2000 1,743 166
2000s 37 The Sims 1,817 193
2010s 54 Stardew Valley 1,873 2,258
2020s 33 Factorio 1,829 200

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 97 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War +85 1,534
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream +84 1,448
Star Wars: Starfighter +70 1,448

The most contested match-ups

These pairs of games have faced each other more than any others in this selection.

The most contested match-ups
Wins Against Duels played Win rate
Stardew Valley Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 90 57%
The Sims 3 Stardew Valley 5 60%
Stardew Valley The Sims 4 75%
The Sims Cities: Skylines 4 75%
Stardew Valley Cities: Skylines 4 75%

How this ranking is established

No jury, no press score, no sales figures: two games face off, players vote, and every vote updates an ELO score. This page is a view of the world ranking, never a standing kept apart.

Understand the method in detail →

FAQ

What players ask

What is the best simulation game?

According to community votes, the best simulation game is Stardew Valley, with 1,873 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Kerbal Space Program and Factorio, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many simulation games are ranked?

142 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 17,937 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.

Which simulation game is climbing right now?

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 85 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 97 games in the selection moved.

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