The best simulation games to play right now

What are the best simulation games on PC? From the all-time greats that are still worth playing; the sims with modding communities who breathe eternal life into them; the facsimiles of an aspect of reality so niche you can barely fathom their existence, we have everything you need here.

Sims differ from other PC games in that their raison d'être isn’t necessarily to entertain, at least not primarily. Do you want fun and excitement? Tough. Operating a submarine is not that. It is, however, fascinating, terrifying, and hugely satisfying as a long-form experience. Such is the nature of the genre that seeks out the best simulator games - it's like asking for the ‘special’ stock the shopkeeper keeps in the back room.