Free Simulation Games on Steam
Steam currently has 49,986 Simulation games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best free games ranked by popularity and ratings. Data for this list is calculated from reviews and player counts reported directly by Steam and will be updated in real-time. Free Simulation game rankings were last updated on 5/15/2026.
Looking for more Simulation games? Take a look at the best Simulation games on Steam.
1. Dota 2
Dota 2 holds the #1 spot for "best free Simulation game on Steam" with a Player Score of 80. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,709,468 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,190,369 positive reviews and 519,099 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Dota 2 on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
2. Bongo Cat
Bongo Cat has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 100,461 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 97,054 positive reviews and 3,407 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Bongo Cat on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
3. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has achieved a Player Score of 60, placing it in the #3 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,711,305 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,635,384 positive reviews and 1,075,921 negative reviews — making it "Mixed" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on the Steam Deck.
4. VRChat
VRChat has achieved a Player Score of 75, placing it in the #4 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 261,953 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 197,306 positive reviews and 64,647 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
5. War Thunder
War Thunder has achieved a Player Score of 72, placing it in the #5 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 745,876 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 540,667 positive reviews and 205,209 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
6. The Sims™ 4
The Sims™ 4 has achieved a Player Score of 86, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 194,142 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 168,018 positive reviews and 26,124 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play The Sims™ 4 on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
7. eFootball™
eFootball™ has achieved a Player Score of 50, placing it in the #7 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 109,295 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 55,107 positive reviews and 54,188 negative reviews — making it "Mixed" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play eFootball™ on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
8. Palia
Palia has achieved a Player Score of 85, placing it in the #8 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 41,461 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 35,831 positive reviews and 5,630 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Palia on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
9. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has achieved a Player Score of 71, placing it in the #9 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 98,392 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 70,917 positive reviews and 27,475 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
10. Heartopia
Heartopia has achieved a Player Score of 65, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Simulation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 13,633 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 9,005 positive reviews and 4,628 negative reviews — making it "Mixed" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Heartopia on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
More Free Simulation Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Simulation games available on Steam.
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Player counts and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). Steam Store. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). Dota 2 on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/570
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). Bongo Cat on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3419430
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/578080
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). VRChat on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/438100
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). War Thunder on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/236390
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). The Sims™ 4 on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222670
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). eFootball™ on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1665460
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 15). Palia on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2707930
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 14). Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1449850
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 13). Heartopia on Steam. Steam Store. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4025700