Other simulations

We spray pink active foam onto a completely filthy body, clean the rims and undercarriage, scrub the dashboard – and can even drive the gleaming customer car ourselves once the job is done. But since its Early Access launch on 10 August 2026, Car Wash Simulator has aimed to be far more than another relaxing cleaning game: Beyond its ten car washes, property deals, passive income and even contraband and secret plant rooms await if we want them. Can a simple car wash really become an unusual business simulation this way?

More than 180 machines and attachments from over 35 real brands: Construction Simulator: Evolution is already setting a new series record before launch. Caterpillar, Liebherr and JCB return, while Volvo Construction Equipment is among the manufacturers joining the virtual construction site for the first time. Shortly before the first closed playtest, however, it is not just the enormous number that matters – but the variety actually behind it: Are we getting the most comprehensive construction-machine simulation in the series, or primarily an exceptionally large marketing list?

The alarm has been triggered: Since August 5, 2026, we have been able to report for duty in Emergency Call – The Firefighting Simulation 3 for the first time. The new entry does not begin as a finished firefighting simulation with a complete station and an enormous vehicle fleet, however, but as a deliberately limited Early Access version. Are one initial fire engine, training courses and the expanded station routine already enough for a convincing start to the shift?

We excavate construction pits, place prefabricated elements with millimetre precision and tip tonnes of material – but in Construction Simulator, almost all of the actual building has so far been done by our machines. Construction Simulator: Evolution breaks through that boundary: We get out, pick up a shovel, saw or nail gun ourselves and even construct walls brick by brick. Will this finally turn the machine simulator into a complete construction-site simulation?

Not enough paint for the entire apartment? Dilute it with water. The tiles are uneven? That gives the room character. The furniture does not fit through the door? Throw it out of the window. Low-Budget Repairs is not trying to become a completely serious handyman simulator. It is about cheap tools, questionable shortcuts and renovations that only need to survive until the money reaches your account.

Sometimes all it takes is a random video to bring back old memories. That’s exactly what happened to me recently, bringing a long-forgotten game back into focus. Do you still know it, or did it pass you by completely?

Hard Worker does not want to give us only one profession. We are supposed to drive trucks, work fields, construct buildings, sort goods, maintain vehicles and go fishing together after work. But with such an enormous promise, the number of activities will not determine its success: Will the different players actually need each other?

The cook has disappeared, customer numbers are falling and every task inside the old roadside diner is left to you. Since July 27, the free prologue to Road Diner Simulator has allowed us to discover how quickly a simple burger can turn into a chaotic shift. No guest can wait too long between the grill, coffee machine, cash register and dishwasher – and the diner must remain clean as well.

Tonight, Subway Builder arrives on Steam – a simulator that could be extremely exciting for public transport fans. Instead of simply drawing lines on a map, you build an entire subway system under realistic conditions. It is about station locations, route alignment, costs, frequencies, transfers, delays and millions of simulated commuters. In short: if you have always wanted to know whether you could serve a city better with a subway, light rail or regional rail network, this gives you a very nerdy tool in the form of a game.

Bus simulators usually focus on driving itself: serving lines, stopping at bus stops, transporting passengers and bringing the bus safely through traffic. Bus Station Simulator chooses a different approach. Here, you are not simply sitting behind the wheel, but taking over a run-down bus station and gradually turning it back into a functioning transport hub. Could this become one of the more unusual bus simulators of the coming years?

Transport Fever 3 is becoming bigger, more complex and more strategic – but not endlessly detailed. In official developer answers, Urban Games has now clarified several points that are especially interesting for railway and hardcore players: There will be no real timetables as a base feature, no freely set ticket prices, no travel classes and no road or track wear. Is this the right limit against too much micromanagement – or is Transport Fever 3 missing an important railway feature here?

A new simulator called Hard Worker has been announced on Steam, and on paper it immediately stands out. The game does not want to represent just one job, but several areas of life and work at once: long-haul trucking, farming, construction work, warehouse work, career progress, shared jobs with other players and quiet free-time moments such as fishing or music by the campfire. Does that sound like a big simulation dream – or does Hard Worker perhaps want too much in the end?

When we talk about bus and truck simulators, we often talk about large communities, long playtimes and strong brands. But even away from roads, rails and public transport, there are simulations that are much bigger than one might first think. Construction Simulator is exactly one of them: 17,365 concurrent players on Steam, over 11,000 positive reviews and a gameplay concept focused on construction sites, machines, contracts and vehicle fleets. What is behind this success?

A supermarket is nothing special for most of us. We walk in, look for products, pay, and leave again. Supermarket Simulator turns that perspective around: Suddenly we are no longer standing in front of the shelf, but behind it – and have to keep the whole store running ourselves. Why did this concept of all things reach so many players?

Car Mechanic Simulator 2026 is opening its workshop doors to a wider audience for the first time during the current Steam Next Fest. The free demo is playable during the event, while the full version is still intended to release in 2026 with co-op, modular engines, and a considerably more customizable garage. Does the test already show whether the familiar workshop formula has been expanded far enough for the next entry?