The best business simulation games

A business simulation game is a game where you run a company and manage its money. The best ones are Capitalism Lab, Big Ambitions, Game Dev Tycoon, Software Inc., and Two Point Hospital.

Wikipedia also calls these games “tycoon games” or “economic simulation games.” In these games, you hire staff, set prices, and buy stock. You try to make a profit. Many of these games ask you to control small details.

The kind is old. Wikipedia names The Sumerian Game from 1964 as the first economic simulation game. It was a text game on a mainframe computer. Later classics include M.U.L.E. (1983), Railroad Tycoon, and Transport Tycoon.

This post lists the best business sims by kind. The kinds are company sims, tycoon games, free games, mobile games, and life sims with a business side. Each game has its platforms and a source. For farms, cities, and vehicles, read our list of the best simulation games of all kinds.

You read this on the LifeSim blog. We make a free life sim, not a business sim. We say more about that below.

On PC, start with Capitalism Lab for a deep economy. Pick Big Ambitions for a business you can walk around in. Pick Game Dev Tycoon or Software Inc. if you want to run a tech company.

Capitalism Lab

Capitalism Lab is a company sim from Enlight Software. It is the next game after Capitalism 2, and Trevor Chan designed the series. You run factories, retail stores, and research, and you deal with inflation and real estate. DLC packs add stock listings, city building, and software firms.

The game runs on Windows. The official site says it runs on Mac with Porting Kit and on Linux with Lutris. You buy it on the official site, not on Steam.

Big Ambitions

Big Ambitions, from Hovgaard Games, is a business and life sim in New York. You start with a small apartment and a job. Then you open shops, coffee shops, and law firms, and you grow them into large companies.

You hire managers, rent or buy property, and invest. You also look after your character’s sleep and happiness. The game came to early access in March 2023 and left it on August 28, 2026. It runs on Windows and macOS.

Game Dev Tycoon

Game Dev Tycoon, from Greenheart Games, came out on August 29, 2013. You start a video game company in the 1980s. You design games, research new technology, build game engines, and move to bigger offices. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Software Inc.

Software Inc. is a software company sim from Coredumping, a one-person studio. You design offices, hire staff, and make software and hardware. You can also trade stocks and take over other companies. Up to four players can play together. The game is still in early access, on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Two Point Hospital

Two Point Hospital, from Two Point Studios and SEGA, came out on August 29, 2018. You build hospitals, cure strange illnesses, and train staff. You also set prices, take loans, and read the statistics. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Supermarket Simulator

Supermarket Simulator, from Nokta Games, is a first-person shop sim. You order stock, fill the shelves, set prices, and work the cash register. Later you hire staff and make the store bigger. Up to four players can play in co-op. The full version came out on June 19, 2025, for Windows and macOS.

Yes. OpenTTD, AdVenture Capitalist, and Sim Companies are free to play. Each one is a different kind of business game.

• OpenTTD is free and open-source software, first out in 2004. You earn money when you move passengers and cargo by road, rail, water, and air. It is on Steam for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• AdVenture Capitalist, from Hyper Hippo, is free to play on Steam. You start with a lemonade stand and grow an empire. Managers run your businesses, and money comes in while you are offline. It has paid extras.
• Sim Companies is a free multiplayer business game with in-app purchases. Real players make the economy. You plan production, sign contracts, and trade on an exchange. It plays in a browser and on iPhone.

Free games often sell boosts or extras. Check the store page before you buy anything.

On a phone, the best picks are RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, Sim Companies, and BitLife with its business pack.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, from Atari, joins RollerCoaster Tycoon 1 and 2 in one game. You design rides, build parks, and manage staff and money. The base game has 95 park scenarios. It is a paid app on iPhone and iPad. The expansion packs are the only in-app purchases.

Sim Companies

The App Store page says Sim Companies takes only a few minutes a day and has no ads. You can focus on manufacturing, retail, or research. It is the best free pick for a real economy on a phone.

BitLife

BitLife is a life sim, but its Business Update lets you start or buy a company. See the next section for the details.

Two life sims let you run a business: The Sims 4 with the Businesses & Hobbies pack, and BitLife. In both, the business is one part of a whole life.

The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies

EA released this expansion pack on March 6, 2025. You run a small business from home or from a Small Business Venue lot. You can sell pottery and crafts, or run a bar, gym, pool, or music venue. You hire staff and set your own prices. The pack adds a new town, Nordhaven.

You need The Sims 4 base game. Read our guide to Businesses and Hobbies for the steps.

BitLife Business Update

Candywriter added the Business Update to BitLife in two parts in 2022. Level Winner reports that you can start a business or buy one. Costs go from a food truck up to a car maker.

You manage employees, products, suppliers, and inventory. You can also sell the business or go bankrupt. Read our BitLife Business Update guide, or learn how to become a CEO in BitLife through a job.

Is LifeSim a business simulation game?

No. LifeSim, our game, is a life sim, not a business sim. You live one life, day by day, in a real city on a 3D map of Earth. People talk back in their own words and remember you.

We do not list running a company as a LifeSim feature. If you want a business to manage, play one of the games on this page. If you want a free life sim with no ads in a browser or on iPhone, try LifeSim. Our list of life sim games has more of that kind.

Business schools use classroom simulations such as Capsim. Some teachers also use commercial games such as Capitalism Lab.

Wikipedia says business simulations are used to teach management, marketing, economics, and hospitality. Students can test choices before they face them in real life. They can also test ideas without real risk.

• Capsim puts students in charge of a simulated company for many rounds. Results carry forward from round to round. The site claims more than 2 million learners in more than 50 countries. It shows logos of the University of Florida, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
• Capitalism Lab has an “Educational Use” menu on its official site. It has a classroom quick-start guide and university examples.

Capsim works through schools and companies, not through a game store. For self-study at home, Capitalism Lab or Sim Companies is the easier start.

For realism, Capitalism Lab is the strongest pick for one player. Sim Companies is the strongest pick for a market of real players.

Capitalism Lab simulates products, factories, retail, warehouses, real estate, and inflation. Its DLC adds subsidiaries, IPOs, and stock listings. That makes it the closest to a stock market simulation game on this list.

Sim Companies says it follows real-world economic principles. Other players set the prices on the exchange, not the computer. Software Inc. also has stock trading and takeovers, inside a tech company.

Tycoon games such as Two Point Hospital and RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic are less realistic. They put fun and building first. That is not a fault. Pick the level of detail that you enjoy.

Use this table to find your game. Prices change, so check the store page for each one.

Want a game with no fixed goal at all? Read our list of games where you can do anything.

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• Wikipedia: Business simulation game
• Capitalism Lab (official site)
• Big Ambitions on Steam
• Game Dev Tycoon on Steam
• Software Inc. on Steam
• Two Point Hospital on Steam
• Supermarket Simulator on Steam
• RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic on the App Store
• OpenTTD on Steam
• AdVenture Capitalist on Steam
• Sim Companies on the App Store
• EA: The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies
• Level Winner: BitLife Business Update guide
• Capsim (official site)