The fact that Euro and American truck simulator created vocations to many players who, thanks to SCS, passed their licences and went from game to IRL trucking is something insane. And I am part of these peoples
When I was over the road. I was gifted American truck simulator by a friend. So I played it on my laptop inside my truck when I would get stuck at deliveries for hours on end.
@@DragonHalo99oh my, this had to be a thing somewhere haha. Does it actually take your mind off the job or does it make you enjoy your job more? Or even both?
I feel like it would be very useful to have these sorta of simulations for other professiona, such as electrical engineering or chemistry or ect. Hell, even Gunsmith Simulator teaches people, even though sometimes the information there is outright incorrect.
@@MnemonicHack i think one of the biggest problems is the unreliability of information. It's very easy to claim to be factual, it's infinitely harder to actually get it right. And some myths and false understandings might even be perpetuated
I think another thing to mention is, that in something like Satisfactory, you have to control over the entire factory while in real life you are more likely to only work at one of the machines for example. The games are like working in every position your company has at the same time and switching between them whenever you want.
So weird. It's almost like giving smart workers complete autonomy over a business proves that MaNgLeMeNt and leadership roles are largely unnecessary or something. (This is an oversimplification - there is a time and place for management roles, but I've found that many businesses have far more in such roles than required to function.)
This has much to do with my masters degree research. I'm a psychologist and I've studied about how video games "feeds" our inconcious fantasies of control and power by providing a safe platform where we can inevitably impose ourselves over the (virtual) world, wether saving, destroying or shaping it as much as the rules and codes allows us. Along with that, every video game - but ultimately these "job games" - gives us a objectiveness impossible to reach in the real world. Every video game gives us all the information, calculation and data we need to achieve the final goal, we just need to do it and do it and do it, it's like victory is just a matter of time and effort. Otherwise, that's no true in real life. Unlike some internet coach may say, and unlike the broader social system may imply, life doesn't have a manual with all the rules. You can follow all the steps of the tech-billionaire anti-procrastination routine, you won't necessarily get the same outcome. But you can search for a tutorial on how to make a 1000 parts per minute factory in Satisfactory and you definitely get that 1000ppm.
TBH I like "work games" because i like to work, I just hate everything that makes work horrible. If I had proper accommodations for my disabilities, if working actually paid me enough to survive, and if I didn't have to deal with the horrors of shithead customers and corporate overlords cutting every single corner- I'd really love to work.
Humans like work, we need work. Unfortunately due to a lot of factors people often end up with jobs they don’t enjoy. But if given agency and the ability to choose your work, work is the most satisfying thing any of us can do.
Funny thing, I actually came up with a game concept about work, at work. It's basically a cooking simulator but in a restaurant, the goal is to make yourself something to eat while you are at work without your boss catching you. The difficulty level determines what boss is working, is it the one who's gonna sit in the office most of the day, the one who like to 'help' on the line or the one who is running around everywhere randomly but not really doing anything? The points are awarded for the 'meal' you make, where did you gather the ingredients from or did any have to be cooked or prepped beforehand. Me and my old co-workers played this all the time, we even explained it to our boss who thought it was great. I just need a programmer and an artist and next hit indie game is out :D
What if you added “Karen” who will tattle on you to the boss if they catch you. Then the consequences depend on which boss is working, once again. Is it the friendly laid back boss who is bros with everyone? Is it the ruthless boss who actively adds dirty dishes for the dishwasher to clean up? Oh and the Karen could maybe be either a customer or a co-worker. Ooh and what if there were random events that could occur in the restaurant or kitchen during the game session? Such a rat in the kitchen, expired food, a birthday party, a car crashing into the building, or a robbery of the restaurant?
Makes me think of "People quit bad bosses, not jobs." We want to do something productive, meaningful. But can't find a real employment that doesn't come with bad bosses , shitty coworkers, stupid regulations and horrible customers. So, we take up job games to fill that hole. Also you don't have to sit through nightmare traffic to do a job that barely pays enough to keep your nose above water.
Fun fact, Euro Truck Simulator helped me when I was learning to drive, I was really afraid of making any mistake, switching lanes and this kind of stuff, I remember playing a lot of ETS with my friends and slowly getting more confident and with better space awareness. Kind of strange but it worked 😂
I swear that Gran Tourismo made me a better driver. Just understanding how to take curves at the right speed and how to brake and not over correct when driving fast helped me. Even understanding how to turn your car when it is slipping helped me with rainy weather in FL
@@catbatrat1760I would 100% recommend getting ATS or ETS and getting a car mod for it. It will definitely help you learn because it is very realistic and accurate.
In a job interview for an after college engineering job, I was asked if I could back up a trailer. I said yes, as I had done landscaping the last two summers, but I also told the interviewer that I had initially learned by playing Farming Simulator in high school. Got the job too, so maybe the games do count as work experience lol.
Manufacturing engineer here. I’ve been playing Satisfactory a LOT over the past few months, and it follows a very similar pattern to what I do at work (thankfully without giant Stingers and Hogs attacking me). My favorite part about it is I’m essentially my own boss. I can work a problem out on my own terms and try and make a factory as efficient as possible. Minimal time stress…when ADA doesn’t get impatient.
with over 2k hours on Satisfactory i can say its simply what the name entails. the joy of when stuff works, then making whatever works much much bigger and trying new ways to make it look nicer or faster. when that all works perfectly its so worth all the errors and time
Yeah it's work with a clear solution. Also the more work and thought you put into, the more efficient and productive it becomes. Real work has nothing of that
Apparently UA-cam is afraid to lose top content creators and twerking their Algo to help out smaller channels to grow :) (that are by the way not worse then the big ones) great vid man!
This is my first impression of you. I was expecting to see hundreds of thousands of subscribers, so imagine my surprise when I got to be one of the first 1000. This video is really insightful, well shot and edited, and overall really well done. We will be watching your career with great interest.
