10 Best Business Simulation Games in 2022 (Cities: Skylines, Planet Zoo, and More)

Cities: Skylines is one of the top management games for a reason. You play as a mayor who must construct and maintain a realistic city. You'll face issues such as education, water, electricity, policing, healthcare, and much more. This game also has extensive modding support and many DLCs.

The main complaints are that the base game only has so much content and the DLCs can be quite expensive. However, the vast amount of Steam Workshop content and mods can make up for this.

Although this game came out in 2015, many reviewers like that there have been many patches and updates since then. They love the beautiful graphics, the challenging gameplay, and the great replayability from the mods.

From the makers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes Planet Zoo, the ultimate zoo simulator with meaningful management. You play as a zoo owner who must construct proper habitats for your wildlife. Every animal thinks, feels, and explores the detailed world that you create for them.

Although this game's graphics are excellent, reviewers say this game's "franchise mode" is less about building and more about business. However, there is also a "sandbox mode" for people who wish to design. Some reviewers state that the building function is difficult to use. 

Besides those things, most reviewers say this game is simple and rewarding. They love the variety of animals, each with unique personalities, and they like that there's an active community with thousands of mods for a nearly endless amount of fun.

In Game Dev Tycoon, you play as a game developer trying to rise to the top of the market. You start in the 1980s and must research new technologies and invent new game types. This game comes in 10 languages and counting and supports mods from the Steam Workshop.

A few reviewers complain that once you finish this game, there's not much to replay. However, this can be helped with the extensive amount of mods. Even though you're trying to become a market leader, the "competition" in this game is not very apparent.

Despite the complaints, most reviewers found this game nostalgic and charming. They like that it lets you create any game you want and has a simple goal of getting to the top of the industry in 36 years. It also has many Easter eggs and inside jokes that many gamers know.

In Youtubers Life, you play as a new Youtuber living with your parents who wants to grow your channel and become the most successful Youtuber. As you start getting your first subscribers, you'll also monetize your content, attend parties, manage your social media, and deal with haters.

Some reviewers complain that the game becomes repetitive. They also dislike the limited dialogue options while at events.

Besides these issues, most reviewers like that this game has plenty of customization options and lots of incentives to reach the max level. They like that the game is often hilarious but still has realistic aspects. They say it's like a mixture of Game Dev Tycoon and The Sims.

In Surviving Mars, you must build humanity's first functioning human colony on the great red planet of Mars. You'll choose a space agency and determine a location for your colony. While keeping your colonists alive, you will also uncover the mysteries of this alien world.

Reviewers state that this game lacks replayability once you've built every building and gone through every scenario. There's downloadable content, but it doesn't really change the lack of replayability.

Regardless of the issues, most reviewers like that this game can be challenging. They like that it takes a lot of strategy and there are multiple stories and technologies. It also allows terraforming, which is when you modify the planet's surface topography.

In Two Point Hospital, you play as the owner of a hospital that wants to become the most successful healthcare operator in the whole county. You'll face things like how many decorative versus functional items you want and how to handle a variety of fictional illnesses.

Reviewers state that in each hospital, you have a fixed single-floor foundation that limits design variety. They also state that it's not very challenging and your designs don't really influence the patients.

Other than those issues, most reviewers love that this game has a lot of zany humor and that each staff member has their own quirks and traits. They like that the fictional diseases and treatments are hilarious. There's also DLCs that offer new diseases and hospital layouts.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Deluxe is a tycoon game where you play as the owner of an amusement park. You must construct rides, build food and drink stalls, and lay out proper pathways for guests. You'll also have to manage your park's marketing and finances to attract new guests while making a profit.

Since this game is older, some reviewers say that it may have bugs. However, most reviewers deem this game a timeless classic tycoon game. They love that it lets you build amusement parks with anything you want and that this game can run even on the slowest PCs.

Megaquarium is a tycoon game where fish are friends, not food. But they will eat each other if you forget to feed them! You play as the owner of an aquatic theme park where you must take care of your fish and keep your guests happy. There are nearly 100 different marine species, including sharks, crustaceans, jellyfish, turtles, and more.

Some reviewers complain that the visitors are not very interactive and the animations are lacking. They dislike how the game frequently pauses when in-game events cause pop-ups. 

Other than those issues, most reviewers love the cute graphics and variety of game scenarios. They like that it's easy to learn and pretty relaxing, especially on easy mode. They state that it's like an aquatic version of the classic Zoo Tycoon series.

Cook, Serve Delicious! 3?! takes place in war-torn America in 2042. Your restaurant gets destroyed by the ongoing war, so you decide to rebuild your business with a food truck. You must upgrade your food truck and expand your food catalog and win the Iron Cook Foodtruck Championships.

Some reviewers complain that this game is too difficult and not good for perfectionists. Otherwise, most reviewers like that this game supports co-op for two players and has over 50 levels. They also like the "chill mode" that allows stress-free gameplay.

In American Truck Simulator, you play as a truck driver for hire working your way up to become the owner of the largest transportation company in the United States. Your truck can be customized inside and out, whether it's the cabin, paint job, or engine. You'll face the challenge of delivering cargo and trailers of various sizes.

Some reviewers complain that the base game only has three states and the DLC is too expensive. They warn that it only comes with two types of trucks as well. 

Despite the issues, many reviewers praise this game for being a unique and realistic truck-driving business simulator. They love that roads never repeat and the scenery is gorgeous. However, this game might be a better simulator than a business management game.