One of the things that didn’t die (unlike my soul) when I entered adulthood was my love of gaming. After a day of dealing with adult responsibilities and parenting duties, there’s nothing better for me than a gaming session. It helps me relax and unwind, and also gives me a bit of escapism.
Some people may believe that people over thirty or forty are too old to play video games. Newsflash – they aren’t! Gaming can actually be highly beneficial for adults, helping to boost brain activity and reducing the risk of depression.
Who wants to spend every day doing boring adulty stuff? We all need a bit of fun in our lives! There’s no reason why we should stop enjoying hobbies that made us happy as kids just because we’re no longer kids.
One of my favourite genres of video games is simulation. You might think this is odd. After all, if adulthood sucks so much, then why would I want to play a game that simulates adult life? Answer – because simulation games are much more fun. You can build houses, restaurants, theme parks, and entire islands and make them look however you want. Admittedly, you still have to earn money to do this in these games, but it’s a much more enjoyable process than in real life!
As a parent, I’ve found that gaming has really helped to boost my mood. Knowing that I can still enjoy a hobby that I loved as a child has been beneficial. There has never been a moment when I’ve believed I should stop gaming because I’m over the age of 35. If you love games, then game away!
Here are a few of the best simulation games for parents (or even non-parents):
The Sims
Undoubtedly one of the best simulation games out there. You have to do a LOT of the usual boring adulty stuff, such as getting a job and paying a mortgage, but you can also throw parties, have neighbourhood brawls and even have woohoo (the Sim version of sex). So it’s all good!
You can also decide to have children in the game. In some versions, it’s compulsory, with players being required to start a family to complete a goal. In others, though, free play is an option, so you can choose to remain child-free if you wish.
Social services exist in the Sims world. So if you do have kids, be careful not to leave your baby crying for more than a couple of minutes, or you may end up having your child taken away from you! The sim-version of a social worker is incredibly efficient!
It’s not all everyday adulty stuff though. Some versions of The Sims have aliens. That’s right, you can become best friends with another life form. What better way to escape the mundanity of adult life? The latest versions even allow you to be an alien yourself, with new features and interactions such as disguises, feeling empathy, and even probing! Perfect for those who love simulation games with a bit of sci-fi thrown in.
TIP: If you’re playing a version that offers a free play mode, don’t have kids. It’s just as much hard work in The Sims as it is in real life. Go and party with your neighbours or socialise with some aliens instead.
Animal Crossing
I ADORE the Animal Crossing series. Now, this is one where you may think you’re far too old to be playing a simulation game that involves your character interacting with cute animals. The truth is, you can’t help but enjoy these games, no matter what age you are.
I was first introduced to Animal Crossing way back in 2005. The husband and I had the GameCube version, and we were addicted! The music was awesome, you could catch bugs and fish, expand and decorate your own home, and much more.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons lets you create an ENTIRE island from scratch and make it look however you want. Sounds like bliss, right? It is! As a parent who sometimes daydreams about having an entire island to myself, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was perfect for me. Released in 2020 at the start of the lockdown, the game quickly became popular worldwide. Almost six years later, Nintendo has just released a new update for the game, allowing players who found comfort in it during lockdown to revisit it and enjoy playing again.
There’s plenty to do. You can decorate your home, collect bugs, fish, art and fossils, and take part in tournaments. You can even create vacation homes and decorate them however you like with the Happy Home Paradise expansion pack. Building cliffs, which was a little tedious before the recent update, is now easier, and there is a new hotel on the island that offers plenty of guest rooms for you to practice your interior decorating skills.
And the best part about this game? Not an adult responsibility in sight.
A highly relaxing and therapeutic game for anyone!
TIP: Unfortunately, players are only allowed one island, so choose your island’s layout carefully at the start. You may find that it’s far easier to flatten and redesign your island if you want to start over. That way, you won’t lose all of the items that you’ve collected or your achievements.
Two-Point Hospital
A successor to Bullfrog’s Theme Hospital, Two-Point Hospital is packed with challenges and plenty of humour.
Theme Hospital involved players treating patients with hilarious conditions such as Bloaty Head, Invisibility, King Complex (where people turn up at your hospital dressed as Elvis Presley), and Broken Wind. The medical conditions in Two-Point Hospital are just as creative, with patients wandering into your hospital with illnesses such as Mock Star (similar to King Complex, but patients are dressed as Freddie Mercury instead), Boneless Thighs, Brain Farts, Menace Elbow, Bodily Druids and many more.
One of the biggest challenges in Theme Hospital was dealing with epidemics. Two-Point Hospital is just as challenging. Players not only have to deal with contagious diseases but also have to run a hospital on a tight budget, making it extra challenging to add new facilities, recruit top-tier staff and boost the hospital’s struggling reputation. There are plenty of hospitals on the map, though, and once you’ve completed all the tasks for one, you will be invited to move on to another.
It’s an ideal game for those looking for a bit of escapism. Ok, so running a hospital and watching some of your patients drop down dead might not sound particularly enjoyable, but it’s packed with humour, and the medical conditions alone make this a fun and highly addictive simulation game.
TIP: The game can be played at different speeds. If you find things getting a bit challenging, change the speed to the slowest setting. Doing so will enable you to deal with individual patients more easily and fill your hospital with more facilities before you open it.
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
Farming simulation games are one of the most popular in the genre. I first played Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life in the mid-2000s and loved it. There are several games in the series, but my favourite is Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. You get to have your own farm, where you can raise crops, breed animals and sell your produce.
It may not sound as adventurous as other games in the genre, but it’s strangely addictive. There’s something satisfying about producing good quality fruit and vegetables, getting excellent quality milk from your cows and creating hybrid crops. It’s also a great one for parents because of the family elements. Becoming a parent is compulsory in this one, but it’s a much sweeter experience than The Sims. The game has a bittersweet storyline, which is split into six chapters of gameplay.
There’s even a reboot, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, which is now available in the UK. This version has the same characters as the original game, but with a few adjustments. The gameplay is much smoother, crops and animals are easier to tend to and the social interactions between characters are much more satisfying. It’s worth playing if you are a fan of the original game or even if you’re new to the series and are looking for a relaxing simulation game.
TIP: There are lots of options for a potential spouse, with Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life even offering same-sex relationships. Choose your spouse carefully, as you will be with them for the remaining chapters of the game’s storyline!
Recommendations are welcome!
If you’re a parent gamer (or even just a gamer) like me and have any other simulation game recommendations, then I’d love to hear them!