A little addition as a truck driver to the list. In ETS 2 / ATS you can eventually buy your own truck and build it up exactly how you want it, eventually upgrading it with more powerful engines or gearboxes (stats and numbers go up). There are not many people here that can actually do such a thing either because of laws, operating and running costs, or simply because they are not a self owned driver. Most of the time people drive trucks the company provides, while they might ask what kind of truck a driver would prefer it's not often they get listened to. TL;DR: Truck drivers can build their dream truck, rig it all nice and pretty too.
My favorite "job game" is snowrunner. I'll never do longhaul deep-woods Alaskan cargo delivery IRL, but snowrunner lets me play in that world. A good summary of the snowrunner experience is to call it the dark souls of euro truck sim.
Another thing about games like Factorio and Satisfactory in particular is that they’re still fantasies that let us live out experiences we couldn’t IRL. In Factorio we’re able to go from a crash landing to achieving interplanetary travel (with the DLC anyway), and in satisfactory we work on the megastructure that is Project Assembly, which is absolutely breathtaking to watch materialize as useful or useless as it might be in-universe.
What I find most satisfying about them is also that, the more you progress in these games the more of the world you interact with is a result of your own creation. You get constantly reminded of all the things you've built and achieved (It is NOT just abstract numbers going up).
I also think there's a large component of Factorio players that just love building trains and train lines. And I, for one, live for unlocking the spidertron and trying to make its legs do weird stuff by walking it over awkward terrain.
The content quality, the way he kept me watching and entertained, etc.. I thought I was watching an established large UA-camr. Yet this guy doesn't have near the amount of subs he deserves! He deserves a lot more recognition!
I'm surprised you didn't mention Papers Please! Apart from the story elements, it's just a job through and through, and yet so many people (including myself) find the gameplay of comparing documents so satisfying. Maybe it's the pixely aesthetic, the sound effects or something else but I would say Papers Please is my favorite job game!
Someone else mentioned Papers Please a few days ago and I literally yelled out loud "DAMMIT I FORGOT PAPERS PLEASE" on the phone with my partner and scared the hell out of them 😂 So right, it'd make a great inclusion in this list. I'm gonna be kicking myself forever on all these games I forgot to mention
@@aswordbear haha, well if you ever make a sequel to this video you know what to do! Great video nonetheless!! I'm looking forward to seeing more stuff from you 🥳
As a truck driver, I love ATS because it lets me do the things I love about my job without having to deal with the BS of the real world. When I was running long It would be a nice break from the reality of the thing, now that I'm not running long it's about scratching the itch and lets me play in my memory a little.
You touched on it briefly but i also play games like this because they remove the physical exhaustion of the task. Im disabled and as much as id love to rearrange the furniture but i know this would be exhausting and painful. I have to save that energy for things i actually need to do
I was expecting hundreds of thousands of subs and thousands of views, but damn, this vid goes beyond expectation, and also as a game designer really puts things into perspective, thanks for the amazing vid and keep it up!
"Get rid of this pesky sternum" made me laugh so hard I almost shot coffee out of my nose, and I wasn't even drinking coffee. I loved this from beginning to end, can't wait to see the next project from our boy
I have my own category for Job Games I call "Customer Service Sims", as they require regularly attending to incoming customers. Some examples include Lost and Found, Wilmot's Warehouse, and Strange Horticulture
Actual work can be rewarding and fun, like splitting firewood or clearing the driveway of snow. Its just that us nerds dont allways have access to those things.
Work games are extremely popular because people are unsatisfied with their jobs and they want to escape into a workspace that rewards them not just financially but mentally, emotionally, maybe even spiritually. It is still escapism, but also wishful thinking in a way that their jobs could be more like these games.
I love finding smaller youtubers who put in so much effort. Thankyou for this man, ive subbed and am now going to watch the catalogue. Hope you get more recognition going forward man.
Wow man great video There is a game called Foxhole that stands out for its focus on logistics and supply chains. Players are responsible for gathering resources, crafting weapons, vehicles, and ammunition, and transporting them to the front lines. This logistical aspect is critical, as the success of battles depends heavily on maintaining a steady flow of supplies. Preparing and organizing materials for the front line, often under pressure, creates a unique sense of satisfaction, as players realize their efforts directly impact the outcome of larger conflicts. The coordination and planning required for logistics provide a rewarding challenge that complements the combat-focused gameplay.
Foxhole is one of those games I love to read about that I will never play - you actually need to put so much real time into that fake war effort - it's incredible
i also feel like that being the OWNER is also a huge part in productivity engines, everything you do comes back for you, you always reap the rewards of your work and decide where it is allocated, it gives you a sense of agency that jobs normally dont have
The job games also allow you to be more active and think without being criticized. maybe you work in a place where you know the processs could be opptimized, but your boss is not open to sugestions, so you get frustated watching things not be as good as they could. but in the game, you can literaly change everyting in the setup and no one will stop you
As certified industrial engineer, I can confirm that productivity and optimization is our everyday works and those games simulates vary vary well. If you like spreadsheet, resource managements and paranoid to efficiency, welcome to IE.
You technically did mention Construction Simulator, but I wanted to add my two cents about it and a detail you may have missed about simulator games. As a little kid, I (and many others, I am given to understand) loved to watch construction machines at work. I'm not interested in becoming a bulldozer driver or anything, but I retain a lingering desire to mess around with big machines. The game seems popular enough that I think I'm not alone in that. So essentially they're a more interactive and detailed (if less tactile) version of a toy excavator or train or airplane or...
