Best Free Simulation Games Online: Shop, Bus, Farm and Fishing Sims

Job simulators are a quiet corner of gaming: you run a shop, drive a bus, fix a car or catch fish, and the pleasure comes from doing the job well. The simulation category on PlayKovo is large, with over a hundred games, but the work-and-life sims are the most distinctive part. Here is a guide to the ones worth your time, grouped by the job.

Run a shop

Supermarket Simulator is one of the most played games in the whole category. You restock shelves and grow a supermarket from scratch, using WASD to move and the mouse to pick up, carry and place items. Supermarket Simulator: The Original is a second take on the same job, where you stock shelves and run your own store with the left mouse button to pick up and use items.

The appeal is the loop: stock, sell, earn, expand. If you like that, our tycoon games guide covers the managing side in more depth.

Drive for a living

Bus Simulator: EVO offers a detailed bus with six vehicle types and what it calls 1:1 physics. Use W to accelerate, S to brake, A and D to steer, and F to open the doors. World Bus Ride gives you realistic routes across four vehicle types where you pick up passengers stop to stop, with L for headlights and Enter to open the doors.

These are slow games on purpose. If you want speed, look at our racing games list instead.

Work with your hands

Mechanic Simulator: Car Repair has you diagnose and repair broken-down cars piece by piece in your own garage. You click or tap to select tools and interact with car parts. Farming Simulation Game lets you drive tractors, plant crops and manage your own farm, using WASD or the arrow keys to drive and steer the tractor.

Relax with a rod

Tideline is a relaxing 3D fishing game: cast your line, fight the fish, sell your catch and upgrade your gear. On desktop you move the mouse to aim and hold left click or Space. It is a good game to leave running while you think about something else.

Careers and life

Two long career sims look at sport: Football Player's Path Simulator takes you from academy hopeful to world-famous footballer, and Footballer: From First Contract to Legend covers 24 seasons, 10 positions and 30 countries. Both are driven by menus and decisions rather than action; we have a career tips guide for the first one. Mom Life Simulator Baby Care and Pregnant Mother Simulator turn household chores and childcare into tasks, played with the mouse or touch.

What these games ask of you

Tips

• Do the tutorial. Sims have more controls than arcade games, and the first few minutes teach them.
• Upgrade the slowest part of your loop first. In shop and farm games, the thing that wastes your time is usually the best upgrade.
• Use a keyboard and mouse for the 3D sims. Touch is possible but fiddly for carrying and placing.
• Take your time. There is rarely a penalty for slowness, and rushing is where the mistakes come from.

See all the simulation games, or if you want something calmer still, try our list of relaxing browser games.