How do you call these games that let you macro-manage people/creatures/processes and you can watch your engine run?

Examples are Rimworld, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Factorio.

I don’t like fast action-based RTS, micromanaging games, I just love to create a world and watch it running on it‘s own!

Is there a specific name for this mechanic? And what are your favorite examples?

  • thatsTheCatch@lemmy.nz
    13·
    1 year ago

    I usually call them management games. Looking at the Steam tags for Factorio and RimWorld, they both have “Management” and Factorio additionally has “Resource Management”. But I think “Management” is your best bet.

    I think RTS games don’t usually fall under management and instead are just called RTS.

    In terms of my favourite ones, I love FTL: Faster Than Light. I’m picking it up again at the moment actually. I also like RinWorld, Oxygen Not Included, and Dungeon of the Endless.

    • MJBrune@beehaw.org
      10·
      1 year ago

      I don’t know if I would call FTL a process optimization game. One thing I feel like it’s missing is feedback if your process is being optimized or if you just got lucky. With Rimworld, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and Factorio all include metrics that allow you to judge if you’ve made your process better but because of FTLs randomness, it’s hard to determine if you played better or just had better rolls. That said I love FTL and it’s an amazing game.

  • ono@lemmy.caEnglish
    11·
    1 year ago

    How What do you call these games

    I call them management sims, but I’m sure there are other names for the genre, too.

    Rimworld is one of my favorites.

    Mindustry has been getting a lot of praise. I hope to check it out soon.

    Cities: Skylines is popular, and Cities: Skylines II is due soon.

    Satisfactory is good (although the Steam version used Epic Games telemetry, which has been called out for being rather invasive, last time I looked).

    • interolivary@beehaw.orgEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      Ha, was just about to come recommend Zachtronics games. They’re more, uh, programm-y than the others being mentioned, but they definitely do center around process management

  • Michaelmitchell@kbin.social
    8·
    1 year ago

    Just started timberborn and it seems to be in this vain. It’s a beaver city builder and you have to manage the river with dams to survive droughts, along with the typical food, water and energy resource management.

  • andrai@feddit.de
    8·
    1 year ago

    Some genre names would be: Colony Sim, Base Builder or City Builder.

    Another great one is Dwarf Fortress, you should give it a try if you haven’t already. It probably has the most in depth simulation of any game there is.

  • farcaster@beehaw.org
    7·
    1 year ago

    Settlers 2 (and the faithful remake Settlers 2: 10th Anniversary) is pretty old but is still one of my favorite economy building games

    • M1st3rM@discuss.tchncs.de
      2·
      1 year ago

      Wow haven’t heard about that game in quite some time. Awesome game but can be frustrating as well when heroes don’t do what you want them to.

      Edit Oh wow didn’t know there is a sequel to the original :) is it good?

      • jet@hackertalks.comEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        The hero is not doing what you want is exactly the point! You just provided incentives you don’t have direct control. So it’s definitely more hands-off gaming.

        Majesty 2 is pretty good. Still not up to modern user interface standards but it’s got good gameplay still

  • kartoffelsaft@programming.dev
    5·
    1 year ago

    There is the Anno series of games, which are technically RTS games but if I’m honest I find them the most fun when I go out of my way to avoid combat/micromanagement. I’ve only played 1404, 2070, and 2205, 2070 being the best in my opinion, but it has a bad history with DRM so I’d suggest 1404 (known as “Dawn of Discovery” in the US because us americans are afraid of numbers apparently).

    Edit: looking at the steam page it looks like they decided to take 1404 down and made a new page where the game is (mostly) unchanged besides requiring you to jump through all the BS hoops that 2070 did, so I’d say if you’re gonna spend money get 1404 on GOG, or if you are willing to do unspeakable things go with 2070.

    • littlecolt@lemm.ee
      1·
      1 year ago

      The GOAT of factory games, and not just because it’s from the same studio that made Goat Simulator, or that you can purchase a boom box in game and make it play Goat Music.

  • squidsarefriends@feddit.deOP
    3·
    1 year ago

    Your suggestions are great, thank you! What’s still missing is a game that let’s you hire people with different skills and watch them do their stuff (Theme Hospital, maybe? There have to be better examples nowadays!)

    A close example could be Game Dev Tycoon I played for a while. But unfortunately you really had to micromanage every step.

  • rivingtondown@beehaw.org
    3·
    1 year ago

    They’re called management sims, or in the case of Factorio a factory builder.

    Rimworld is a colony management sim… check out Dwarf Fortress or Oxygen Not Included for similar games

    Rollercoaster Tycoon is a theme park management sim, the obvious suggestions are Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo but also check out City Skylines.

    Factorio is a factory builder, I would recommend Satisfactory or Dyson Sphere Program, there’s a few handfuls of those types of games. If you want to get a little wild look into Minecraft (Java edition) w/ mods - most easily something like the FTB Infinity Evolved or one of the new Direwolf packs, it’s arguably where the factory building craze started.