Simulation games are those video or computer games that are concerned with playing out realistic situations in game settings. Examples of these types of games include taking care of virtual people or pets, such as Sims games, developing cities of societies like in Civilization or SimCity, and building amusement parks or zoos in games like Roller Coaster Tycoon or Zoo Tycoon. Some of these games can take hours to play, and they may be incredibly complex. In fact, some games aren’t played to win but are instead played because you can develop multiple right solutions or different permutations of the game depending on your choices. Other simulation games are structured on a more win/lose basis or require completing certain tasks before being able to advance to another level.
People may remember that long before video games became so popular and so complex there were roots of the simulation game in other activities. Astronauts ran simulations of missions so they would be sure to act correctly. Many former teen drivers remember simulation labs where they would watch films that would allow them to practice driving with a steering wheel, possibly brakes, and other car controls.
As a video game genre though, many credit SimCity as being the first true simulation game marketed for the public, although there were some driving games that preceded it that may also be considered simulation models. SimCity was released in 1989, and since then there have been many updated versions that allow you to plan cities, raise money through taxes, and develop communities. You could choose to build your own city from scratch, or choose to play a specific city that was facing certain types of trouble you needed to manage.
During your city building, you’d also have to account for problems with increased population, natural disasters (including Godzilla appearances), unhappiness of citizens, and electrical shortages. A game could go on basically as long as you wanted it to, and if you really hated your city, you could always start fresh. SimCity was viewed as the beginning of a revolution in simulation games, and inspired numerous competitors in the following years.
Since the release of the first version of SimCity, numerous games have come along that have stretched the genre. Certain realistic fighting games are called sim games. Some fantasy warfare games also fall into this category, especially if they are ones that involve use of significant strategy and tactics to engage in battles. Another big change in simulation games occurred with the introduction of games like the original The Sims, released in 2000.
Instead of controlling large cities or defeating worlds, the Sims were people you could control. The game allowed you to find work for Sims, teach them to cook, tell them when to sleep and to find them mates or friends. Other games quickly followed, some of them more child appropriate like the wonderful Animal Crossing by Nintendo. There are also games for kids that will allow them to raise virtual pets, design fashions, or learn to cook.
Perhaps the next development in simulation games has been the introduction of the Nintendo Wii. Instead of controlling games through a simple controller, Wii games allow you to use arm and hand movements to more realistically simulate the activities characters might perform in a game. Wii Sports, for instance, allows you to realistically bowl, golf, box or play tennis. The new controller aspects of the Wii have added a more complex level to simulation games, and in essence almost all Wii games have some elements of simulation behavior, even if they really belong in different game genres. You’re using real life movements that echo the movements being performed in the games, which makes playing these games more immediate and realistic.