Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Amazon Prime Day
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
A shot of a cockpit, looking out the front window of an aircraft
Consoles & PC Best simulation games 2025
Sea of Stars cover art showing protagonists stand back to back against a moonlit forest backdrop
Consoles & PC The 18 best indie games to play in 2025
An MTA train parked at a station
Virtual Reality Gaming This beginner-friendly train-driving simulator is the chillest Meta Quest 3 game I've played – but it's not for everyone
A screenshot from Glowmade's King of Meat game
Gaming King of Meat’s chaotic co-op action and quirky creator mode show me that it might just have the legs to succeed
Baldur's Gate 3 keyart with Astarion, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel
PC Gaming The 18 best Mac games to play in 2025
Three sustainability-themed games (Reus, Terra Nil and Eco)
Consoles & PC 7 sustainability-themed games to celebrate Earth Day
Baldur's Gate 3 official artwork showing Astarion, Showdowheart, Gale, and Tieflings
PC Gaming The 21 best PC games to play in 2025
  1. Gaming
  2. Consoles & PC

Goat Simulator, Factorio and 8 other boring simulators that shouldn't be this fun

News
By Matt Hanson published 20 August 2016

Be a construction worker, train driver or even a goat

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Introduction

Introduction

Some games are born great and others have greatness thrust upon them. Nowhere is this more true than in the simulator category, which is usually overlooked by people who are terrified to step outside of their Fifa-and-COD-shaped comfort zone.

But that's OK. For those of you who like to take a walk on the wild side, there are numerous simulator-style titles out there that, on first inspection, sound more boring than watching paint dry. Look closer, however, and you'll unearth many hidden gems that let you become almost anything you want: a farmer; a train driver; a goat. You get the picture.

So, step this way, keep an open mind and come on a journey with us to check out some these-sound-boring-but-are-actually-fun simulators. Because what else do you have to do today?

  • Once you're done, check out our compilation of the best PC games around
Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
1. Train Simulator

1. Train Simulator

All aboard! A bona-fida classic of the simulator genre (sort of), Train Simulator practically demands to be played in a neckerchief and grease-top train driver's hat. This rockin' piece of software gives you incredibly life-like renders of real-world metal worms including the British Rail Class 319, (from the UK, obviously) and the iconic American UP Gas Turbine loco. There's loads to do in the game, including stopping at signal crossings, humming the Thomas the Tank Engine theme tune and ensuring that passengers' dogs don't get trapped in closing doors at stations. Alright, we may have made that last one up.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
2. Goat Simulator

2. Goat Simulator

Ever felt like existing as a human just wasn't enough and, instead, you wanted to experiment with being a destructive farm animal? Luckily for you, Goat Simulator exists - and it's great. We're not even kidding. Get it? Kid? Never mind. Goat Simulator's gameplay is based around assuming the form of a horny animal and doing as much damage to the surrounding area as possible, as real-life goats do when they're not eating your jumper. Its physics engine is a little hyperactive, to say the least - you'll spend most of the time running into buildings to cause maximum mayhem.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
3. Euro Truck Simulator 2

3. Euro Truck Simulator 2

Like Train Simulator, Euro Struck Simulator 2 works best with a bit of imagination. So, before you even think about loading it up, get onto YouTube and play 'Born to be Wild' in the background. Actually, don't - save that for American Truck Simulator which you'll find further on down this list. Reach for a cassette of Parisian Cafe music instead. The second version of this trucking good simulator series follows on conceptually from the first but is a more rounded experience thanks to more trucks, varied locations from rural France, Germany and Spain, and graphics that often look like they're straight out of an oil painting.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
4. OMSI 2

4. OMSI 2

Everybody knows that the coolest cast member from The Simpsons is Otto Mann, and you can now do your best impression of the heavy metal-loving alcoholic school bus driver in OMSI (Omnibus Simulator) 2. This game is best when you're tearing it down quiet roads with a vehicle full of terrified passengers, bottle of booze in hand. OMSI 2 was released in 2013, but it's been updated continuously to include new, radical multi-wheeled vehicles, checkpoints and realistic bendy buses.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
5. American Truck Simulator

5. American Truck Simulator

Did you know that Elvis Presley was a truck driver before becoming a massive pop star? You, too, can do your best impression of The King in his early days in American Truck Simulator. All about getting out onto the open road - and yes, that includes Route 66 - this simulator lets you traverse vast US desert landscapes as you tear through California, Nevada and beyond. It was recently updated to include new trucks and even more sprawling, endless open road; because you can never have enough road. Yeehaw!

