Great Lesser-Known Games About Working a Job

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It’s ironic how video games are often perceived as a break from work, yet many feel like a chore themselves. This can be a drawback, as demonstrated by large-scale AAA projects that require endless, monotonous tasks, or live service titles that exploit your fear of missing out, compelling you to play even when you’re not particularly inclined.

On the contrary, there are games that delve deeply into work-like scenarios, and surprisingly, they can be quite engaging. For instance, games like Death Stranding 2 incorporate a fantastical occupation within their gameplay, while Dead Space offers an intense, failed sci-fi engineering job experience. However, what about those games that center around the nitty-gritty aspects of real-world jobs? It might seem unusual, but these more realistic experiences can be just as captivating as action-packed AAA titles. In fact, such games showcase the potential of interactive media beyond the usual combat or power fantasy elements.

Although games such as Hardspace Shipbreaker and Moonlighter are excellent, they didn’t quite fit our list because they lean more towards the fantastical compared to the realistic, immersive worlds that we have in store for you.

Papers, Please

Dictate Citizens’ Fate as a Dystopian Customs Officer

Among the collection, Papers, Please stands out as a profound examination of authoritarianism, seen from the perspective of an on-duty employee. Players take on the role of a customs officer or immigration inspector stationed in a booth, tasked with determining the entries to the fictional nation of Arstotzka. The gameplay involves scrutinizing documents for inconsistencies and making decisions regarding acceptance or rejection, regardless of potential repercussions. This thought-provoking game is exceptionally well executed and superbly written.

House Flipper

Build a Real Estate Empire

House Flipper skillfully taps into our yearning for progress and refinement, offering a remarkably engaging experience where players fix up, clean, and remodel diverse properties, eventually reaching high-end homes. There’s a hint of the quirky charm typical of “simulator” games in it, but it’s also robustly designed, with numerous user-friendly features that prevent it from becoming confusing or overwhelming. House Flipper realizes that most gamers require an intuitive interface and controls, and it delivers the essentials without compromising on its richness and complexity.

The Red Strings Club

Serve Special Drinks to a Colorful Cast of Patrons

As a cinephile immersed in the gritty world of cyberpunk, I found myself drawn into the intriguing life of a bartender in “The Red Strings Club”. Instead of brewing coffee, here I’m mixing drinks tailored to each customer’s unique mood and character, creating an engaging experience that echoes the refined mechanics of “Coffee Talk”. These interactions serve as stepping stones for a captivating and thought-provoking tale that unfolds like a gripping conversation between strangers in a nearly deserted bar – a tale you won’t want to miss.

Home Safety Hotline

Become an SCP 911 Operator

The Home Safety Hotline game is highly praised: fans of supernatural elements, unexplained occurrences, and eerie horror will find it captivating. In this game, you’ll assume the role of an employee at a hotline focused on home safety, helping anxious homeowners deal with various household hazards. While some issues are as commonplace as mice or bees, many others are downright chilling, bizarre, and reminiscent of Lovecraftian lore. Essentially, Home Safety Hotline’s gameplay involves memorizing and recalling information, but the creative and unsettling cast of fantastical creatures makes it more enjoyable than initially anticipated.

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2025-08-22 00:35