Simulation
Ongoing coverage on Simulation.
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Behold, "the whole story of Steam's economy in one picture": the top 1% of games earn 84.5% of estimated revenue, and most games barely make anything
A new analysis of 99,206 paid games on Steam reveals that the top 1% of games earn 84.5% of the estimated revenue, with half of all paid games earning less than $4,000 lifetime. The report, which excludes free-to-play titles, highlights extreme revenue disparities and a rapidly growing Steam catalog that outpaces revenue growth.
RimWorld Hits A New Low Price, But You’ll Only Have 24 Hours To Grab It
RimWorld is currently available at a 29% discount on Fanatical for a limited 24-hour period, marking its deepest discount to date. The article highlights the game's chaotic AI storytelling and engaging simulation mechanics, noting that this sale also extends to its expansions, Anomaly and Odyssey.
Beastfolk Barber is an adorable hairdressing sim that offers up more than just shop talk
Beastfolk Barber is an upcoming simulation game where players manage a hair salon catering to beastfolk clients in Starfish City. The game features minigames for haircuts, a narrative involving client personal lives and social issues, and a demonic character with unique requests. The demo suggests a future release with engaging gameplay beyond simple styling.
PlayStation 5 Getting One of the Most Popular 2024 Games Soon
TCG Card Shop Simulator, a popular simulation game originally launched in Early Access on PC, is set to release on PlayStation 5 on September 15, 2026. The game will also leave Early Access with its version 1.0 update, introducing the Tetramon trading card game. Standard and Deluxe editions will be available, with pre-order discounts for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
TCG Card Shop Simulator’s Biggest 1.0 Feature: How to Dominate Tetramon Duel Master
TCG Card Shop Simulator will launch its 1.0 version on September 15, 2026, introducing the highly requested playable trading card game, Tetramon Duel Master. The game, currently in Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S and PC via Xbox Game Pass, allows players to manage their own card shop and now engage in duels with Tetramon cards.
Rescue on Fractalus! - An 8bit classic is coming to an Amiga near you!
The classic 1985 game Rescue on Fractalus!, originally developed by Lucasfilm Games, is being ported to the Amiga by Vesuri. This port requires 1 MB of RAM and runs on Kickstart 1.3 or 3.1. The game is a tense planetary simulation where players pilot a Valkyrie fighter to rescue stranded pilots while avoiding alien saucers and ground emplacements.
Steam Week in Review: Here are the 32 Steam games brave enough to release on GTA 6 day
Despite the massive launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, numerous other games are releasing on Steam on the same day, November 19. Titles like Lord of Undead, Parry Survivor, and Cute Country are among the 32 games scheduled for release, with Lord of Undead having the most pre-launch 'Follows' on Steam. The article also touches on top-grossing Steam games and notable chart movements for titles like Gears of War: E-Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved.
Rampage Take Over - Free Online Browser Game
Rampage Take Over is a dark, 2D top-down browser game where players manage a chaotic hostage situation as a lone gunman. The game features intense, morally gray action with mechanics for capturing, binding, and releasing hostages, negotiating with a cynical negotiator, and destroying the environment with C4 explosives. Players can win by bombing the building or lose to an escalating SWAT response, with three unique locations offering varied gameplay.
Iron Nest is the best 'Battleship' game I've played in years—and it doesn't even have boats
Iron Nest is a highly engaging artillery simulator that offers a unique take on the Battleship genre, focusing on mathematical calculations and precise targeting. Set in an alternate-history 1920s Spain, players command a massive artillery piece, managing all operations solo. Despite its steep learning curve, the game's tactile interface and procedurally generated objectives provide significant replayability and a satisfying sense of mastery.
OpenTTD - Open Source Transport Tycoon Deluxe gets a big PC update, as well as Amiga port!
The open-source simulation game OpenTTD has received a significant update for PC, version 16.0-beta1. Additionally, a port of OpenTTD v1.0.5 for Amiga systems (OCS/AGA/RTG) has been released, offering a native experience without requiring SDL or an RTG card. Transport Tycoon Deluxe, the original game by Chris Sawyer, was a popular PC title in the mid-90s.
