Ranking by genre

The best simulation games.

150 games compete in this selection. Stardew Valley tops it with 1,913 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Stardew Valley 2016 · Simulation 1,913
  2. 2 Factorio 2020 · Simulation 1,826
  3. 3 The Sims 2 2004 · Simulation 1,803
  4. 4 Kerbal Space Program 2015 · Simulation 1,799
  5. 5 Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2020 · Simulation 1,780
  6. 6 Prison Architect 2015 · Simulation 1,766
  7. 7 The Sims 3 2009 · Simulation 1,761
  8. 8 Euro Truck Simulator 2 2012 · Simulation 1,758
  9. 9 Cities: Skylines 2015 · Simulation 1,748
  10. 10 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2007 · Simulation 1,746
  11. 11 The Sims 2000 · Simulation 1,744
  12. 12 Garry's Mod 2004 · Simulation 1,725
  13. 13 SimCity 2000 1993 · Simulation 1,721
  14. 14 Battlefield 4 2013 · Simulation 1,682
  15. 15 Pokémon Snap 1999 · Simulation 1,674
  16. 16 War Thunder 2013 · Simulation 1,660
  17. 17 The Sims 4 2014 · Simulation 1,647
  18. 18 Animal Crossing 2002 · Simulation 1,646
  19. 19 Animal Crossing: New Leaf 2012 · Simulation 1,617
  20. 20 Spore 2008 · Simulation 1,612
  21. 21 Flower 2009 · Simulation 1,604
  22. 22 Fallout Shelter 2015 · Simulation 1,596
  23. 23 RollerCoaster Tycoon 1999 · Simulation 1,596
  24. 24 Zoo Tycoon 2001 · Simulation 1,594
  25. 25 Animal Crossing: Wild World 2005 · Simulation 1,593
  26. 26 VRChat 2017 · Simulation 1,585
  27. 27 The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe 2022 · Simulation 1,583
  28. 28 Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp 2017 · Simulation 1,578
  29. 29 Oxygen Not Included 2019 · Simulation 1,572
  30. 30 Tropico 4 2011 · Simulation 1,571
  31. 31 Overcooked! 2016 · Simulation 1,564
  32. 32 Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes 2015 · Simulation 1,563
  33. 33 Animal Crossing: City Folk 2008 · Simulation 1,559
  34. 34 Punch Club 2016 · Simulation 1,549
  35. 35 Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway 2008 · Simulation 1,548
  36. 36 Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life 2003 · Simulation 1,535
  37. 37 Tomodachi Life 2013 · Simulation 1,533
  38. 38 Viva Piñata 2006 · Simulation 1,532
  39. 39 American Truck Simulator 2016 · Simulation 1,528
  40. 40 Palia 2023 · Simulation 1,527
  41. 41 New Pokémon Snap 2021 · Simulation 1,526
  42. 42 Elite: Dangerous 2014 · Simulation 1,517
  43. 43 RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 2004 · Simulation 1,517
  44. 44 Cookie Clicker 2013 · Simulation 1,515
  45. 45 BeamNG.drive 2015 · Simulation 1,515
  46. 46 Dwarf Fortress – · Simulation 1,512
  47. 47 Sunflower Land 2022 · Simulation 1,511
  48. 48 Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War 2004 · Simulation 1,505
  49. 49 World of Tanks 2011 · Simulation 1,504
  50. 50 Dredge 2023 · Simulation 1,504
  51. 51 Star Wars: Starfighter 2001 · Simulation 1,503
  52. 52 Dark Void 2010 · Simulation 1,503
  53. 53 Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library! 2026 · Simulation 1,503
  54. 54 A Game About Digging A Hole 2025 · Simulation 1,502
  55. 55 Hacknet 2015 · Simulation 1,497
  56. 56 MySims 2007 · Simulation 1,497
  57. 57 Slime Rancher 2017 · Simulation 1,496
  58. 58 SnowRunner 2020 · Simulation 1,496
  59. 59 Umamusume: Pretty Derby 2021 · Simulation 1,494
  60. 60 Eve Online 2003 · Simulation 1,494
  61. 61 Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X 2009 · Simulation 1,494
  62. 62 Star Wars: Squadrons 2020 · Simulation 1,493
  63. 63 Graveyard Keeper 2018 · Simulation 1,492
  64. 64 Harvest Moon 64 1999 · Simulation 1,489
  65. 65 Digimon World 1999 · Simulation 1,488
  66. 66 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 · Simulation 1,484
  67. 67 Game Dev Story 1997 · Simulation 1,479
  68. 68 Coral Island 2023 · Simulation 1,479
  69. 69 Infinifactory 2015 · Simulation 1,477
  70. 70 Mario Paint 1992 · Simulation 1,476
  71. 71 Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation 2007 · Simulation 1,475
  72. 72 Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise 2008 · Simulation 1,475
  73. 73 Star Wars: X-Wing 1993 · Simulation 1,470
  74. 74 Supermarket Together 2024 · Simulation 1,470
  75. 75 Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies 2001 · Simulation 1,469
  76. 76 Exo One 2021 · Simulation 1,467
  77. 77 Clicker Heroes 2014 · Simulation 1,465
  78. 78 World of Warships 2015 · Simulation 1,464
  79. 79 Surgeon Simulator 2013 2013 · Simulation 1,464
  80. 80 Star Wars: TIE Fighter 1994 · Simulation 1,459
  81. 81 IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 2006 · Simulation 1,457
  82. 82 Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer 2015 · Simulation 1,456
  83. 83 Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 2017 · Simulation 1,455
  84. 84 The Sims FreePlay 2011 · Simulation 1,455
  85. 85 PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator 2016 · Simulation 1,454
  86. 86 Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream 2026 · Simulation 1,453
  87. 87 Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown 2019 · Simulation 1,452
  88. 88 Fantasy Life 2012 · Simulation 1,448
  89. 89 Slime Rancher 2 2025 · Simulation 1,444
  90. 90 Lake 2021 · Simulation 1,444
  91. 91 Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere 1999 · Simulation 1,444
  92. 92 Strange Horticulture 2022 · Simulation 1,438
  93. 93 Pokémon Channel 2003 · Simulation 1,438
  94. 94 The Urbz: Sims in the City 2004 · Simulation 1,438
  95. 95 Inzoi 2025 · Simulation 1,438
  96. 96 My Summer Car 2025 · Simulation 1,437
  97. 97 Horse Club Ride West 2026 · Simulation 1,437
  98. 98 Freespace 2 1999 · Simulation 1,436
  99. 99 SimCity 4 2003 · Simulation 1,433
  100. 100 flOw 2006 · Simulation 1,433

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 1,913 ELO points, ahead of Factorio and The Sims 2. The 150 games competing in it have played 21,766 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 150
Duels played by those games 21,766
Game in the lead Stardew Valley (2016)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,913
Point gap between 1st and 10th 167
Best represented decade 2010s
Last reading November 3, 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 1,721 185
2000s 38 The Sims 2 1,803 321
2010s 53 Stardew Valley 1,913 2,302
2020s 41 Factorio 1,826 235

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 94 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Harvest Moon 64 +64 1,489
Punch Club +58 1,549
Dark Void +57 1,503

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 Cities: Skylines 4 75%
Pokémon Snap Euro Truck Simulator 2 4 75%
Stardew Valley The Sims 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 1,913 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Factorio and The Sims 2, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many simulation games are ranked?

150 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 21,766 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?

Harvest Moon 64 is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 64 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 94 games in the selection moved.

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