Games allow us to try out professions we wouldn't dare pursue in reality, or those that simply cannot exist in the real world. Meanwhile, game mechanics help eliminate negative consequences, such as risks to one’s life.
Not For Broadcast
- Developer: NotGames
- Publisher: tinyBuild
- Release date: January 25, 2022
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
Many of you enjoy live streams. They make viewers feel involved in the events, whether it's a battle between two teams in a competitive game or a game show broadcast. But what if you happened to become a live broadcast director, and in a totalitarian state at that? In Not For Broadcast, it is up to you to decide which video clips to air and which to hold back, how to respond to comments, what to emphasize, and what to divert attention from.
Throughout the game, you will face numerous moral dilemmas, as only you decide what to “feed” the audience. Deep immersion is ensured by FMV (Full Motion Video) visuals, which make you feel as if you are genuinely behind the television screen. The game is packed with dramatic and hilarious moments, holding your attention as you fight for the “minds” of your viewers.
Image belongs to: tinyBuild. Image source: Steam
Hot Tub Simulator
- Developer: Mistuki Game Studio
- Publisher: Mistuki Game Studio
- Release date: August 26, 2021
- Platforms: PC
Hot Tub Simulator continues the theme of live broadcasts. This game was released when stories about pool streamers dominated the headlines. Hot Tub Simulator allows you to step into the shoes of one of them. You will have to develop your own channel, attracting subscribers with “engaging content” straight from the pool, while the money you earn can be spent on discovering new streaming locations, unlocking skills, and, of course, customizing your avatar's appearance.
Image belongs to: Mistuki Game Studio. Image source: steamdb.com
Viscera Cleanup Detail
- Developer: RuneStorm
- Publisher: RuneStorm
- Release date: October 23, 2015
- Platforms: PC
Do you love violent games where body parts fly off enemies and blood spatters by the gallon? But have you ever wondered what happens after the end credits roll in Dead Space or Resident Evil? Who gets to clean up the entire mess you caused over dozens of hours of gameplay? That’s where the private cleaning company employee in Viscera Cleanup Detail clocks in. In this game, your duties involve cleaning up the aftermath of battles against alien creatures, zombies, and more.
You need to collect scattered body parts and organs, repair damages, dispose of remains, and wash away blood. Key features of the game include realistic physics and a wide range of cleaning tools. And a co-op mode with friends helps spice up the daily grind. After playing this game, cleaning your own room will seem like a total breeze.
Image belongs to: RuneStorm. Image source: Steam
PowerWash Simulator
- Developer: FuturLab
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Release date: May 19, 2021
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
This game lets you feel like a true pressure-washing professional. You will have to clean not just old houses and cars, but also, for example, a Mars rover. After all, they didn't find water on Mars for nothing — it has to be used. Collaborations with famous franchises add plenty of interesting locations to clean. You can polish the DeLorean from “Back to the Future” until it shines, tidy up Lara Croft’s manor, drench all of Bikini Bottom, or cleanse the world of heresy for the glory of the Emperor!
A vast arsenal of tools is at your disposal to help with this arduous task. Various nozzles, extension wands, and cleaning agents let you choose the most effective washing method. No routine! Each cleaning mission can become your own little adventure, full of creativity and satisfaction.
Image belongs to: Futur Lab, Square Enix. Image source: Microsoft Store
Mad Games Tycoon 2
- Developer: Eggcode
- Publisher: Eggcode
- Release date: May 31, 2023
- Platforms: PC
Have you long dreamed of breaking into game development and creating your own AAAA blockbuster? In Mad Games Tycoon 2, you will navigate the thorny path from a small indie studio to a gaming industry giant.You will be able not only to assemble a team of professionals capable of crafting an exciting game of any genre and setting, but eventually design your own gaming console as well.
While developing your studio, you will have to consider industry trends, keep track of competitors' successes, and listen to player feedback (haha). Playing Mad Games Tycoon 2 will show you firsthand that game development has gotten more expensive, while critics and gamers are a bunch of vicious parasites out to ruin you.