When I was getting my Comercial drivers license I get it in manual, had the idea of buy a g920 steering wheel and a shifter, it help me A LOT, now I’m seeing this video from my truck somewhere in the northeast :)
I watched this thinking you had at least 100k subs because of how high quality it was. To see that you only have a couple thousand is CRIMINAL. I hope you keep making videos and bringing your unique perspective into the UA-cam gaming/video essay space, which often gets stale these days
Very happy the algo showed me this vid. It's clear you put a lot of effort into it, and I really enjoyed skits. Good coverage of the topic, great script and a super pleasant delivery. Can't wait to see more, Bear!
ive been playing one of these "Job" games called "Snowrunner" where you transport cargo across various types of rough terrain, I can't stop coming back to it cause it tricks my brain into a false sense of productivity. Sometimes it feels like the devs made the entire game around the illusion of forward progress. You deliver cargo to construct these huge warehouses and oil rigs and the missions purposely take you by these places over and over so you're kind of forced to notice how the map changes as you complete your tasks, it really feels like you're helping people in the most isolated parts of the globe set up logistics routes where nobody else can. The DLCs for the game emphasize this by putting you in different scenarios and making you do a variety of these jobs whether it be restoring production and logistics to an entire region in Wisconsin, helping farmers recover from devastating floods in central Asia, or even helping fight fires in the forests of Ontario. There's hundreds of hours worth of content to explore with over 40 maps spanning almost 20 different regions. With the average map size coming in over 2 square kilometers that's almost 100 square kilometers to explore. All of which is packed full of tasks and objectives that you aren't put on a linear path and forced to complete. You're plopped down at your first garage, given the keys, and told "these people need help". And just like that it goes from "this is a job you have to do" to "this is a job that needs doing, and only you have the means to do it"
ETS2 and ATS have basically changed a lot of players lives and career paths, it's being used as a training aid in truck driving schools and lowers the barriers to entry for learning how to handle various truck and trailer configurations without it costing hundreds per hour to rent a truck. There are countless stories of players getting into the truck sims and going on to getting their CDL's and HGV licenses and getting great jobs out of it that they love.
I've been working on a forklift driver sim that's got cheeky humor and is overall just meant to be silly. I've never internalized why I like these types of games and why it's what I want to make. You articulated it very well, and there's some good takeaways here I want to keep in mind with my design philosophy. Great video, certainly earned my sub. 😊
04:42 "So what makes games like this so fun?" Nothing makes games like this fun. They only hold our attention because everything else in life has gotten so putrid that this is now what we accept as "entertainment": something to keep us busy, giving us tiny amounts of "accomplishments" regularly.
You definitely don't understand the idea of opinions or perspective. They can be plenty fun. Especially when you take things less seriously. Build that nothing machine. Shove random things on a circle of conveyors. Make that conveyor system look nice. It's not different than many other games. Do the clicks so you can be satisfied with your work. Except in this case instead of clicking to equip gear or unlock abilities. You're building things to get whatever result you want. You may not enjoy them. But I don't enjoy stardew. Doesn't mean it's not fun. It's just not fun for me
This was interesting and thought-provoking. I had often thought about the fact that The Office is one of my favorite shows and how it seemed kinda lame that I'd enjoy a show about working so much. I think this same logic you used to describe these Joy Over Broductivity games could be used there. Great work on this!
Bless the algorithm for bringing me to this channel. I think I might have a new favorite essay channel! Also job games are one of my favorites. It's always waaaay easier than doing the actual job and much more predictable.
You mentioned it but Hardspace Shipbreaker is by far my favorite work game. It's beautiful, terrifying at times, chill and stressful, rewarding, and the story is fantastic as you actively like you're part of it. I haven't even mentioned the music which is top tier!!!
Appreciate the compliment and the sub 😁 Haha yeah you got me. It's actually a song Ludwig and Schlatt made for content creators to use called 25th Hour
As someone studying industrial automation engineering. I can say that games like factorio can be used, and are used to teach principles used in the real world. The speed at which things happen in these games is my main reason for playing them. Building a warehouse in real life takes months and some simple code for a pumping station a couple of weeks. So building entire factories in hours is really fun
Star Trucker is my current fave. The fact that you drive a spaceship that is shaped like a classic peterbilt has a weird charm. Throw in gravity and space shenanigans and it makes for a great time
First video of yours I’ve come across (thanks, recommendations!) and WOW - blown away by the quality of content here. Skits are funny, pacing is good, sound is mixed well. Keep it up, man!
I used to cringe at people who commented stuff like "how are you only at x subscribers" or "youre so underrated" but now i get it. I genuinely think the production quality and presentation of this video is INSANELY good. Probably the best video ive seen in years.
I was just asking myself why I have so many hours in MotorTown when I have real life cars I don't put nearly as much time into. Great video, glad you brought this to light and outside of my dissociation thoughts.
As someone who has been locked in the grip of satisfactory for a while now and occasionally super market simulator I have to admit this is a very good explanation of why these games get us obsessed. I’d say palworld to an extent is one of these games in a weird partial way considering how you upgrade your base and have factory lines
I LOVE your office esthetic. Also, my buddies and I have been playing Valheim. They go mine and fight trolls while I build our at home Infrastructure and process materials. I know this isn't what you're talking about, but also, kinds. My favourite franchise was SimCity until Skylines came out. Which, SimCity was one of the OG simulators
i really enjoyed Crime Scene Cleaner because while you did have to do a lot of cleaning and tidying up, there were hidden secrets and a story that kept progressing
Subscribed! I love productivity simulators 😅😂 my friends call me crazy for leaving work early to play mechanic simulator when I work on cars in real life.
When I was a kid, I loved watching stuff on conveyor belts, such as watching groceries pass by on the checkout lane belt. And now I play games like Factorio, Hydroneer, Satisfactory, Craftopia, because they contain Conveyor Belts! Though you gotta admit, watching cows pass by as they end up in a cooking pot is super satisfying!
I love these games because it allows me to hyper fixate and isn't a multiplayer sweat fest where i'm constantly reminded im garbage. They are also incredibly laid back and not stressful.
This video has really got me thinking! What don't I like about real life power washing for example. For me its getting all the equipment out, connected up, and even more so, putting it all away again after use. The actual washing, and getting wet, I'm not so bothered about. If only I had a button at the top of my screen, that allowed me to automate this process, I might actually get my truck and chipper washed more often lol
Currently In the flight training sphere (about to finish my commercial rating) and you would not believe how much you can learn from playing games like Microsoft flight simulator, they are incredibly accurate and detailed and you genuinely can learn a lot of the basic parts of flying, navigating and “buttonology” in the game. Unfortunately flying requires you to know a lot more than that, but overall it’s a great start
1000% there's tons of overlap. I tried to acknowledge that somewhat with the end summary but definitely couldve covered that even more. Really all the takeaways from one section are applicable to the others as well.
