Simulation game
A game that models activities, systems, or environments for interactive play. Its rules let players influence a model and observe how it responds.
Game mechanics: Rules and procedures that define actions, outcomes, and interactions in a game. Mechanics turn a simulated system into choices and feedback for players.
Flight simulator: A system that reproduces aircraft controls and flight conditions for practice or entertainment. It is a focused simulation of a complex real-world activity.
Arcade game: A game centered on immediate action, simple controls, and skillful performance. Arcade games typically prioritize responsive challenge over modeling a system.
Lunar Lander (video game): An early video game in which players control a lunar module's descent using limited fuel. Its simplified physics made piloting a modeled vehicle the central challenge.
Experiential learning: Learning through direct experience, reflection, and applying insights to new situations. Players can learn by making decisions and observing modeled consequences.
System dynamics: A method for modeling how interacting parts of a system change over time. Many simulations depend on linked variables whose effects unfold over time.
Life simulation game: A game that models the routines, relationships, or development of living beings. It makes everyday behavior and social choices the simulated subject.
Role-playing game: A game in which players embody characters and develop them through choices and challenges. Role-playing games center character identity and narrative, though they can include simulations.
The Oregon Trail (video game): An educational computer game that simulates an 1840s wagon journey across North America. It combined resource management, hazards, and historical setting in an early simulation game.
Participatory simulation: An activity in which people take roles in a simulation and collectively shape its outcomes. It extends simulation play into collaborative learning and group exploration.