Simulated racing or racing simulation, commonly known as simply sim racing, are the collective terms for racing game software that attempts to accurately simulate auto racing, complete with real-world variables such as fuel usage, damage, tire wear and grip, and suspension settings. To be competitive in sim racing, a driver must understand all aspects of car handling that make real-world racing so difficult, such as threshold braking, how to maintain control of a car as the tires lose traction, and how properly to enter and exit a turn without sacrificing speed. It is this level of difficulty that distinguishes sim racing from arcade racing-style driving games where real-world variables are taken out of the equation and the principal objective is to create a sense of speed as opposed to a sense of realism.
Driving simulators are used for entertainment as well as in training of driver's education courses taught in educational institutions and private businesses. They are also used for research purposes in the area of human factors and medical research, to monitor driver behavior, performance, and attention and in the car industry to design and evaluate new vehicles or new advanced driver assistance systems.
Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing is a 2003 racing video game developed by Stellar Stone and published by GameMill Publishing. The player controls a semi-trailer truck and races a stationary opponent through checkpoints on US truck routes. Stellar Stone, based in California, outsourced the game's development to Ukraine, and the game was released in an unfinished state on November 20, 2003. Due to a multitude of bugs and lack of proper gameplay, Big Rigs was critically panned, became the worst-rated game on review aggregator websites Metacritic and GameRankings, and has frequently been cited as one of the worst video games of all time by gaming publications.
18 Wheels of Steel is a series of trucking simulators developed by SCS Software and published by ValuSoft from 2002 to 2011, as a spin-off of Hard Truck, with the first game becoming the third Hard Truck game released.
Rig'n'Roll is an open world truck driving simulation and racing video game released on 27 November 2009 in Russia and during 2010 in the rest of the world. It simulates truck driving and management along with associated business strategic activities, and features North American trucks. The game takes place in California and Nevada, in the year 2014.
Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is a racing game developed by Eutechnyx and published by System 3, based on the Ferrari Challenge, a single-marque motorsport championship. It is available on Nintendo and Sony platforms in the Western world, and is exclusively available for download on the PlayStation 3 in Korea. The game features 14 playable tracks and Ferrari's own Fiorano test track, a vinyl editor and online play for all versions except the PS2. The Nintendo DS version features wireless multiplayer and the Wii version utilizes Wii Remote steering and support for the Wii Wheel. The game primarily features the driving and racing of the Ferrari F430 Challenge, along with a series of Ferrari road and racing cars that can be unlocked.
SCS Software s.r.o. is a video game developer based in Prague, Czech Republic. It primarily produces simulation games for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux, including the 18 Wheels of Steel and Truck Simulator series. The name is an initialism based on the surnames of the three founders, Pavel Šebor, Martin Český and Petr Šebor.
Vehicle simulation games are a genre of video games which attempt to provide the player with a realistic interpretation of operating various kinds of vehicles. This includes automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft, military vehicles, and a variety of other vehicles. The main challenge is to master driving and steering the vehicle from the perspective of the pilot or driver, with most games adding another challenge such as racing or fighting rival vehicles. Games are often divided based on realism, with some games including more realistic physics and challenges such as fuel management.
MotorStorm is a racing video game series developed by Evolution Studios, BigBig Studios, Virtuos and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The titles were off-road racing games featuring different types of vehicles with their own strengths and weaknesses and tracks with different terrains which may either hinder the vehicles' handling or improve it.
Need for Speed: The Run is a 2011 racing video game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is the eighteenth installment in the Need for Speed series and is Black Box's final entry in the series, before the studio's closure in April 2013. Following an extensive marketing campaign, the game was released on November 15, 2011, for PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360, 3DS, and Wii.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a truck simulator game developed and published by SCS Software for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS and was initially released as open development on 18 October 2012. The game is a direct sequel to the 2008 game Euro Truck Simulator and it is the fourth video game in the Truck Simulator series.
Assetto Corsa is a sim racing video game developed by the Italian video game developer Kunos Simulazioni. It is designed with an emphasis on a realistic racing experience with support for extensive customization and moddability. The game was first released through the Steam Early Access program on 8 November 2013, and officially left Early Access as final release version on 19 December 2014.
Farming Simulator is a farming simulation video game series developed by GIANTS Software. The locations are based on American and European environments. Players are able to farm, breed livestock, grow crops, and sell assets created from farming.
Truck Simulator is a vehicle simulation game series created by SCS Software. The first title in the series, Euro Truck Simulator, was released on 29 August 2008 for Microsoft Windows and OS X and the first European-truck simulation established gameplay. The sequel to Euro Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2, was released on 19 October 2012 for Microsoft Windows and in 2013 for Linux. It is the successor to the developer's previous truck simulation series 18 Wheels of Steel.
American Truck Simulator is a truck simulator game developed and published by SCS Software. It was announced as being in development in September 2013 and unveiled at the E3 2015. It was released on 2 February 2016 for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS. The game is the parallel sequel to Euro Truck Simulator 2, the spiritual successor of 18 Wheels of Steel, and the fifth installment in the Truck Simulator series. The game is set in a condensed depiction of the United States, featuring American conventional semi-trucks and various locations across the U.S., where players pick up a variety of cargos and deliver them to their destinations.
SnowRunner is a 2020 off-road simulation video game developed by Saber Interactive and published by Focus Home Interactive. Following on from Spintires and the sequel MudRunner, the game was announced as MudRunner 2 in August 2018. Focus Home and Saber Interactive re-revealed the title a year later as SnowRunner. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 28, 2020, which was followed by a port for Nintendo Switch on May 18, 2021. It was released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 31, 2022. SnowRunner has the player control off-road vehicles as they traverse locations to complete objectives. The game features over 60 different vehicles and more than 15 locations. Much of the content is delivered across 4 anniversary year editions as DLC. A spin-off title, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game was released on March 5, 2024.
Scania Truck Driving Simulator: The Game is a truck simulator game developed by SCS Software in association with Scania AB for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It was released as a promotional product for the later-published Euro Truck Simulator 2 on 8 June 2012.
Bus Simulator 18 is a bus simulator game developed by Stillalive Studios and published by Astragon Entertainment. It is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and was released in June 2018 for Windows and in September 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the fifth game in the Bus Simulator franchise and is the direct sequel to Bus Simulator 16. A sequel titled Bus Simulator 21 was released in 2021.
TruckersFM, also known as Truckers.FM or TFM, is an independent online radio station created by the Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator community, and also features in other simulator genres such as Farming Simulator. The station was founded in October 2015 by brothers Alexander and Joshua Blackman.
Bus Simulator 21 is a bus simulator game developed by Stillalive Studios and published by Astragon Entertainment. It is developed on the Unreal Engine 4. It is the sixth in the Bus Simulator series, and is the direct sequel to Bus Simulator 18. The game has been released on 7 September 2021 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