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
6. Construction Simulator

6. Construction Simulator

Before any male readers checking out this list out asks - no, you can't wolf-whistle at passing women in this simulator; and nor should you want to - you misogynist. Construction Simulator is good, clean, building fun that offers great graphics and a control scheme that makes doing anything from pouring concrete to erecting towering buildings and controlling machinery a piece of cake. You can even drive around the city or village that your site is located on to check out your handiwork while donning a bright yellow hard hat. Just don't forget your lunchbox.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
7. F1 2016

7. F1 2016

Is F1 boring? Some people, including Jeremy Clarkson, think so. Millions disagree, however, and the 2016 version of the famous racing series brings plenty of new cars, tracks and more life-like graphics. Just as FIFA 2017 digs deep into realism and the notion of a personalized 'story mode', the latest iteration of the F1 series is all hitting dizzying heights in your career. You don't have to play as yourself, however - you can step into the shoes of famous drivers such as Lewis Hamilton in an effort to get doused in champagne up on the podium.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
8. Farming Simulator 2015

8. Farming Simulator 2015

Ooh, arr! Combine Harvester enthusiasts gather - this is the simulator for you. The latest version of this rambling rural adventure game introduces an all-new Nordic setting, alongside one in North America, adding countless pieces of farm-tastic equipment, machinery and gameplay mechanics - including multiplayer - to its roster. Just like in real life, Farming Simulator 2015 takes a short while to master - and it's udderly worth it.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
9. Factorio

9. Factorio

Unlike the other games on our list, Factorio is only out in Early Access form, but the developer behind it says that a full version is incoming. The game focuses around building up your factory empire and making as much money as possible using extreme resource management - and it's as testing as it sounds. Automation is the name of the game, with new branches opening on your tech tree as you expand your metal fortress. If you're really confident, there's even a multiplayer mode where people club together to build bigger, harder and faster.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
10. Car Mechanic Simulator 2015

10. Car Mechanic Simulator 2015

Are you ready to spill some oil? Then grab your overalls and spanner, because Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 is one heck of a ride; one where you don't, er, go anywhere. This game places you in the middle of an impressive garage (this isn't some Jobs and Wozniak-style operation, you know) where you're tasked with - you guessed it - restoring knackered vehicles to working order. Your continually growing skill set is measured via an experience points system that lets you unlock new parts and cars as you go along.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
Matt Hanson
Matt Hanson
Social Links Navigation
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.

Read more
A shot of a cockpit, looking out the front window of an aircraft
Best simulation games 2025
Sea of Stars cover art showing protagonists stand back to back against a moonlit forest backdrop
The 18 best indie games to play in 2025
An MTA train parked at a station
This beginner-friendly train-driving simulator is the chillest Meta Quest 3 game I've played – but it's not for everyone
A screenshot from Glowmade's King of Meat game
King of Meat’s chaotic co-op action and quirky creator mode show me that it might just have the legs to succeed
Baldur's Gate 3 keyart with Astarion, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel
The 18 best Mac games to play in 2025
Three sustainability-themed games (Reus, Terra Nil and Eco)
7 sustainability-themed games to celebrate Earth Day
Latest in Consoles & PC
A screenshot from the game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sold me on the PS5 Pro, but I'm still not sure I'd recommend the premium console to everyone just yet
Donkey Kong Bananza on Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo reveals that Donkey Kong Bananza is developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team – then confirms grass is still green
The Nintendo Switch 2 on a red background
Nintendo is raising the prices of some of its products in Canada, but oddly not the Switch 2 – and what could this mean for other regions?
Donkey Kong Bananza on Nintendo Switch 2.
Donkey Kong Bananza offers a no-holds-barred open world that encourages you to go bananas
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo and Amazon deny claims that the Switch 2 maker pulled console stock from the online retailer over third-party resellers
Sidestepper taking first place in Mario Kart World
I’ve clocked up more than 60 hours in Mario Kart World – here are my 3 top tips for getting first place
Latest in News
Google Gemini AI
Google Gemini is set to become a significantly better phone assistant thanks to these two small upgrades
A still from the trailer for The Running Man showing Glen Powell grabbing a taser stick
The Running Man trailer puts Glen Powell in Arnie's shoes as Stephen King's dystopian thriller gets high-octane remake from Edgar Wright
The Nothing Phone 3 being held in the hand
I went hands-on with the Nothing Phone 3, and it might just be the most interesting phone of the year – here's why
watchOS 26 running on an Apple Watch Series 10
Constantly dismissing notifications on your Apple Watch? You’re going to love Apple’s watchOS 26 latest gesture
Steam
Steam's new performance overlay feature will help you monitor how your games are running
Frustrated unhappy laptop user girl touching head at work table with computer
'It's obvious that users are frustrated': consumer rights group accuses Microsoft of not providing a 'viable solution' for Windows 10 users who can't upgrade to Windows 11
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    Is AI the new cloud? Survey reveals companies scrambling to adopt AI - but few really know what impact it will have
  2. 2
    This tiny NAS can store up to 32TB of super-fast SSD data and even comes with a VPN server and a 4K HDMI port
  3. 3
    Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace could put sensitive data at risk because of a blind spot in default email behavior
  4. 4
    Together is finally coming to theaters - here are 3 reasons you shouldn't miss the body horror movie
  5. 5
    Don't let this early Prime Day deal pass you by – our favorite gaming earbuds have never been cheaper

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...