Video games to play when your brain is on Airplane Mode

A certain segment of gaming culture has recently been through a resurgence, that being the Simulator genre, a category of games including such riveting experiences as “PowerWash Simulator”, or “Lawn Mower Simulator”, or “Train Simulator.”

All things that, as we all know, every person has such an immense desire to experience. Who wouldn’t want to experience the sheer joy of spraying high pressure streams of water at different dirty surfaces, or tending to a train system, where you have to actively stop and allow passengers to board, and are penalized for breaking the schedule, or the act of riding atop a lawn mower, watching tiny pathetic blades of grass scream in sheer terror as you bear down upon them, an apocalyptic force of nature sent by whatever god their tiny plant brains can comprehend to punish them for sins they will never understand?

I got a bit carried away in that last part, but my point still stands. None of these are incredibly exciting experiences right? However, they have all been massively popular recently. Especially “PowerWash Simulator”, which sold nearly 3 million copies in just 2 months. You may ask yourself. “Why are these games so hugely successful?” Allow me to theorize.

Everyone needs relaxation. It’s an important part of bodily maintenance, and people find that relaxation in different ways. Some take a nap, some read a book, some go watch a movie or TV show, some go running. And reader, some people pretend they’re power washing a dirt bike. It’s simple, once you think about the purpose of gaming as a whole. A medium that I believe is an artform, but also a tool to shut your brain off and do something mindless for an hour or two after a stressful day. And believe me: it works.

Try something for me, go to your browser and search “PowerWash Simulator” on YouTube. Watch any video that comes up (with your sound muted. YouTube is a horrid platform). Feel your muscles relax as you watch that hose absolutely delete dirt and grime. That is the appeal of simulators.

Another name for these games, which I think goes beyond “Simulator”, is a term I coined. “Podcast Games”. Games that you can turn on for a few hours and just lose yourself in. This includes simulators like the ones I have mentioned before, but they also include a few other more varied entries. MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) fill the category nicely. I can turn on Final Fantasy 14, pick up a bunch of quests, and just lose myself in the monotony of gathering Berries, killing beasts, and walking through a deadly forest to go talk to Guard Commander Barney or whatever.

This is where the “Podcast” part comes in. I never sit in silence when enjoying a “podcast game” (Otherwise, they’d be ‘Bored silence games’). I often have some kind of podcast playing in the background. I can focus on them while my hands can do thing. It’s perfect symbiosis. I feel accomplishment as my level in Wild Boar Hunting increases, while being stimulated by an interesting discussion about Rail disasters, or caving accidents, or the latest video games news.

Another Podcast Game I purchased recently is called “Hardspace: Shipbreaker”, A game about a group of menial workers who take apart and sort spaceship parts. along with the ability to turn off my brain and just cut a spaceship to bits and mindlessly sort things, “Hardspace Shipbreaker” also includes a fascinating story about the formation of a union in a society where Earth is owned by a megacorporation, who forces its laborers into debt just for having a job, who created cloning just so that they could replace dead workers. It’s an fantastic experience that I recommend for my fellow “podcast gamers” out there.

I can recommend games all day, but the real interesting stuff is the podcasts. There is a variety of podcasts out there it can be a bit daunting to choose, so here are my recommendations, games they work well with.

For you Powerwashers or lawn mowers, I recommend “Well, there’s your problem!” A podcast about engineering disasters. Featuring three incredibly intelligent and educated hosts, “WTYP” provides a fantastic learning experience to enjoy while you slaughter billions of grass blades, or blast about trillions of dirt particles. For Train/Boat/truck simulator fans, there’s the brilliant subgenre of podcasts known as the Dungeons and Dragons podcast. Part of the vehicle experience is the long trips where you are doing nothing, so what better to entertain yourself with than a bunch of nerds (Don’t worry, they’re nerdier than you.)coming together to tell a story. If you want some interesting recommendations, there’s Just Roll With It, a group of 4 friends pretending to be pirates. Alternatively, if pirates isn’t your thing, try out Dungeons and Daddies (I promise it’s not weird.)

DnDaddies tells an introspective story about 4 fathers transported into the world of Dungeons and Dragons where they must find their sons, and learn how to be better fathers and better people along the way.

And lastly, for my fellow shipbreakers/menial labor simulators, the best way to get into the game the world is a nice talk show. My personal favorite is “My Brother, My Brother, and Me”, hosted by the podcasting superstars Justin, Griffin, and Travis McElroy. The brothers take the time to listen to questions submitted by fans or found online and definitely give good advice and not just comedy. Alternatively, the Cox ‘n Crendor podcast is a long run podcast hosted by two friends who discuss what’s going on in their life, then the last half is dedicated to being a poorly hosted morning show, where they describe the weather for any random location they feel like, make up some traffic reports, do a surprisingly in depth sports analysis segment, and end with the “Big News Story of the Day”, typically some stupid thing that’s happening somewhere in the world (usually Florida) that is easy to make funny.

As I sat at my computer, preparing this article and listened to my podcast collection, I realized something. You can’t explain the popularity of simulator games. Why would people want to come home after a long day of school or work to pretend to do more work? . At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. What’s really important is that people have fun with how they spend their free time. Be it playing the latest “Run around a shoot bad guys” release, suffering through the most absurdly difficult grind of a game, or committing grass genocide.

Braedon Martin is a Hutchinson sophomore studying journalism. He is the Collegian’s Opinion Page Editor and Managing Editor for Design.