I hadn’t seen any of your videos before, but I’ll definitely be checking out your other stuff bc this was a great video. Very good editing and script btw!
As someone who's mentally and physically disabled and can't work (hopefully someday), part of why I love these games is because it gives me the chance to feel like I'm living a "normal" life. I also enjoy other games that simulate typical life stuff that I miss out on. I wish VR didn't give me such a headache because it sounds like an amazing option, aside from the cost.
Absolutely fantastic video, I’ve never seen your channel before on my recommended but i watched this one all the way and i will future ones, the editing style is cool your personality is good and the little skit at the beginning and also the hospital one was very funny, haven’t seen a video this good in a while, please continue making videos, you will go far
Excellent video. Loved the talk about productivity engines, because the game calls on my basic human nature to optimize and efficiencize my time that i take to relax
Survival Crafting games should get an honorable mention! If you get good at project zomboid it begins to become a workgame because of all the grinding you end up doing to build your base. I'd say the same for playing minecraft in regular mode too
There’s a satisfying feeling about playing a business owner without anyone telling you what to do when to do it. (Without the ceo responsibilities of course)
Like your take on this, I think there are many good insights here, if you keep up with video ideas and narration like this, then this channel is on golden tangent, keep up the good work
Hardspace: shipbreaker is my favourite job game. It’s very much a job but scratches that organizational itch and rewards good planning and creative solutions.
I really love the “Managing” games, like Football Manager or Cycling Manager. No Playing, just reading mails, replying to them, a bit finance. I can do it for hours.
Games are about fulfilling a fantasy that we could never achieve in real life. Like being rewarded for work.
oof
could just try being good at something thats not virtual
@@GOAT4Ever29 I'm good at my job and my reward is more responsibility for no additional money. You could try not licking so many boots.
@@GOAT4Ever29 lol this person going around the comments being so negative. *gives you a big hug.* There are people who care about you.
This is incredibly sad
The feeling when you have dirty dishes behind you but clean your virtual dishes instead is kind off strange.
because its not normal, go outside
Yes but virtual dishes have stains that can be cleaned 100%
Thats wild how accurate that is. I'll watch a whole documentary on fine dining then make myself a pb and j and call that dinner as im watching.
It's just procrastination.
Me playing a survival game and feeding my character while I'm myself am hungry
Is it really a work if you automate it?
The god of the factory is here…
If you automate it you are doing the work of an automation engineer???!!!1!
it is, when you create a massive spreadsheet to calculate the details :D
Did you automate finding videos that mention factorio?
Only while you're setting stuff up. After that it's coffee and podcast time.
The fact that Euro and American truck simulator created vocations to many players who, thanks to SCS, passed their licences and went from game to IRL trucking is something insane. And I am part of these peoples
When I was over the road. I was gifted American truck simulator by a friend. So I played it on my laptop inside my truck when I would get stuck at deliveries for hours on end.
@@DragonHalo99oh my, this had to be a thing somewhere haha. Does it actually take your mind off the job or does it make you enjoy your job more? Or even both?
I will be soon!
I feel like it would be very useful to have these sorta of simulations for other professiona, such as electrical engineering or chemistry or ect. Hell, even Gunsmith Simulator teaches people, even though sometimes the information there is outright incorrect.
@@MnemonicHack i think one of the biggest problems is the unreliability of information. It's very easy to claim to be factual, it's infinitely harder to actually get it right. And some myths and false understandings might even be perpetuated
I think another thing to mention is, that in something like Satisfactory, you have to control over the entire factory while in real life you are more likely to only work at one of the machines for example. The games are like working in every position your company has at the same time and switching between them whenever you want.
And meanwhile not having to worry about any of the boring stuff no one wants to do.
Yeah, the way you sit on top of a mountain of automation that you designed every aspect of is an awesome feeling.
So weird. It's almost like giving smart workers complete autonomy over a business proves that MaNgLeMeNt and leadership roles are largely unnecessary or something.
(This is an oversimplification - there is a time and place for management roles, but I've found that many businesses have far more in such roles than required to function.)
And if you fail nobody gets hurt or loses their job.
That honestly just sounds like a normal day at any job I get.
Having to run the whole place
This has much to do with my masters degree research. I'm a psychologist and I've studied about how video games "feeds" our inconcious fantasies of control and power by providing a safe platform where we can inevitably impose ourselves over the (virtual) world, wether saving, destroying or shaping it as much as the rules and codes allows us. Along with that, every video game - but ultimately these "job games" - gives us a objectiveness impossible to reach in the real world. Every video game gives us all the information, calculation and data we need to achieve the final goal, we just need to do it and do it and do it, it's like victory is just a matter of time and effort. Otherwise, that's no true in real life. Unlike some internet coach may say, and unlike the broader social system may imply, life doesn't have a manual with all the rules. You can follow all the steps of the tech-billionaire anti-procrastination routine, you won't necessarily get the same outcome. But you can search for a tutorial on how to make a 1000 parts per minute factory in Satisfactory and you definitely get that 1000ppm.
TBH I like "work games" because i like to work, I just hate everything that makes work horrible. If I had proper accommodations for my disabilities, if working actually paid me enough to survive, and if I didn't have to deal with the horrors of shithead customers and corporate overlords cutting every single corner- I'd really love to work.
That's really interesting. I hope you can make a video about your findings, and good luck defending your thesis!
I tried satisfactory but couldn't get into it. Enshrouded now that was a fun time.
That comment of yours is brilliant. Sums it all up perfectly, man, you're great!
I would watch a whole series of psychology videos on this if they exist
Humans like work, we need work. Unfortunately due to a lot of factors people often end up with jobs they don’t enjoy. But if given agency and the ability to choose your work, work is the most satisfying thing any of us can do.