Game Dev Tycoon offers a similar experience, and which one is better is up to you. Both games can easily hook you for dozens of hours and give you a better understanding of what kind of hell game development can be.
Image belongs to: Eggcode. Image source: Steam
Graveyard Keeper
- Developer: Lazy Bear Games
- Publisher: tinyBuild
- Release date: August 15, 2018
- Platforms: PC, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
In this game, the protagonist ends up in an alternate reality reminiscent of the Middle Ages and becomes a cemetery keeper. Your duties include keeping the graveyard in decent shape, preparing corpses for burial, and performing the associated rituals. That is far from everything, however. You will expand your own plot, carry out quests for the local king, build relationships with the villagers, and even hold sermons for them. Graveyard Keeper feels like Stardew Valley generously drizzled with dark humor sauce, capable of hooking fans of the genre for a hundred hours.
Image belongs to: tinyBuild. Image source: Steam
Peace, Death!
- Developer: AZAMATIKA
- Publisher: AZAMATIKA
- Release date: March 24, 2017
- Platforms: PC, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch
“I'll sleep when I'm dead,” we think, sacrificing sleep for an exciting video game adventure. But what if you can't? This game from Russian studio AZAMATIKA tells the story of a Reaper working for Apocalypse Inc. His duties include sorting the “new arrivals.” Based on the appearance of the incoming beings, you must decide whether to send them to Hell or Heaven. You are rewarded for correct choices, but make a mistake and you risk taking a hit. All in all, total Peace, Death!
And while the job is easy enough at first, making the final call gets progressively harder as you progress. The title seamlessly blends a grim “afterlife” theme with absurd humor, and how your adventure ends depends entirely on the decisions you make along the way.
Image belongs to: AZAMATIKA. Image source: Steam
House Flipper 2
- Developer: Frozen District, Empyrean
- Publisher: Frozen District, PlayWay S.A.
- Release date: December 14, 2023
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
A significant portion of gaming sessions in The Sims ends right after the stage of creating and furnishing one’s own home. Needless to say, the cost of DLCs can easily surpass a thousand dollars, unless you sail under the black flag. House Flipper 2 spares you from all these troubles and invites you to experience firsthand all the delights of a home makeover. Step into the shoes of an interior designer, a foreman, or a painter. Meditative gameplay coupled with extensive features will let you unwind for a few evenings while planning the upcoming renovation of your own “man cave”.
Image belongs to: Frozen District, Empyrean Image source: Steam
911 Operator
- Developer: Jutsu Games
- Publisher: Games Operators
- Release date: February 24, 2017
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, Xbox One
If you are not yet tired of phone scammers, try taking on the role of a 911 emergency dispatcher. You need to respond properly to numerous calls for help.Someone urgently needs medical assistance, a fire has broken out somewhere. “Andryukha, we got a corpse. Possible homicide.” You are responsible for all of this. Oh, right. And for pizza delivery too.
Career mode is a series of trials on the path to becoming an experienced dispatcher. Meanwhile, Scenario mode offers a number of unusual and convoluted situations that need to be resolved.The main goal in all modes is to manage available resources, including human ones, not only to help citizens, but also to avoid getting your staff killed prematurely.
The project lets you dive headfirst into the tense atmosphere of an emergency dispatch room, though the challenges start to repeat themselves rather quickly. Nevertheless, 911 Operator guarantees several hours of engaging gameplay.
Image belongs to: Jutsu Games. Image source: Steam
Contraband Police
- Developer: Crazy Rocks
- Publisher: PlayWay S.A.
- Release date: March 8, 2023
- Platforms: PC
At first glance, Contraband Police makes it clear that the developers were inspired by Papers, Please. Both games put you in the boots of a border control officer. Your duties include inspecting and identifying discrepancies in the documents of people trying to cross the border. However, Contraband Police does not stop there.
