[manachar]

The interesting part of simulation genres is finding out what you need to change to make it fun.

What makes a simulation game fun varies per game. Stardew Valley could be described as a boring loop. EVE Online just yesterday made fans happy by getting official Microsoft Excel support.

The key seems to be to have a particular hook and perspective.

So, for a poverty simulator, you could embrace hustle culture and have people race to exploit loopholes in systems to maximize return.

Alternatively, you could take a radical approach at start with the crush of poverty and embrace it something like a rogue-like where you will probably always lose, but this time maybe you get a little further. Whether you want to embrace it ridiculously like Binding of Isaac embraced evangelical childhood abuse or be something else works.

Also worth remembering Papers, Please as a good example of a simulation making something "not fun" fun.

[kennywinker]

> EVE Online just yesterday made fans happy by getting official Microsoft Excel support.

That's the funniest single phrase I've read all day. Thank you for sharing that, it brought me great joy :)

[Bud]

What's even funnier is, it's actually true.

[nerdponx]

It also doesn't necessarily have to be "fun". I would argue that playing poverty simulator definitely should not ever be "fun". It might have plenty of educational or artistic value, though, which might be a good enough reason for some people to play it.

[NylaTheWolf]

I definitely agree with you about Papers, Please. It's literally about doing paperwork and it's one of the best games I've played.