Simulators that don't run on waiting timers

The worst trend in simulation games is the wait timer that quietly assumes you're always connected. Come back in four hours, or reconnect to speed it up. No thanks.

We hunt for sims where progress happens in playtime, not real time. Clockwork Gardens is a favourite because you expand your greenhouse as fast as you can plan it, not as fast as a countdown allows.

Offline is central to this. If a game measures time by your device clock only, you can play it on a plane and lose nothing. That's the design we want to reward.

If you love the genre, look for the word 'sandbox' in descriptions. It usually signals a game happy to let you play at your own pace instead of drip-feeding content.