You must identify and thwart smugglers’ attempts to traffic contraband, interrogate suspects, and engage in car chases and shootouts. The developers came up with a multitude of ingenious ways to conceal contraband, so you will have to use various tools and hone your skills as a professional inspector. At times, you will have to rely solely on intuition. Throughout the game, you will face moral dilemmas that carry consequences. However, this aspect is not as deeply developed here as in Papers, Please.
Image belongs to: Crazy Rocks Image source: Steam
Surgeon Simulator
- Developer: Bossa Studios
- Publisher: tinyBuild
- Release date: April 19, 2013
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS
Ever wanted to become a doctor as a child and save human lives? Surgeon Simulator will give you that chance. You play as Nigel Burke, a one-handed surgeon whose first assignment is a heart transplant operation. But there is a catch. The game features extremely peculiar controls: arm movements are performed via mouse gestures, while individual keys control each finger. To make matters worse, there is no tutorial, adding fuel to the fire. At first, performing even the simplest actions will be exceedingly difficult, but once you master the controls, the game delivers plenty of unforgettable moments.
Surgeon Simulator makes no claims to realism; it is a tongue-in-cheek surgeon simulator packed with dark humor. Admittedly, quite a few gaming chairs were burnt on the way to fun, since a heart transplant is the easiest thing you will have to do in this game. Surgeon Simulator has plenty of unexpected patients and situations in store where you will have to perform operations.
Image belongs to: tinyBuild. Image source: Steam
QWOP
- Developer: Bennet Foddy
- Publisher: Bennet Foddy
- Release date: November 12, 2008
- Platforms: PC
QWOP is a hardcore simulator of an Olympic runner. Your goal is to run a 100-meter dash—what could be simpler? The game is controlled using the Q, W, O, and P keys, with each key responsible for a specific muscle group in the athlete’s legs. Properly coordinating leg movements is where the main challenge lies: the character constantly stumbles and falls, and it takes tremendous effort just to cover ten meters. The project is extremely minimalist and distributed as a free browser game, yet the gameplay captivates with its difficulty and delivers a sense of triumph comparable to a real athletic competition.
Image belongs to: Bennet Foddy
UBOAT
- Developer: Deep Water Studio
- Publisher: PlayWay S.A.
- Release date: April 30, 2019
- Platforms: PC
This game allows you to step into the boots of a World War II submarine captain. You will undertake various missions, such as patrolling enemy waters, transporting cargo, attacking vessels, and defending your base. Crucially, you must monitor crew morale, manage resources, provisions, and oxygen. Each crew member possesses unique traits and abilities that can influence the outcome of a mission.
The game offers a realistic submarine control model and serves as a direct counterpart to the Silent Hunter series. Ubisoft’s series went under in 2016, making UBOAT the finest submarine simulator the industry currently has to offer. Players note the presence of save bugs and other issues, even though the game has been in early access for five years now. But where are you going to run on a submarine?
Image belongs to: Deep Water Studio. Image source: Steam
Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Developer: Asobo Studio
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Release date: August 18, 2020
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series
Microsoft’s high-tech flight simulator is rightfully considered one of the best, if not the best, on the market. Its extensive aircraft fleet lets you test various models of airplanes, helicopters, and gliders, including those that do not exist in real life—such as the Ornithopter from the Dune universe. Each craft features sophisticated flight mechanics based on its real-world physical characteristics and specifications.
Thanks to cloud technologies and advances in artificial intelligence, the game delivers a vast, realistic world recreated through procedural generation from actual satellite imagery of Earth. All of this ensures deep immersion and a high degree of simulation, allowing you to embark on a virtual tour to the most diverse corners of our planet and feel like a pilot without leaving your home.
Image belongs to: Microsoft Corporation Image source: Steam
Uncrashed: FVP Drone Simulator
- Developer: Louis Rochette
- Publisher: Louis Rochette
- Release date: September 1, 2021
- Platforms: PC
A realistic first-person drone simulation game. The game features various drone models with customization options, as well as adjustable physics. You can test your skills in several game modes, including free flight and various challenges. An excellent training tool when preparing to pilot a real drone.
Image belongs to: Louis Rochette. Image source: Steam