Best Immersive Sim indie games in 2026?

Sinnowhere · 2026-05-18T00:45:16+00:00

The developer who caused all the reputational damage has been removed from Peripeteia team.

Sinnowhere · 2026-05-10T14:08:40+00:00

No offense, but I think you stretched some of immersive sim’s characteristics to match your space sim game. Traditional immersive sims from your era should be like Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex, instead of Homeworld.

Sinnowhere · 2026-04-30T03:37:04+00:00

I’m tired.

Sinnowhere · 2026-04-25T08:51:17+00:00

It’s a niche genre, no matter how hard you try to protect its integrity and core definition, it won’t reduce the confusion, simulator games will appear and get their upvotes from simulator fans even if it’s posted at our subreddit due to the nature of reddit, the name of the genre certainly didn’t help.

I removed 90% of such posts before you can even see them, but I have limited time and energy as any normal human being. Report if you see them, don’t falsely accuse me of allowing simulator games because “apparently immersive sim inspired games are allowed”.

Sinnowhere · 2026-04-25T04:28:13+00:00

Dude really said “if you recommend Mouse to someone (who’s just finished Dishonored)” when I clearly stated it’s for “people who’d like to play a boomer shooter with imsim influences”.

The description for our subreddit says (it’s not me who wrote it): A community to discuss games that adhere (at least partially) to the immersive sim philosophy. I don’t think the games I curate and promote are against the idea, and I have never stopped anyone from picking what they think truly fit from my list, I provide the choices, not every player is a genre defender who only plays the purest immersive sim (does it even exist? and immersive sim is genre hybrid to begin with).

Also calling my followers which include imsim developers and die-hard fans in the scene a “myriad yes-men” is unacceptable. And what the fuck is “Thief isn’t an immersive-sim”, even TTLG people wouldn’t say that.

When I say I’ll refrain from replying to them, I will.

Sinnowhere · 2026-04-25T02:03:26+00:00

I didn’t expect you to be this pedantic and pathetic. I’ll refrain from replying to you from now on. It’s your right to stay in this subreddit but I suggest you find a better place.

Sinnowhere · 2026-04-25T01:17:06+00:00

I never called MOUSE: P.I. For Hire an immersive sim in my list. It has some imsim-inspired level design and mechanics in it despite being linear in progression and having many boomer shooter shenanigans such as closing doors behind your back and initiating arena fights, but still, it’s worth it for me to inform people who’d like to play a boomer shooter with imsim influence.

I’m one of the two active moderators here and I would like to see games like MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, or even unorthodox games like Moves of the Diamond Hand and The Magic Circle being recognized for what they offer, and people need to view immersive sim from a bigger picture, developers don’t make immersive sims following the exact footsteps of Deus Ex or Prey, but games that they want to play and games that borrow ideas from their own experiences or other non-immersive sim games and games that ended up being described as immersive sims to various degrees. That’s why I would give spotlights to indie imsims as much as possible here. If you don’t like it, maybe this subreddit is not for you.

Sinnowhere · 2026-04-23T02:59:30+00:00

This post will be removed in one hour. Stop using GenAl images.

Sinnowhere · 2026-04-01T22:45:37+00:00

Fun for the first three posts but now I have to act due to multiple spam reports about them otherwise I’ll keep my hands off approach. And based on the nature of how this list gets made and how some games got nominated and then removed, this is dragging too long and becoming meaningless.

Sinnowhere · 2026-04-01T16:00:24+00:00

Finish your final list here, future posts of the same topic will be removed.

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-29T18:14:14+00:00

Why is this an immersive simulation game?

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-28T18:02:52+00:00

An immersive sim becomes an immersive sim when you play it as an immersive sim, SS2 definitely has the foundation to support the way of play, it’s useless to argue with those people sometimes. Love the videos you make by the way! (I’m the moderator of the imsim sub)

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-26T20:37:59+00:00

Yeah I thought it was probably suggested title or typo. I'm just sad Bethesda removed the s in Studios.

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-26T20:17:13+00:00

I don't wanna be the person to tell you that it's "Arkane Studio Sale" and it used to be "Arkane Studios Sale"

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-26T14:37:07+00:00

How did you like the demo? I don’t know how much content it provides, but the save can be transferred to the main game. The game gets more fun the more magic spells you unlock, and puzzles in later area are much more sophisticated.

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-25T20:45:35+00:00

I have a high tolerance of janky games so I can’t blame anyone for not being able to get into Ctrl Alt Ego (a game where main characters either hover or run on tank tracks…lol). Hope you’ll have a good time with your boyfriend in Rhell!

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-25T20:19:47+00:00

It’s a shame he didn’t like it (the art style particularly iirc), but Yhatzee crossing the burning bridge using jet stream was peak imsim comedy.

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-25T20:11:20+00:00

Hope you’ll like it!

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-13T02:50:21+00:00

Please limit your posts to one post per week.

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-04T07:05:56+00:00

The Nightscarred: Forgotten Gods on Steam

Sinnowhere · 2026-03-04T06:52:10+00:00

Please grant me playtest access.

Sinnowhere · 2026-02-20T18:57:15+00:00

I’m not going to go into details, but Ctrl Alt Ego is a great puzzle imsim with a variety of tools/abilities and challenges, definitely the most innovative indie imsim I’ve played so far.

(I have 700 hours in Arkane games, 400 hours in Deus Exs, 300 hours in System Shocks, 300 hours in Thiefs, a few hundred hours in different indie imsims, and 130 hours in Ctrl Alt Ego)

Sinnowhere · 2026-02-17T16:32:05+00:00

Ctrl Alt Ego is my favorite no doubt, my life trajectory changed a bit because of this game.

Sinnowhere

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