Idk bro I pooped so hard my back cracked once
Guess, people just want to do the job without colleagues, bosses and job interviews
@Svistization without being exploited* ftfy
@@Svistization Probably just the shitty bosses which are pre inevitable
@@Svistization or the commute and traffic.
Funny thing, I actually came up with a game concept about work, at work. It's basically a cooking simulator but in a restaurant, the goal is to make yourself something to eat while you are at work without your boss catching you. The difficulty level determines what boss is working, is it the one who's gonna sit in the office most of the day, the one who like to 'help' on the line or the one who is running around everywhere randomly but not really doing anything? The points are awarded for the 'meal' you make, where did you gather the ingredients from or did any have to be cooked or prepped beforehand. Me and my old co-workers played this all the time, we even explained it to our boss who thought it was great. I just need a programmer and an artist and next hit indie game is out :D
you gonna need cool boss music
What if you added “Karen” who will tattle on you to the boss if they catch you.
Then the consequences depend on which boss is working, once again. Is it the friendly laid back boss who is bros with everyone? Is it the ruthless boss who actively adds dirty dishes for the dishwasher to clean up?
Oh and the Karen could maybe be either a customer or a co-worker.
Ooh and what if there were random events that could occur in the restaurant or kitchen during the game session? Such a rat in the kitchen, expired food, a birthday party, a car crashing into the building, or a robbery of the restaurant?
As someone who absolutely hated their job as a line cook to the point of feeling ill before a shift, I dream to one day play your game
80% chance that for every ingredient for your meal you grab 3-10 orders get rung in, you know to make it more realistic..
@@nobbyfirefly57 Ooh, and the brown-nosy coworker who will sell you out for less than a ham sandwich!
Makes me think of "People quit bad bosses, not jobs." We want to do something productive, meaningful. But can't find a real employment that doesn't come with bad bosses , shitty coworkers, stupid regulations and horrible customers. So, we take up job games to fill that hole. Also you don't have to sit through nightmare traffic to do a job that barely pays enough to keep your nose above water.
Fun fact, Euro Truck Simulator helped me when I was learning to drive, I was really afraid of making any mistake, switching lanes and this kind of stuff, I remember playing a lot of ETS with my friends and slowly getting more confident and with better space awareness. Kind of strange but it worked 😂
Wait, are these truck simulator games actually accurate? I'm going to be learning how to drive soon, and I wonder if I should get these...
@@catbatrat1760 They're simplified, but largely accurate. Made it a lot easier for me to get my commercial license.
I am using ATS for the same thing-I don’t have access to a car at the moment so I’ve been using the game to recognize signs and shit
I swear that Gran Tourismo made me a better driver. Just understanding how to take curves at the right speed and how to brake and not over correct when driving fast helped me. Even understanding how to turn your car when it is slipping helped me with rainy weather in FL
@@catbatrat1760I would 100% recommend getting ATS or ETS and getting a car mod for it. It will definitely help you learn because it is very realistic and accurate.
In a job interview for an after college engineering job, I was asked if I could back up a trailer. I said yes, as I had done landscaping the last two summers, but I also told the interviewer that I had initially learned by playing Farming Simulator in high school. Got the job too, so maybe the games do count as work experience lol.
all games are edutainment at their core
I drink a lot of coffee
Okay but I do tho
4 cups a day keeps the doctor away
Told my husband yesterday the first coffee pee is similar to the beer pees. Once you start you can’t stop. 😂
Honestly great writing lmao
Idk guys I think he might like coffee
Manufacturing engineer here. I’ve been playing Satisfactory a LOT over the past few months, and it follows a very similar pattern to what I do at work (thankfully without giant Stingers and Hogs attacking me).
My favorite part about it is I’m essentially my own boss. I can work a problem out on my own terms and try and make a factory as efficient as possible. Minimal time stress…when ADA doesn’t get impatient.
Dang, in the game you can just set them all to passive but sad you can't do that in your real job.
You turned off the enemies in satisfactory?
@@gabriel300010his irl job doesn’t have those lol he said they were similar
I just got served an ad for Waifu Pillow Shop Simulator and I think I have this video to thank
@@psych8592 brb making a sequel video
omg, that announcement trailer (steam page) is so meta, I love it.
with over 2k hours on Satisfactory i can say its simply what the name entails. the joy of when stuff works, then making whatever works much much bigger and trying new ways to make it look nicer or faster. when that all works perfectly its so worth all the errors and time
And all that work is easy compared to if it was real work.
Yeah it's work with a clear solution. Also the more work and thought you put into, the more efficient and productive it becomes. Real work has nothing of that
@brodriguez11000 yes, that is the point of video games lol
Satisfactory is so enjoyable that you will be working for like 15~20 minutes and then look at the clock and see 6 hours have gone by
@@theangryotaku3361 thats one of the most accurate ways to describe this game and i love it
Holy shit, the UA-cam algorithm has been recommending some good shit lately.
True, got some good ~1k subs channels lately, this being one of them
@Krigalishnikov I'm all for it
Absolutely, I’ve come across some bangers with under 2K views from small creators lately. It’s great for those channels!
Fr
Apparently UA-cam is afraid to lose top content creators and twerking their Algo to help out smaller channels to grow :) (that are by the way not worse then the big ones) great vid man!
This is my first impression of you. I was expecting to see hundreds of thousands of subscribers, so imagine my surprise when I got to be one of the first 1000. This video is really insightful, well shot and edited, and overall really well done. We will be watching your career with great interest.
A little addition as a truck driver to the list.
In ETS 2 / ATS you can eventually buy your own truck and build it up exactly how you want it, eventually upgrading it with more powerful engines or gearboxes (stats and numbers go up). There are not many people here that can actually do such a thing either because of laws, operating and running costs, or simply because they are not a self owned driver. Most of the time people drive trucks the company provides, while they might ask what kind of truck a driver would prefer it's not often they get listened to.
TL;DR: Truck drivers can build their dream truck, rig it all nice and pretty too.
I've heard the same from farmers about Farm Simulator. Small farmers get to play with the toys that will never be on their actual farm.