Coming Out in gaming this week — August 17, 2026
This week's gaming releases include FEED IT, a PSX-style horror game, and The Sinking City 2, a survival horror set in the Roaring '20s. Other notable titles are the sci-fi RTS Space Tales, the action-RPG Mortal Shell II, and the adventure/simulation puzzle game how to kill a fly. Grim Trials, a roguelike, and Steins;Gate Re:Boot, a visual novel, also launch this week.
World Labs’ R2S2R Engine Clones a Single Robot Demo Into Thousands of Training Scenarios
World Labs has developed a new simulation engine called Real-to-Sim-to-Real (R2S2R) that can clone a single robot task into thousands of training scenarios by varying lighting, object placement, physical properties, and camera angles. This engine, which incorporates technology from the acquired startup SceniX, aims to overcome the bottleneck of accumulating sufficient real-world experience for robot deployment. The R2S2R engine reconstructs real-world robot demonstrations into interactive virtual worlds that behave physically the same, allowing control models trained in simulation to be effectively transferred to real hardware with minimal failure.
TCG Card Shop Simulator gets Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch release date, new trailer
O.P. Neon Games has announced that TCG Card Shop Simulator will launch its 1.0 version on September 15, 2026, for the Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. The update will introduce battle modes, tournament features, and full customization options for players to manage their virtual trading card businesses. The game allows players to collect cards, manage their shop, host games, and expand their business.
CityZen – Beta Sign Up | Alpha Beta Gamer
CityZen is a minimalist city-building strategy game focused on efficient building placement and resource management, offering a relaxing experience. It features three modes: competitive high score, free-form sandbox, and seasonal challenges. Players can sign up for the beta playtest.
Trail Quest - Free Online Browser Game
Trail Quest is a free-to-play, single-player browser-based survival adventure game set in the American frontier. Players manage a wagon train across 1,500 miles, dealing with survival mechanics like health, hunger, and morale, alongside combat, resource gathering, and random events. The game features hand-drawn 2D graphics and procedural generation for a unique experience inspired by The Oregon Trail but with deeper mechanics.
Whisper of the House Unpacks Cozy Xbox Preorders Today
The cozy pixel-art mystery simulation game, Whisper of the House, is now available for preorder on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. Developed by GD Studio, the game allows players to act as a housekeeper in a magical town, organizing spaces and uncovering secrets. Preordering before the August 27 launch date grants a 20% discount.
The Watcher is a creepy surveillance thriller with shiny Unreal Engine props - I just hope it's not as talkative as its trailer
The Watcher is a surveillance thriller developed by Yesterday's Sandwich that utilizes Unreal Engine. Players will operate a personal surveillance room to spy on inhabitants of an opposing apartment building, piecing together evidence and making choices that affect the residents' fates. While the premise is intriguing, the article expresses concern that the game's trailer suggests an overly talkative protagonist that may detract from the intended eerie simulation atmosphere.
Next Week on XBOX: New Games for August 17 to 21
This week's "Next Week on Xbox" feature highlights numerous game releases for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC between August 17 and 21, including titles available on Game Pass. Notable releases include S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (DLC), Backyard Baseball, The Sinking City 2, and Mortal Shell II, alongside a variety of indie titles across different genres.
Call Center - Free Online Browser Game
Call Center is a dark-comedy, 2D management simulation browser game where players build and operate an illegal scam call center. The game features realistic simulation and management gameplay, allowing players to hire scammers, run various scam scripts, manage FBI heat, and avoid raids. It is a 100% offline HTML5 and JavaScript game with procedurally generated characters and an open-ended sandbox experience.
Hospital Sim Critical Condition - Free Online Browser Game
Hospital Sim: Critical Condition is a dark-comedy hospital management simulation browser game where players build and operate a hospital from scratch. The game involves treating patients with questionable practices, managing finances and reputation, and dealing with the possibility of patient death, all presented with procedural generation and dark humor.
