Whenever we talk about games we think of fantasy worlds like Super Mario or the colorful shooting of Fortnite. No one disputes that both are popular phenomena, but did you know that simulation games for Android and computers are often extremely popular?
Franchises like The Sims and Microsoft Flight Simulator are there to prove to us the power of simulators. Interestingly, we are also quite curious to participate in simulations with rules very similar to those of our own world.
However, both of the games above are for computers. What can you do to find good simulators when your smartphone is your gaming platform? You can visit Google Play and search for them yourself, but the store doesn't have much filtering, so you're likely to find some pretty bad games. So, check out our selection of the best simulation games for Android below!
1.Plague Inc.
It's funny to think about how Plague Inc. has become a game with a different approach than the conventional one for a simulator of our reality since March of last year. In this game, we take on the role of a pathogen that must infect and annihilate humanity. Do you see anything familiar there?
In it, you choose some characteristics, such as the mode of transmission, first symptoms and where the outbreak will begin. Then, you must monitor the evolution of the disease, which becomes stronger as it infects more human beings.
This allows you to choose new developments, such as more forms of contagion or stronger symptoms. Of course, humanity is not idle and they also start developing ways to fight you, the disease. Launched in 2012, the game became very popular after the start of the pandemic.
The game became so popular that the developers went back to work on it. Plague Inc. and created a “good” game mode, where you take on the role of someone fighting the disease.
Plague Inc. is available for free on the Play Store.
Who would have thought that a game about a pandemic would end up predicting our present? Image: Google Play / Reproduction
2 Fallout Shelter
A spin-off of the popular computer RPG franchise, Fallout Shelter imagines what life would be like inside one of the vaults that protected humanity from the nuclear war that devastated the world. As the commander of this vault, you must create rooms, attract residents and make sure their needs are met.
Even years after its release, Fallout Shelter remains quite popular. This is due to the game's faithfulness to the source material, which draws inspiration from and satirizes elements of 1950s American culture.
Download Fallout Shelter on Google Play.
3.The Sims Mobile
Although the original franchise is available on PC and consoles, The Sims also has a mobile version. Perhaps the most famous of the simulation games, the miniaturized version of the game features the same elements that made it a classic.
In other words, you can create and customize your Sims and also the house where they will live. The game features mechanics that help develop a story for each of them, such as career, skills and lifestyle. In addition, it allows you to play online with friends who also play.
The Sims Mobile is available for free on the Play Store.
4. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
An exclusive Nintendo franchise, the latest Animal Crossing game for the Nintendo Switch was even considered one of the best of the year at The Game Awards 2020. The reason for this was simple: at the height of the pandemic, it helped friends socialize over a friendly, relaxed game.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is ideal for those who want to get a taste of what the game is like, but can't afford to buy the console. In it, you'll start your life on an island where you can set up camp and customize it however you see fit.
This means adding floors, placing furniture, and decorating items. You’ll also have hundreds of clothing options for your character, as well as exploring friends’ islands or having visitors over. This makes it one of the best simulation games for Android, especially for those who enjoy social interactions in games.
Learn more about the game downloading it for free on your Android.
Animal Crossing is Nintendo's most sociable game and Pocket Camp is no different. Image: Google Play / Reproduction
5.Game Dev Tycoon
How about a game about creating games? Game Dev Tycoon is one of the many games that put you in the shoes of a game developer. What makes the game so interesting is that it works as a parody of the history of video games itself.
This means that you start the game in your garage, developing games for old computers. As you progress, new consoles come onto the market (including alternative versions of popular video games like the Super Nintendo and PlayStation) and your studio grows.
On the other hand, Game Dev Tycoon is not a free game, costing R$16,99 on Google Play. Alternatively, the game is part of the Google Play Pass, a subscription service similar to Xbox's Game Pass.
The subscription costs R$9,90 per month, but Google offers a 1-month free trial.
6. Smartphone Tycoon 2
Throughout our day, we show you the main news about launches and cell phone ads. We recently showed you details about a Galaxy S21 disassembled and specifications of the Galaxy M12/F12, for example.
If you follow our news and have ever imagined yourself in this industry, Smartphone Tycoon 2 won't give you a job, but it will give you the closest experience to it. As the head of a smartphone manufacturer, you will have the power to create your own smartphone lines, choosing the specifications and direction of your company.
This means you can try to imitate business models based on high-end smartphones, or invest in more modest phones with a greater market reach. But be careful, as bad decisions can cost your business its health!
Smartphone Tycoon 2 is available for free on the Play Store.
7. Through the Darkest of Times
Unlike the simulation games for Android that we have shown so far, Through the Darkest of Times is a historical simulator. The objective of the game is to command a resistance force against Nazism in Germany in the 1930s.
The game begins shortly after Adolf Hitler takes office as German Chancellor and follows the radicalization and oppression of the regime as time goes on. In games like Wolfenstein, where you are a “buff” soldier who must end Nazism on his own.
Here, you and your resistance group are civilians with little military training, who must fight the regime in another way, while avoiding capture by government forces.
In other words, it will have to use tactics such as placing pamphlets in visible places, dialoguing with social and religious groups such as Catholic priests or labor unions, among others. Through the Darkest of Times manages to simultaneously capture our attention and give us a history lesson, putting us in the shoes of those who faced the regime at the time.
The game is available for R$26,99, but it is also part of the Google Play Pass catalog.
What did you think of the simulation games for Android that we recommended?
We're sure you'll enjoy at least one of the games listed above. One of the best things about this genre is that, although they're all characterized as simulators, they all end up being unique, as their proposals are so different.
After all, it's not every day that you can run an airline company and, the next day, be the owner of your own game studio. Want to know more games for your cell phone? Then don't leave without checking out our list of the best games for your cell phone. most anticipated mobile games of 2021!