My favorite "job game" is snowrunner. I'll never do longhaul deep-woods Alaskan cargo delivery IRL, but snowrunner lets me play in that world.
A good summary of the snowrunner experience is to call it the dark souls of euro truck sim.
Hell yeah, playing it on switch, loving it!
Hell yeah. Can't wait for season 15 and roadcraft
Snowrunner mentioned
Another thing about games like Factorio and Satisfactory in particular is that they’re still fantasies that let us live out experiences we couldn’t IRL. In Factorio we’re able to go from a crash landing to achieving interplanetary travel (with the DLC anyway), and in satisfactory we work on the megastructure that is Project Assembly, which is absolutely breathtaking to watch materialize as useful or useless as it might be in-universe.
What I find most satisfying about them is also that, the more you progress in these games the more of the world you interact with is a result of your own creation. You get constantly reminded of all the things you've built and achieved (It is NOT just abstract numbers going up).
I also think there's a large component of Factorio players that just love building trains and train lines. And I, for one, live for unlocking the spidertron and trying to make its legs do weird stuff by walking it over awkward terrain.
Crazy production value in your vids, hope you know it doesnt go unnoticed!
Thanks so much!!
@@aswordbearYeahh I agree
Wow ya I randomly got suggested this video and was shocked when I saw this guy only has 1300 subs. He's really putting in the effort to grow.
@@aswordbear How long did this take to make? My editing skills are shite so I know this would take me forever. Just curious :)
How on earth is it possible that this guy only has about 1000 subs?
This needs to change.
Didn’t realize that until I saw this, I honestly thought I stumbled across someone moderately large
The content quality, the way he kept me watching and entertained, etc.. I thought I was watching an established large UA-camr. Yet this guy doesn't have near the amount of subs he deserves! He deserves a lot more recognition!
Now he has 3.5k, but it still feels like something from a youtuber with more subs
I'm surprised you didn't mention Papers Please! Apart from the story elements, it's just a job through and through, and yet so many people (including myself) find the gameplay of comparing documents so satisfying. Maybe it's the pixely aesthetic, the sound effects or something else but I would say Papers Please is my favorite job game!
Someone else mentioned Papers Please a few days ago and I literally yelled out loud "DAMMIT I FORGOT PAPERS PLEASE" on the phone with my partner and scared the hell out of them 😂 So right, it'd make a great inclusion in this list. I'm gonna be kicking myself forever on all these games I forgot to mention
@@aswordbear haha, well if you ever make a sequel to this video you know what to do! Great video nonetheless!! I'm looking forward to seeing more stuff from you 🥳
I really hope your channel grows like crazy man, i absolutely love this style of content and i want more just like it
As a truck driver, I love ATS because it lets me do the things I love about my job without having to deal with the BS of the real world. When I was running long It would be a nice break from the reality of the thing, now that I'm not running long it's about scratching the itch and lets me play in my memory a little.
You touched on it briefly but i also play games like this because they remove the physical exhaustion of the task. Im disabled and as much as id love to rearrange the furniture but i know this would be exhausting and painful. I have to save that energy for things i actually need to do
You COOKED with this video
Thanks!!!
"i expect gaming to be an escape to explore new worlds"
Lethal company: hey
I was expecting hundreds of thousands of subs and thousands of views, but damn, this vid goes beyond expectation, and also as a game designer really puts things into perspective, thanks for the amazing vid and keep it up!
"Get rid of this pesky sternum" made me laugh so hard I almost shot coffee out of my nose, and I wasn't even drinking coffee. I loved this from beginning to end, can't wait to see the next project from our boy
9:35 YOU BOUGHT A FULL SET OF SCRUBS FOR A CUTAWAY GAG???? - SwordBear's Accountant
Work uniform 🤷♂️
“Props and Set Costumes”
@@aswordbear Sounds like a write off to me :)
I have my own category for Job Games I call "Customer Service Sims", as they require regularly attending to incoming customers. Some examples include Lost and Found, Wilmot's Warehouse, and Strange Horticulture
Actual work can be rewarding and fun, like splitting firewood or clearing the driveway of snow. Its just that us nerds dont allways have access to those things.
Work games are extremely popular because people are unsatisfied with their jobs and they want to escape into a workspace that rewards them not just financially but mentally, emotionally, maybe even spiritually. It is still escapism, but also wishful thinking in a way that their jobs could be more like these games.
I love finding smaller youtubers who put in so much effort. Thankyou for this man, ive subbed and am now going to watch the catalogue. Hope you get more recognition going forward man.
Wow man great video
There is a game called Foxhole that stands out for its focus on logistics and supply chains. Players are responsible for gathering resources, crafting weapons, vehicles, and ammunition, and transporting them to the front lines. This logistical aspect is critical, as the success of battles depends heavily on maintaining a steady flow of supplies. Preparing and organizing materials for the front line, often under pressure, creates a unique sense of satisfaction, as players realize their efforts directly impact the outcome of larger conflicts. The coordination and planning required for logistics provide a rewarding challenge that complements the combat-focused gameplay.
Foxhole is one of those games I love to read about that I will never play - you actually need to put so much real time into that fake war effort - it's incredible
Foxhole is great for that, though I would say Eve Online cranked the concept to 11 a long time ago.
This is such a good video. I laughed, I learned, I cried. Don't ask where I cried its embarrassing. Seriously though, really good work on this!
Crying simulator.
Lol@@brodriguez11000
i also feel like that being the OWNER is also a huge part in productivity engines, everything you do comes back for you, you always reap the rewards of your work and decide where it is allocated, it gives you a sense of agency that jobs normally dont have
The job games also allow you to be more active and think without being criticized. maybe you work in a place where you know the processs could be opptimized, but your boss is not open to sugestions, so you get frustated watching things not be as good as they could. but in the game, you can literaly change everyting in the setup and no one will stop you
Took about 4 and a half minutes of watching your video that I thought you were absolutely worth a subscription.
As certified industrial engineer, I can confirm that productivity and optimization is our everyday works and those games simulates vary vary well.
If you like spreadsheet, resource managements and paranoid to efficiency, welcome to IE.
