2000s Simulation games

22 Simulation classics first released 2000 to 2009, in release order, and 15 games looking back to them.

Games looking back to them

• FreeSO: Revival of The Sims Online with its own servers.
• Paralives: Patreon-funded life simulator in the vein of The Sims; early access since May 2026.
• Simitone: Reimplementation of The Sims 1.
• Deisim: VR god game about guiding humankind.
• openblack: Open-source reimplementation of Black & White.
• The Universim: Planet-scale god game guiding a civilization through the ages.
• openzt: Open reimplementation of Zoo Tycoon.
• Everspace: Kickstarted roguelite space shooter.
• Everspace 2: Kickstarted open-world looter space shooter pitched in the Freelancer vein.
• Librelancer: Open-source reimplementation of Freelancer.
• Rebel Galaxy Outlaw: Cockpit space trader-fighter in the Privateer mold.
• Stellar Wanderer DX: Space trading and combat game openly modeled on Freelancer and Privateer; slated for March 2026.
• DwarfCorp: Colony management game of dwarven miners, later open-sourced.
• Rise to Ruins: Retro pixel-art village builder and god game by a solo developer (SixtyGig Games).
• Ultima Ratio Regum: Free ASCII roguelike about a 17th-century conspiracy, released only from the author's blog.

The classics

• The Sims (2000)
• Animal Crossing (2001)
• Black & White (2001)
• IL-2 Sturmovik (2001)
• Startopia (2001)
• Tropico (2001)
• Uplink (2001)
• Zoo Tycoon (2001)
• Steel Battalion (2002)
• EVE Online (2003)
• Freelancer (2003)
• Diner Dash (2004)
• Evil Genius (2004)
• Nintendogs (2005)
• Trauma Center (2005)
• Cooking Mama (2006)
• Dwarf Fortress (2006)
• Viva Piñata (2006)
• Euro Truck Simulator (2008)
• Spore (2008)
• FarmVille (2009)
• Tomodachi Life (2009)