Simulation games have been a popular fixture in the video game market since the beginning, with text-based games like The Sumerian Game being among the genre's pioneers. Types of simulation games are wide-ranging, from life sims where romance may blossom to spreadsheet-style management and assembly line construction. Countless simulation games allow players to try out different modes of transport, like buses, boats, and spaceships.

Most simulation games have players trapped in a fixed location, merely observing the results of their actions. Still, in some cases, they get to play out their fantasies directly and through the eyes of the protagonist. Here are some of the best simulation games with first-person exploration, ranked based on a combination of the game’s overall quality and popularity, plus how fun it is to look around the in-game world.

Part automobile construction simulation, part survival game, is quirky, hilarious and surprisingly difficult. Set in 1995 in a fictional town in Finland, players take control of a teenager whose parents have gone on vacation, giving them the freedom to do whatever they want, including to build and drive the old car in the garage.

The open world is full of weird and wonderful characters, from drunk neighbors who need to be picked up from the pub to a grumpy mechanic who destroys the player’s car if they annoy him. Whether players want to participate in a rally competition, sail across the lake, or just get drunk and go into the sauna, they are free to do so. They just need to avoid pesky distractions like the police and accidental death.

Appearing to be a survival RPG at first, also mixes in life sim and city-building elements as players build up their village and continue through the generations. Despite simulating the harshness of life for peasants in Medieval Europe, it’s a fairly peaceful game where players can complete jobs, invite more villagers to their settlement, and procreate.

Harsh seasonal changes can cause some hardship for those who are unprepared, and wildlife may fight back when they are being hunted, but the expansive open maps are beautiful. Reputation is key, allowing for more complex structures to be built, or causing the player to be exiled if they are of ill repute. It’s probably best to avoid crimes altogether or just not to get caught.

There is more to than just stealing items from unsuspecting homeowners while they are sleeping or at work. Traveling around the neighborhoods and observing their routines is crucial for those who wish to become master criminals, and in many cases, players will need the right gadgets to access the most precious cargo.

Driving through these areas can be fun too, keeping an eye out for the next target and ensuring that the van is nearby to transport larger goods that don’t fit in a bag. There’s plenty of jankiness and a need for some trial-and-error gameplay, but nothing quite beats the thrill of escaping the police with a lucrative haul of stolen items to sell at the pawn shop or online.

Receiving multiple updates since its initial launch almost a decade ago, allows players to track, pursue, and battle various animals in painstakingly created locations. Often cited among the best hunting games ever made, the game has largely been praised for both its stunning maps and the fairly realistic wildlife AI, which can even be enjoyed as a walking simulator for those who don’t condone hunting.

There are over a dozen worldwide locations for players to explore, from Arctic tundra to Savannah grasslands, and more than one hundred animal species to hunt. Players are free to wander the land on foot or use quad bikes to traverse the maps more rapidly.

Lovingly created by a solo developer, features stunningly realistic graphics and a fully functional DSLR camera for players to mess around with. Exploration is actively encouraged across the diverse locations, based on places that can be visited in real life, from a rugged mountain trail in Iceland to an abandoned Chinese village.

There are many secrets to uncover and plenty of ways to experiment with settings to capture the perfect image, such as changing the time of day or weather conditions. There are also some fun means of traversing the different landscapes, such as a mountain bike or a boat, and a drone is available to reach new heights and gain a new aerial perspective.

Part of the long-running X series of space trading and combat simulation games, features sandbox gameplay where the in-game universe is still active, even when the player is not. Players can build their own intergalactic business empire, construct gargantuan space stations, and command their fleets as they expand through trade or by force.

The game transitions seamlessly between a first-person viewpoint while on foot or personally flying a vessel, to various interactive menus for construction and decision-making purposes. There is an entire universe to explore and the ability to play with absolute freedom, whether being an honest entrepreneur, an illegal trader, or a thieving space pirate.

Sent to an enigmatic planet on behalf of a production company called FICSIT Inc., the Pioneer must scavenge for resources and build colossal assembly lines in . Constructing and maintaining a massive factory requires numerous types and quantities of materials, so the planet must be explored to the fullest extent possible.

As the game unfolds, players are not restricted to stumbling around on foot, with vehicles, jetpacks, jump pads, and trains being possible for more rapid movement. As with all factory simulation games, automation is crucial, ensuring that everything is operating at peak efficiency, keeping manual labor and busy work at a minimum, even building drones and trains to transport materials to other areas quickly.