You technically did mention Construction Simulator, but I wanted to add my two cents about it and a detail you may have missed about simulator games. As a little kid, I (and many others, I am given to understand) loved to watch construction machines at work. I'm not interested in becoming a bulldozer driver or anything, but I retain a lingering desire to mess around with big machines. The game seems popular enough that I think I'm not alone in that. So essentially they're a more interactive and detailed (if less tactile) version of a toy excavator or train or airplane or...
When I was getting my Comercial drivers license I get it in manual, had the idea of buy a g920 steering wheel and a shifter, it help me A LOT, now I’m seeing this video from my truck somewhere in the northeast :)
I watched this thinking you had at least 100k subs because of how high quality it was. To see that you only have a couple thousand is CRIMINAL. I hope you keep making videos and bringing your unique perspective into the UA-cam gaming/video essay space, which often gets stale these days
7:06 oh no you just triggered me, now I have to start a new farm on Stardew Valley 😭 I was doing so well at avoiding it this month
Very happy the algo showed me this vid. It's clear you put a lot of effort into it, and I really enjoyed skits. Good coverage of the topic, great script and a super pleasant delivery. Can't wait to see more, Bear!
ive been playing one of these "Job" games called "Snowrunner" where you transport cargo across various types of rough terrain, I can't stop coming back to it cause it tricks my brain into a false sense of productivity. Sometimes it feels like the devs made the entire game around the illusion of forward progress. You deliver cargo to construct these huge warehouses and oil rigs and the missions purposely take you by these places over and over so you're kind of forced to notice how the map changes as you complete your tasks, it really feels like you're helping people in the most isolated parts of the globe set up logistics routes where nobody else can. The DLCs for the game emphasize this by putting you in different scenarios and making you do a variety of these jobs whether it be restoring production and logistics to an entire region in Wisconsin, helping farmers recover from devastating floods in central Asia, or even helping fight fires in the forests of Ontario. There's hundreds of hours worth of content to explore with over 40 maps spanning almost 20 different regions. With the average map size coming in over 2 square kilometers that's almost 100 square kilometers to explore. All of which is packed full of tasks and objectives that you aren't put on a linear path and forced to complete. You're plopped down at your first garage, given the keys, and told "these people need help". And just like that it goes from "this is a job you have to do" to "this is a job that needs doing, and only you have the means to do it"
The "superheroes as a job" game.
one very appealing reasons i like playing this kind of game you have mention is the fact you can play while watching or listening to other media
J.O.B games: Joy over bureaucracy? Idk. Workshopping it.
ETS2 and ATS have basically changed a lot of players lives and career paths, it's being used as a training aid in truck driving schools and lowers the barriers to entry for learning how to handle various truck and trailer configurations without it costing hundreds per hour to rent a truck.
There are countless stories of players getting into the truck sims and going on to getting their CDL's and HGV licenses and getting great jobs out of it that they love.
Hardspace Shipbreaker is one I would have thought would be a "real fake job," but regardless, it's a fantastic game and I'm glad it got a mention.
I flip flopped on where to put that one a couple times.
I've been working on a forklift driver sim that's got cheeky humor and is overall just meant to be silly. I've never internalized why I like these types of games and why it's what I want to make. You articulated it very well, and there's some good takeaways here I want to keep in mind with my design philosophy. Great video, certainly earned my sub. 😊
I like your commentary and style. I hope you get more traction from this and post more videos :)
Thanks so much! There’s def more in the works!
More like this! Love the bits you filmed and added comedy, gave the video voice and editorial difference. Hell yeah dude!
04:42 "So what makes games like this so fun?"
Nothing makes games like this fun.
They only hold our attention because everything else in life has gotten so putrid that this is now what we accept as "entertainment": something to keep us busy, giving us tiny amounts of "accomplishments" regularly.
Well that’s definitely one aspect of it! But to say they’re not fun discounts all of the fun I and many others have had in them
@@m1n3craftPCtut0r1al meh, I doubt it.
Addictive Skinner Boxes occupy our time, but don't actually provide fun nor enjoyment. Just tasks.
You definitely don't understand the idea of opinions or perspective. They can be plenty fun. Especially when you take things less seriously. Build that nothing machine. Shove random things on a circle of conveyors. Make that conveyor system look nice. It's not different than many other games. Do the clicks so you can be satisfied with your work. Except in this case instead of clicking to equip gear or unlock abilities. You're building things to get whatever result you want. You may not enjoy them. But I don't enjoy stardew. Doesn't mean it's not fun. It's just not fun for me
@@piercexlr878 Oh I understand. I'm just positing that addictive activities aren't fun when taken objectively.
This is unironically one of the best video game work essays I have ever watched. Keep up the great work
This was interesting and thought-provoking. I had often thought about the fact that The Office is one of my favorite shows and how it seemed kinda lame that I'd enjoy a show about working so much. I think this same logic you used to describe these Joy Over Broductivity games could be used there.
Great work on this!
Bless the algorithm for bringing me to this channel. I think I might have a new favorite essay channel!
Also job games are one of my favorites. It's always waaaay easier than doing the actual job and much more predictable.
This is so well done start to finish! Absolutely loved it!
I've had a friend call Power wash simulator "the white noise of video games"
My man doing full on skits, love it ❤
You mentioned it but Hardspace Shipbreaker is by far my favorite work game. It's beautiful, terrifying at times, chill and stressful, rewarding, and the story is fantastic as you actively like you're part of it.
I haven't even mentioned the music which is top tier!!!
