Another simulator

Let's talk a bit about the project.

I've wanted to make a simulation game for a long time now. I really enjoy these games in their many forms: job simulators like PowerWash Simulator or Supermarket Simulator, or the ones that throw in a funny twist, like WaterPark Simulator or the fantastic, irreverent Schedule I.

There's something satisfying about knocking out everyday tasks without the real-world consequences (like back pain), though sadly you also don't get the rewards, which in this case would mainly be the money.

That said, it's a pretty played-out genre at this point. There are job simulators for basically everything: the supermarket one I already mentioned, running a casino, selling illegal substances (Schedule I), even one where you just wait for the bus at the stop (not kidding).

So why jump into such a worn-out genre? Three main reasons:

• It's the genre with the most users, and the one that makes the most money (which is exactly why it's so worn out).
• For that same reason: despite how many games already exist in it, it still pulls in a ton of users.
• I like it.

As a game designer, you always hope to show up with your magnum opus on the first try, something that stands completely apart from anything else on the market. There are exceptional cases where that happens, but the norm is that it doesn't. And that doesn't mean you can't put out a good product, or that it won't bring in good money.

The formula is simple, in theory: take something that already works and add your own spin, that ADDED VALUE that answers the question of why someone would play your game instead of (insert reference).

With that said, in upcoming posts I'll dig a bit deeper into my simulator idea and why I think it stands out, even just a little, from what's already out there. Keep in mind: added value is only one part of everything that goes into delivering a good game.

Thanks.