Scrolling the internet this morning, I came across the trailer for an upcoming game called Gold Mining Simulator 2. The idea that there would be not just one but two games about such a niche topic intrigued me, and it made me curious about all the other hyper-focused simulators that might be out there, with which I could happily become obsessed so I can stop obsessing about, uh, other things.
My favorite “pretend to have a job you’d never have in real life” game is Euro Truck Simulator 2, which is a bit ironic considering that in real life I haven’t driven a car in a decade. I’ve never gotten far enough in Euro Truck to create a thriving shipping empire, tending to just like driving my fake truck around listening to real life radio stations. I actually learned about 2014’s protests in Ferguson, Missouri, while playing the game; the news broke on a UK radio station I was listening to shortly after buying the game, which was a really weird way to learn some major world news.
I’m also, of course, a fan of PowerWash Simulator, which I imagine gets its appeal less from imagining working as a power washer and more because it scratches the same itch as a coloring book. Years ago I got into an early access game called Sailaway, which used real-life weather and mapping data to simulate sailing a boat around the world. The actual sailing mechanics overwhelmed me, especially in its early state, so I mostly used it to say “I wonder what the weather is like near Antarctica right now” and go find out.
I go through periodic bouts of wondering if the perfect horseracing simulator exists, because I unpredictably become obsessed with researching how board and video games have recreated the sport in a way that captures the randomness of race betting without being too random. One of the games I most see mentioned in that space is called Rival Stars Horse Racing, but it always comes with enough caveats (and a high enough price tag) that I’ve never quite bitten the bullet.
I spent the entire weekend refreshing social feeds and news sites long past the point of necessity, so I’m staggering into this week with my entire nervous system wrung out like a towel. It’s not a good way to live, and there are many more productive and useful ways for me to manage my feelings that I’m determined to tap into instead. But help knock me out of my funk by telling me about the games you love that make your friends go “they made what into a game?” The weirder the better.