So underrated! Here before this blows up mate, have a sub! (also what's the song at 1:00? I think I heard Ludwig use it all the time)
Probably some animal crossing or zelda game soundtrack
Appreciate the compliment and the sub 😁 Haha yeah you got me. It's actually a song Ludwig and Schlatt made for content creators to use called 25th Hour
@ Did not know that, will use it from now on 😄
As someone studying industrial automation engineering. I can say that games like factorio can be used, and are used to teach principles used in the real world. The speed at which things happen in these games is my main reason for playing them. Building a warehouse in real life takes months and some simple code for a pumping station a couple of weeks. So building entire factories in hours is really fun
Power washing sim is legit. Same satisfaction as doing it in real life
Goated “watching a show on the side” game
Star Trucker is my current fave. The fact that you drive a spaceship that is shaped like a classic peterbilt has a weird charm. Throw in gravity and space shenanigans and it makes for a great time
Dyson Sphere Program is another awesome Productivity Engine
CRAP I FORGOT TO INCLUDE DSP FOOTAGE. I even had some I was gonna include 😂
First video of yours I’ve come across (thanks, recommendations!) and WOW - blown away by the quality of content here. Skits are funny, pacing is good, sound is mixed well. Keep it up, man!
I used to cringe at people who commented stuff like "how are you only at x subscribers" or "youre so underrated" but now i get it.
I genuinely think the production quality and presentation of this video is INSANELY good. Probably the best video ive seen in years.
I'm glad I wasn't the only person that caught up in One Piece by watching on a second monitor while playing Satisfactory...and GT:NH
bro when i looked at your sub count i expected at least 70k not 794 ;-; im hereby claiming here before he gets a huge fanbase pass
Thanks so much 🥲 glad to have you here early or not
I was just asking myself why I have so many hours in MotorTown when I have real life cars I don't put nearly as much time into. Great video, glad you brought this to light and outside of my dissociation thoughts.
I loved this so damn much, almost as much as I love Lethal Company
@@spoogz almost as much as I love you
As someone who has been locked in the grip of satisfactory for a while now and occasionally super market simulator I have to admit this is a very good explanation of why these games get us obsessed. I’d say palworld to an extent is one of these games in a weird partial way considering how you upgrade your base and have factory lines
Absolutely love the video and your humor! Was surprised and slightly disappointed you didn’t have more videos and subscribers, keep it up!! ❤
I LOVE your office esthetic. Also, my buddies and I have been playing Valheim. They go mine and fight trolls while I build our at home Infrastructure and process materials. I know this isn't what you're talking about, but also, kinds. My favourite franchise was SimCity until Skylines came out. Which, SimCity was one of the OG simulators
Great production skills AND sense of humor. I'm glad this showed up in my recommendations and I'm excited to see where the channel goes from here!
i really enjoyed Crime Scene Cleaner because while you did have to do a lot of cleaning and tidying up, there were hidden secrets and a story that kept progressing
Subscribed! I love productivity simulators 😅😂 my friends call me crazy for leaving work early to play mechanic simulator when I work on cars in real life.
When I was a kid, I loved watching stuff on conveyor belts, such as watching groceries pass by on the checkout lane belt. And now I play games like Factorio, Hydroneer, Satisfactory, Craftopia, because they contain Conveyor Belts! Though you gotta admit, watching cows pass by as they end up in a cooking pot is super satisfying!
you just created an entire naming system to all this genre, congrats
Editing, writing and content is on point. You've earned yourself a sub.
I was hoping Hardspace: Shipbreaker would get mentioned. Its so satisfying to set off controlled detonations to tear ships apart.
I love these games because it allows me to hyper fixate and isn't a multiplayer sweat fest where i'm constantly reminded im garbage. They are also incredibly laid back and not stressful.
Nothing I love more than coming home from work then clocking into my part time digital fantasy job lol
Excellent video dude. As a Gas Station Sim addict, you crushed all aspects of each of these subgenres. Great video formating here too. 10/10.
This video has really got me thinking!
What don't I like about real life power washing for example.
For me its getting all the equipment out, connected up, and even more so, putting it all away again after use.
The actual washing, and getting wet, I'm not so bothered about.
If only I had a button at the top of my screen, that allowed me to automate this process, I might actually get my truck and chipper washed more often lol
Currently In the flight training sphere (about to finish my commercial rating) and you would not believe how much you can learn from playing games like Microsoft flight simulator, they are incredibly accurate and detailed and you genuinely can learn a lot of the basic parts of flying, navigating and “buttonology” in the game. Unfortunately flying requires you to know a lot more than that, but overall it’s a great start
Would have loved to see a short section/acknowledgement of the massive overlap for some of these games and genres as well. Great vid!
1000% there's tons of overlap. I tried to acknowledge that somewhat with the end summary but definitely couldve covered that even more. Really all the takeaways from one section are applicable to the others as well.
You got some really cool potential as a channel, a real good vibe, just subscribed but can't wait to see this channel hit a million subs
I hadn’t seen any of your videos before, but I’ll definitely be checking out your other stuff bc this was a great video. Very good editing and script btw!
As someone who's mentally and physically disabled and can't work (hopefully someday), part of why I love these games is because it gives me the chance to feel like I'm living a "normal" life. I also enjoy other games that simulate typical life stuff that I miss out on.
I wish VR didn't give me such a headache because it sounds like an amazing option, aside from the cost.
Absolutely fantastic video, I’ve never seen your channel before on my recommended but i watched this one all the way and i will future ones, the editing style is cool your personality is good and the little skit at the beginning and also the hospital one was very funny, haven’t seen a video this good in a while, please continue making videos, you will go far
Excellent video. Loved the talk about productivity engines, because the game calls on my basic human nature to optimize and efficiencize my time that i take to relax
Survival Crafting games should get an honorable mention! If you get good at project zomboid it begins to become a workgame because of all the grinding you end up doing to build your base. I'd say the same for playing minecraft in regular mode too
There’s a satisfying feeling about playing a business owner without anyone telling you what to do when to do it. (Without the ceo responsibilities of course)
Like your take on this, I think there are many good insights here, if you keep up with video ideas and narration like this, then this channel is on golden tangent, keep up the good work
I subscribed the moment you said "Job Over Broductivity"😂
Well done 👏
Hardspace: shipbreaker is my favourite job game. It’s very much a job but scratches that organizational itch and rewards good planning and creative solutions.
I really love the “Managing” games, like Football Manager or Cycling Manager. No Playing, just reading mails, replying to them, a bit finance. I can do it for hours.