The Top 10 Most Popular Simulation Games on Facebook

by Chris Thomas on 14 May 2017 · 16686 views

Whether you're an old school fan of The Sims or a newcomer to the genre, anyone can admit that simulation games can be some of the most addictive and entertaining. Facebook is home to a number of impressive sim games, the most popular of which we've listed and reviewed below:

1. Dragon City

With more than 5 million players and nearly 20 million likes, Dragon City from Social Point is easily the most popular simulation game on Facebook right now. As the name implies, the object of the game is to breed, feed, raise, and combat dragons while building up floating cities on majestic islands in your quest to become a Dragon Master.

Players can combine dragons of different types (i.e. - Fire, Nature, Legend, etc.) to create new hybrids and then battle their dragons against thousands of other players or their friends in multiplayer matches.

The game includes 500 kinds of dragons that can be collected and bred to form hybrids, and new dragons are added to the game every week through breeding events and the introduction of special islands.

Dragon City gameplay is split into 4 main activities – breeding, battling, building, and feeding/training. As you win battles against other dragons and complete events, you'll earn gold and gems that can be used to unlock new islands and purchase additional components for your floating cities.

Another exciting aspect of the game is the ability to join leagues and tournaments to climb the leaderboards. Although the game's characters and design may appeal to younger players, the complexity and depth of the game make it a fun pastime for people of all ages. According to ThinkGaming.com, Dragon City is generating about $25,000 per day and is getting about 15,000 daily installs.

Dragon City Official Trailer:

2. Farmville 2: Country Escape

Farmville 2 lives up to the hype started by the first Farmville in both gameplay and popularity, with more than a million monthly active users and an ongoing spot as one of the top grossing games. As you're probably aware, the game lets you build your own 3D farms complete with all sorts of crops, animals, and buildings.

Game development firm Zynga is building upon it's incredible gaming empire with a sequel to the original Farmville, which is said to have earned more than $1 billion since its release in 2009. Farmville 2 was released in 2012.

Players can trade with friends and neighboring farms or take advantage of paid in-game upgrades to build up their farmstead and climb up the Order Board and Co-Op Delivery Map. This game is available on a number of different platforms, but the Facebook version has the most social features. You can even contribute to your friends' farms or ask your friends to share items that are needed to keep your farm going.

It sounds like a walk in the park, but Farmville 2 can be fairly challenging at higher levels, and it can be tempting to purchase quick upgrades to keep your plants growing. As one of the funnest and most talked about online games of all time, it's definitely worth a closer look for any fan of simulation games. According to ThinkGaming.com, Farmville 2 is earning about $22,000 in daily revenue while racking up about 10,000 installs per day.

Farmville 2: Country Escape Official Trailer:

3. TrainStation

TrainStation has built an impressive following as a leader in the railroad genre, standing out from other train sim games with more than 500,000 monthly active users on Facebook. Players earn gold and materials by finishing contracts and completing story-based quests. Winnings can be used to buy new trains and build up your train station. There are about 2,000 trains to collect, ranging from the earliest steam locomotives to the latest modern super trains.

The game takes place throughout 4 different historical periods and players can choose from more than 20 different locations for their station. You can also dispatch trains to your friends on Facebook, visit neighboring stations, and strike deals with contractors. Aside from buying new trains, you can also use gold and trade materials to obtain new buildings and components for your station.

There are more than 3000 separate achievements that make for great challenges, and you can invite your friends to participate in gameplay with you. You can also send and receive gifts and resources from other players on FB.

TrainStation Gameplay Trailer:

4. Family Farm

With about 500,000 active users, Family Farm is the third-most popular farming simulation game on Facebook behind only Farmville and Farmville 2. However, the gameplay is notably different, with a stronger emphasis on processing and selling the harvested goods.

The game uses two types of currency – coins and Ranch Cash. You can use your coins to purchase seeds for various kinds of crops. After harvesting, the crops are stored in your barn. The tool bar at the bottom right of the screen gives you access to the Barn, Plow Tool, Store, Achievements, and several other tools. The gameplay is relatively self-explanatory thanks to the introductory tutorial and on-screen instructions that provide continual guidance.

New farm goals and tasks that need to be done will show up on the left side of the screen. However, there's also a Mission Center book on the right side that provides access to your monthly calendar and a link to an interesting “check how to produce items” page that shows you how to combine purchasable items to create all-new objects that can be added to your farm.

Once you've amassed a good amount of Ranch Cash, you can use the “Select Ranch” button to buy another farm. You can also share items and coins with friends and help them maintain their farms as well.

Family Farm trailer:

5. Cafeland

As the title suggests, Cafeland puts you in control of building up and running your own cafe. With 500,000 monthly active users and more than 7 million likes, the game was launched by game development company Gamegos in 2011 and has since become the most popular restaurant simulation game on Facebook.

Although the game is mainly centered around keeping up with the flow of business and satisfying customers, it also offers a lot of depth in the way of interior design and customizing your cafe. In fact, it's impressive how different each player's cafe can look.

A convenient toolbar at the bottom of the game screen makes it easy to add decorations, expand the building, add food items to the menu, throw parties, snap a screenshot of your cafe, and check your gift box for gifts from friends. There's also an achievement module that is unlocked after level 10.

