Indie simulation games thrive because they let players step into roles, systems, and scenarios that spark curiosity and creativity. This September, developers are serving up everything from laid-back, cozy sims to complex, detail-rich experiences that reward patience and strategy. Whether you’re the type to micromanage every detail or just want a relaxing world to unwind in, this month’s trending releases have something for you.
Firefighting Simulator: Ignite – $34.99 USD on Steam right now
UNITED AGAINST FIRE. Face unpredictable dangers head-on, fight perilous fires with your crew, and save lives in Firefighting Simulator: Ignite. Step into the boots of a U.S. firefighter in a sprawling city in the American Midwest, where every mission pushes your skills to the limit. Experience the rush of firefighting in stunning visual quality in an intuitive and cooperative multiplayer mode with 3 friends or with the help of your NPC controlled crew. Battle raging and dynamic flames, heat, and smoke – all simulated in real time. Cutting-edge physics & graphics systems powered by Unreal Engine 5 let you experience firefighting immersion like never before.
Over your career, you deal with a range of challenging situations, like trapped civilians, electric fires, flammable liquids, grease fires, backdrafts, flashovers, and explosions. Equip yourself with authentic firefighting tools, including fire hoses, saws, Halligan tools, axes, and extinguishers, and use faithfully recreated fire engines and ladder trucks. Use the right tactics and methods with precision to put out blazing flames. Each mission requires real-life firefighting strategies, such as ventilating to curb fire spread, cooling down overheated objects, sawing through obstacles, reducing air drafts, and selecting the proper extinguishing agent. But stay alert for signs of imminent danger, like thick smoke finding its way through closed doors and presenting the potential for a major disaster.
But don’t worry: you can learn how to fight fire and the use your tools properly back at the fire station hub, which serves as your headquarters between emergency operations. Relax between missions, inspect the large vehicle fleet that includes faithfully recreated trucks from Rosenbauer, and choose your next assignment.
So, when the emergency call comes in, make sure you get the job done by taking the shortest route to the emergency scene, fighting the fires, and saving lives together.
Granvir – $13.49 USD on Steam right now
Granvir is an action roguelite featuring mech building. Players battle through a route of their choice reaching extraction and completing side objectives at the cost of valuable resources. Between battles, players can swap out parts for upgrades found on the battlefield and manage their campaign by taking on loans to afford ammunition, aiding the locals for support in battle and more.
Equip devastating melee weapons such as swords, rocket spears and pile bunkers. Wield powerful long range guns like cannons, machine guns, flamethrowers and rocket pods. Mix and match armaments to suit your play style.
Mix torsos, legs, armatures and special modules to customize your Granvir. Defeating enemy ace pilots unlocks their unique parts.
Complete any campaign in single-player or multiplayer co-op with up to 10 Granvir pilots at a time. Share parts and resources utilizing the squad depot in rest areas as you plan your next moves.
No campaign is the same as you manage time, resources and your route to each objective. Each zone impacts what services and resources are available. Use down time between missions to refit and upgrade your Granvir to prevail.
ShapeHero Factory – $18.99 USD on Steam right now
Welcome to the world’s weirdest factory. You don’t swing swords or cast spells, instead you build tiny heroes out of shapes, and hope for the best as they come up against endless swarms of increasingly brutal enemies. All in a day’s work!
- Drop shapes onto conveyor belts to craft self-operation heroes.
- Want a soldier? Try a circle and a triangle.
- Want a tank? Try circle and square.
- Heroes fight on their own, you’re just there to make the decisions.
- Enemies get weirder, stronger and ruder as you progress
- Defend your Portal from swarming pests and brute squads
- Earn magical artifacts and upgrade your factory like there’s no tomorrow.
- Different playable characters – ‘Masters’ – have different hero types and build strategies
- Experiment with different characters to unlock their Arcane Knowledge (permanent upgrades)
- Find a playstyle that suits you best
You can’t control your troops, but you can outsmart the darkness waiting to gobble up your kingdom, one conveyor belt at a time.
Aztecs: The Last Sun – $15.99 USD on Steam right now
The Aztecs — a mighty Mesoamerican civilization that thrived for over three centuries, ruling vast territories and forging one of the most awe-inspiring societies in human history. A people of vision and strength, steeped in rich traditions, powerful deities, and sacred rituals. You are Tlatoani, a divine Aztec leader, born to shape the destiny of your people.
Construct and develop the majestic city-state of Tenochtitlan – built amidst the waters of Lake Texcoco. Reclaim valuable land, feed your people, raise monumental structures, and maintain vital trade routes that connect your floating empire to the outside world in the Valley of Mexico.
Yet beyond these petty struggles looms a far greater threat: the Moon Goddess has declared war upon the Sun, casting a dreadful curse upon your followers. Only blood, spilled through human sacrifice, can summon a shield of protection – but its power is fleeting. How many nights will your people survive before the darkness consumes them?
Discounty – $15.99 USD on Steam right now
Discounty is a narrative-driven management sim offering a 15-20 hour single-player campaign.
Manage your own discount supermarket! Get caught up in small-town drama, organise and plan your shop’s layout, and strike lucrative trade deals as you expand your secretive aunt’s business empire. Selling more frozen fries will surely heal this broken community…right?
Step into the quirky harbour town of Blomkest, where your aunt has entrusted you with managing its only supermarket. Design and organise your shop, manage stock levels, work the checkout, and strike trade deals. Build relationships with the charming locals, and grow your business empire while navigating community dynamics. Use every tool at your disposal to expand your business, but be mindful: rapid growth might ruffle a few feathers in this tight-knit community. Will you pursue endless profits, or find a way to benefit everyone in Blomkest?
Your aunt has invited you to manage the local store, ‘Discounty’, in the run-down harbour town of Blomkest. But beware, not everyone wants you to succeed.
Explore Blomkest after business hours and get to know the townsfolk. Turn them into loyal patrons of Discounty and uncover the town’s hidden secrets.
Create an eye-catching, efficient store by rearranging shelves and products. Design inviting aisles for easy navigation and add decorations to encourage purchases!
Blomkestians don’t take well to newcomers. Gain manufacturers’ trust, make trade deals, and sell local specialty goods to boost Discounty profits!
Keep shelves stocked, floors clean, and the storage room organised. Ring up customers shopping promptly to keep them happy! No one likes waiting around…
As profits soar, reinvest and grow! Expand your shop to stock more goods and advertise it around town!
Choose your appearance, handpick your outfit, and pick a name that reflects your unique style. Your ever-wise Aunt will always recognize you, no matter your chosen guise.
Supercar Collection Simulator – $8.44 USD on Steam right now
“Supercar Collection Simulator” is a game where you can earn money by selling surprise car boxes, build your own car collection, join exciting races with customers, and play an online card trading game.
Unlock and sell packages from various Supercar series. Each series has its own unique advantages and rare cars.
Set up racing platforms in your store, offer players the opportunity to race, and earn money from these races. If you want, you can also take to the track! Use skill cards to give your cars unique abilities and leave your competitors behind.
Place your cars on shelves, set their prices, and sell them to collectors. Or keep rare pieces to complete your collection.
Design your own Supercar store. Unlock Supercar series, order surprise boxes, place them on shelves, and start selling. Give your store a unique name and create the perfect place for car collection enthusiasts.
Expand your collection with rare and valuable cars from surprise boxes. Sell them for profit or keep them to complete your collection.
Start selling skill card packs! These cards give you an advantage in races, making your cars faster and stronger.
Upgrade your store to attract more customers! Add new shelves, racing platforms, Supercar boxes, and collections to gain new customers and increase your income. Customize your store, change the floor and wall colors, decorate with posters, and more.
Enter the Hunt House to find the missing pieces in your collection. Race against time while searching through dozens of cars to find the one you need.
Choose a car, paint it, decorate it with stickers, design its card, give it a name, and put it up for sale. Enjoy the fun of creating your own custom car!
“Supercar Collection Simulator” offers the excitement of opening surprise boxes and the joy of building your collection — an exciting adventure awaits you.
Combat Mission 2: Barbarossa to Berlin – $5.39 USD on Steam right now
Combat Mission 2: Barbarossa to Berlin classic game from 2002 ventures into the heart of World War Il wargaming: the Eastern Front. The struggle between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union captures the flavor of the four years of conflict that left Germany in ruins. Combat Mission 2 includes over 125 battles between 1941 and the final capitulation in May 1945, and many more are possible with the full-featured editor.
You are the commander of breathtaking battles set in Moscow, Stalingrad, Berlin and many more well-known battlefields. Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin involves a variety of units and tactical possibilities – prepare for war on the Eastern Front!
Mars Attracts – $24.99 USD on Steam right now
Mars Attracts is a theme park management game set on Mars. Play as the devious Martians from the cult-classic universe of Mars Attacks™ and build your amusement park empire, abducting humans from across history to display in customizable enclosures for the entertainment of curious Martian guests. Study humanity in their natural habitat, or subject them to whatever twisted experiments you can imagine!
Take on the role of a Martian CEO and confront the challenge of theme park management — craft the perfect red planet tourist attraction, complete with human enclosures, death-defying rides, and a carefully selected range of amenities. You won’t last long if you can’t turn a profit.
Humans come in all shapes, sizes, and bounciness. Employ advanced Martian technology to procure humans from across history – from Ancient Rome to the Wild West – and build the perfect habitat to ensure they have no idea they ever left.
Humans may all look the same, but new research suggests that each one has their own unique personality. Tailor enclosures to appeal to each human’s preferences, or find yourself dealing with an enraged human terrorizing your beautiful park.
For centuries, Martian explorers have scoured the galaxy for signs of intelligent life. So far, no luck. Nevertheless, there is much to be learned by studying human behavior. Maximize their happiness to enlighten your guests on the mysteries of these strange enclosed-brained creatures, or push your captives to the limit and see what breaks. For science, of course.
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