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🏙️ Starter simulation & management game recommendations

48 well-reviewed, popular simulation and management games: build cities, run shops, farm, ranked by Steam positive rating and review count.

  1. 1

    Euro Truck Simulator 2

    97% positive (948.5K reviews)
  2. 2

    American Truck Simulator

    97% positive (197.8K reviews)
  3. 3

    Cities: Skylines

    93% positive (291.1K reviews)
  4. 4

    Frostpunk

    93% positive (138K reviews)
  5. 5

    Scrap Mechanic

    92% positive (123.2K reviews)
  6. 6

    Farming Simulator 22

    93% positive (93.1K reviews)
  7. 7

    The Sims 4

    86% positive (201.4K reviews)
    Free to play
    · Free to play
  8. 8

    Plague Inc: Evolved

    94% positive (66.3K reviews)
  9. 9
  10. 10

    SnowRunner

    90% positive (56.8K reviews)
  11. 11

    ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN

    88% positive (57.4K reviews)
  12. 12

    Two Point Hospital

    92% positive (35K reviews)
  13. 13

    The Test

    97% positive (20.1K reviews)
  14. 14

    Farming Simulator 25

    87% positive (59.6K reviews)
  15. 15

    Football Manager 2021

    94% positive (23.8K reviews)
  16. 16

    Farming Simulator 17

    93% positive (26K reviews)
  17. 17

    Project Wingman

    94% positive (22.6K reviews)
  18. 18

    Transport Fever 2

    90% positive (33.3K reviews)
  19. 19

    Disney Dreamlight Valley

    92% positive (25.1K reviews)
  20. 20

    Football Manager 2022

    93% positive (21.5K reviews)
  21. 21

    Viscera Cleanup Detail

    92% positive (23.8K reviews)
  22. 22

    Holdfast: Nations At War

    90% positive (29.7K reviews)
  23. 23

    Verdun

    86% positive (37.7K reviews)
  24. 24

    Two Point Museum

    95% positive (13.7K reviews)
  25. 25

    F1 25

    87% positive (30.8K reviews)
  26. 26

    The Exit 8

    93% positive (11.7K reviews)
  27. 27

    Luck be a Landlord

    93% positive (11.6K reviews)
  28. 28

    House Flipper 2

    87% positive (20.2K reviews)
  29. 29

    Ostriv

    95% positive (7,709 reviews)
  30. 30

    Leaf it Alone

    96% positive (6,797 reviews)
  31. 31

    From the Depths

    89% positive (12.9K reviews)
  32. 32

    Turing Complete

    96% positive (5,890 reviews)
  33. 33

    Let's School

    93% positive (7,492 reviews)
  34. 34

    Kill It With Fire

    95% positive (5,531 reviews)
  35. 35

    Creeper World 4

    95% positive (4,742 reviews)
  36. 36

    Two Point Campus

    88% positive (8,286 reviews)
  37. 37

    Pathogenic

    93% positive (4,703 reviews)
  38. 38
  39. 39

    The House of Da Vinci

    86% positive (7,355 reviews)
  40. 40

    Last Seen Online

    98% positive (2,381 reviews)
    Free to play
    · Free to play
  41. 41

    X-Morph: Defense

    91% positive (4,259 reviews)
  42. 42

    Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator 2

    85% positive (7,523 reviews)
  43. 43

    Cattails

    96% positive (2,693 reviews)
  44. 44

    Desktop Explorer

    96% positive (2,447 reviews)
  45. 45

    ScootX

    93% positive (2,610 reviews)
  46. 46

    Wasteland 2: Director's Cut

    88% positive (2,943 reviews)
  47. 47

    Happy's Humble Burger Farm

    87% positive (3,038 reviews)
  48. 48

    Ore Factory Squad ⛏️

    89% positive (2,013 reviews)

FAQ

Do simulation & management games take a lot of time?

These games usually have no clear ending and can be played indefinitely; set yourself a time limit so you don't accidentally play until sunrise.