As you'd expect from any good sim game on Facebook, there's a comprehensive introductory tutorial that walks you through all the main features. Although the name of the game is Cafeland, you can use available themes to transform your establishment into a variety of restaurant types, including a burger shop, pizzeria, sushi shop, noodle shop, fast food place, and many others.

Cafeland Gameplay Video:

6. Island Experiment

This is easily one of the most unique causal simulation games on Facebook, with an interesting plot and setting based on a mysterious island in the Pacific Ocean. With more than 500,000 active users and nearly a million likes, the game has almost broken into the Top 100 most popular FB games in all genres. The developers at Nexters Global (creators of Throne Rush) have managed to produce a spectacular open world game considering the platform, so there's plenty to explore and discover.

The island is filled with caves, temples, ruins, massive statues, obelisks, artifacts, and even clues that point to signs of an ancient alien civilization. The plot has you leading a team of scientists who become stranded on the island after conducting an exhibition to investigate a fallen military satellite.

You'll be collaborating with a group of characters to solve puzzles for the local shamans, helping distressed island inhabitants, building a settlement, collecting ancient treasures, and eventually doing battle with an ancient force. You can also engage in multiplayer gameplay by inviting your other Facebook friends.

Overall, Island Experiment provides tremendous depth and a wealth of adventures just waiting to be experienced. The 3D graphics, extensive open world environment, and abundance of components make it one of the most in-depth games on Facebook. The game was released in May of 2014 and the mobile version is currently generating about $200,000 per month in revenue according to Sensor Tower.

Island Experiment Gameplay Trailer:

7. Taonga

Taonga: The Island Farm is similar to Island Experiment but is slightly less popular with only about 100,000 active players and about 200,000 likes. However, it's also much newer, having only been released in April of 2016. Nonetheless, it has its own perks and a unique farming twist that make it worth checking out if you're into island exploration games.

The plot has you visiting a remote, uninhabited island in the Pacific after receiving a letter from one of your ancestors. Instead of just roaming the island, collecting artifacts, and engaging in other adventurous activities, you'll also be able to build and maintain your own farm and village, producing crops and goods to trade with others for in-game currency.

Eventually you'll not only have your farm and village to take care of, but you'll also be able to battle against the island's evil spirits to earn trophies and treasures. Like similar games in the genre, expect an intriguing and vast tropical open world environment.

Multiplayer is also an option, as you can invite your friends to come team up with you on the island. You can also trade and gift resources to your friends and neighboring villages, so there's plenty of social depth to be enjoyed as well.

Official Taonga Tutorial Video:

8. Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff

If you're a fan of Family Guy this is a must-try Facebook simulation game that involves all your favorite characters. Developed by TinyCo Games and released in 2014, this popular title has managed to attract more than 100,000 active players and more than 1.2 million likes.

The game incorporates most of the familiar characters you'd see in the show and the setting is your very own Quahog that you can build up and maintain. The goal is to save the city from its accidental destruction after a disastrous battle with the show's infamous giant chicken leaves everything in shambles.

Along the way you'll be going on absurd quests, decorating the town with ridiculous things, unlocking hundreds of items and animations, and even acquiring hilarious outfits and character variations. Of course, you'll be teaming up with Meg, Chris, Stewie, Lois, Brian, Quagmire, and the rest of the game's characters to get things done and achieve tasks.

If you enjoy watching Family Guy and you're a fan of simulation games, there's a good chance that you'll find plenty of enjoyment in your own virtual Quahog. According to ThinkGaming.com, Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff is currently generating about $10,000 in daily revenue and is getting about 12,000 installs per day on mobile devices.

Official Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff Trailer:

9. Klondike

If you're into adventurous sim games with interesting plots and storylines, Klondike: The Lost Expedition is worth checking out. Developed by Vizor Interactive (the makers of Mahjong: Treasure Quest), the game has amassed more than 100,000 active players and has attracted more than 1.2 million likes since its release in 2014. It also won the “Facebook's Best New Game” award during its debut year.

The story revolves around a young boy who travels to the Blue Peaks Valley searching for his father who is supposed to be in the area collecting gold. There's a nice father-son story that is made exciting by the many adventures and battles you'll face on the way to finding the lost expedition.

Locating the expedition is just the beginning of the adventure, as you'll also be able to build up your own farm and turn the deserted Northern station into a bustling town of your own. The characters and locations are the graphical strong points of the game, with funny animated animals that have more entertaining personalities than your typical virtual companions.

Klondike: The Lost Expedition Official Trailer:

10. Knights & Brides

If you're looking for a medieval simulation game this would be the one to try out first. With 100,000 active users and more than 300,000 likes, Knights & Brides is yet another hit game from Vizor Interactive. The game was released on Facebook in late 2015 and has since risen to the Top 200 most popular games in any genre.

The storyline and character setup allows for an interesting romantic twist, letting the player choose to be either the Knight or Bride. You can also play multiplayer with your significant other or a friend, with the bride running the household to keep the knight strong and prepared for combat.

As the relationship between the knight and bride grows you'll earn new capabilities and will a have the opportunity to expand your estate and settle conquered lands. Overall it's an in-depth medieval sim game with an extensive virtual kingdom to explore and build upon.

Knights & Brides Trailer: