Simulation games worth the storage space

Sim games are a gamble on your phone. The good ones are endlessly satisfying; the bad ones become spreadsheets that demand daily attention. I've been sorting the wheat from the chaff.

Garage Empire Mini is a solid pick. The hands-on restoration mini-games keep it active rather than idle, and there's real joy in watching a wreck become something clean and sellable.

When choosing a sim, look at how much it asks of you when you're not playing. If closing the app makes you anxious about lost progress, it's the wrong kind of sim. The best ones wait patiently for you.

Pace yourself with these too. Sims are designed to be moreish, and it's easy to lose an evening tinkering. Set a soft limit and enjoy the tinkering while it lasts.