Best Value Life Sim Games Under $20

The Life Sim games on Steam games under $20 that deliver the most playtime per dollar: median reviewer hours divided by current price.

All Indie Action Adventure Simulation RPG Strategy Co-op Open World Story Rich Casual Funny Survival Difficult Pixel Graphics PvP Horror Anime Puzzle Rogue-like Relaxing Turn-Based Strategy Local Co-Op Psychological Horror Hack and Slash Platformer MMO RTS Immersive Sim Post-apocalyptic Action Roguelike City Builder Life Sim Zombies Sports Racing Survival Horror Stealth Bullet Hell Dungeon Crawler Visual Novel JRPG Deckbuilding Grand Strategy Cyberpunk Tower Defense Clicker Fighting Open World Survival Craft Boomer Shooter Colony Sim Farming Sim Cozy Auto Battler Cooking Twin Stick Shooter Metroidvania 4X Souls-like Dating Sim MMORPG

By price

Any priceUnder $5Under $10Under $20Under $40
Median reviewer playtime divided by price. Reviewers tend to sink more hours in than the average owner, so treat this as an optimistic estimate. Free games are excluded because there's no price to divide by.
  1. 1Ropuka's Idle Island33 h/$
  2. 2Chill Pulse12 h/$
  3. 3Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator10 h/$
  4. 4Placid Plastic Duck Simulator8.7 h/$
  5. 5Stardew Valley8.7 h/$
  6. 6My Time at Sandrock8.5 h/$
  7. 7Reigns6.4 h/$
  8. 8Sun Haven5.8 h/$
  9. 9Spirit City: Lofi Sessions5.7 h/$
  10. 10The Guild II Renaissance5.6 h/$
  11. 11Cozy Grove5.1 h/$
  12. 12Ithya: Magic Studies4.8 h/$
  13. 13Fields of Mistria4.7 h/$
  14. 14Ostranauts4.4 h/$
  15. 15Animal Shelter4.3 h/$
  16. 16Big Ambitions4.1 h/$
  17. 17Paleo Pines4.0 h/$
  18. 18The Sims 33.9 h/$
  19. 19Sailwind3.9 h/$
  20. 20Bellwright3.6 h/$
  21. 21Travellers Rest3.3 h/$
  22. 22TCG Card Shop Simulator3.2 h/$
  23. 23Old Market Simulator3.2 h/$
  24. 24Cash Cleaner Simulator3.1 h/$
  25. 25ANEURISM IV3.1 h/$
  26. 26Dinkum2.9 h/$
  27. 27School Days2.9 h/$
  28. 28ContractVille2.8 h/$
  29. 29Car Dealer Simulator2.8 h/$
  30. 30Mon Bazou2.7 h/$
  31. 31Supermarket Simulator2.6 h/$
  32. 32VillageRhapsody2.6 h/$
  33. 33Drug Lord Tycoon2.6 h/$
  34. 34Echoes of the Plum Grove2.2 h/$
  35. 35Kebab Chefs! - Restaurant Simulator2.1 h/$
  36. 36Volcano Princess2.0 h/$
  37. 37Progressbar952.0 h/$
  38. 38Chef RPG2.0 h/$
  39. 39Little Witch in the Woods1.9 h/$
  40. 40TheoTown1.7 h/$
  41. 41THE GAME OF LIFE 21.6 h/$
  42. 42Mr. Prepper1.6 h/$
  43. 43The Wandering Village1.5 h/$
  44. 44I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival1.5 h/$
  45. 45WorldBox - God Simulator1.5 h/$
  46. 46Moonstone Island1.5 h/$
  47. 47One Hour One Life1.4 h/$
  48. 48Finnish Cottage Simulator1.3 h/$
  49. 49Comedy Night1.3 h/$
  50. 50Growing Up1.3 h/$
  51. 51Good Pizza, Great Pizza - Cooking Simulator Game1.2 h/$
  52. 52Potion Permit1.2 h/$
  53. 53Punch Club 2: Fast Forward1.2 h/$
  54. 54Chinese Online Game1.1 h/$
  55. 55Summon1.1 h/$
  56. 56Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator1.1 h/$
  57. 57Car For Sale Simulator 20231.0 h/$
  58. 58Chinese Parents1.0 h/$
  59. 59VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action1.0 h/$
  60. 60Vanity Fair: The Pursuit0.9 h/$
  61. 61To Pixelia0.9 h/$
  62. 62Calico0.9 h/$
  63. 63Trash Goblin0.9 h/$
  64. 64Cozy Caravan0.9 h/$
  65. 65Minami Lane0.8 h/$
  66. 66TOGETHER BnB0.8 h/$
  67. 6760 Parsecs!0.8 h/$
  68. 68Sticky Business0.8 h/$
  69. 69Streamer Life Simulator0.8 h/$
  70. 70Russian Life Simulator0.7 h/$
  71. 71Bear and Breakfast0.7 h/$
  72. 72Chushpan Simulator0.7 h/$
  73. 7360 Seconds! Reatomized0.7 h/$
  74. 74The Coin Game0.6 h/$
  75. 75MiSide0.6 h/$
  76. 76Streamer Life Simulator 20.6 h/$
  77. 77Wobbledogs0.6 h/$
  78. 78Tavern Talk - A Cozy Visual Novel0.6 h/$
  79. 79PC Building Simulator0.6 h/$
  80. 80Furnish Master0.6 h/$
  81. 81Internet Cafe Simulator 20.6 h/$
  82. 82Sunset Motel0.6 h/$
  83. 83Monster Prom0.5 h/$
  84. 84The Tenants0.5 h/$
  85. 85Cat Cafe Manager0.5 h/$
  86. 86CHANGE: A Homeless Survival Experience0.5 h/$
  87. 87Bakery Simulator0.5 h/$
  88. 88Yes, Your Grace0.4 h/$
  89. 89Insomnia: Theater in the Head0.4 h/$
  90. 90[Chilla's Art] The Closing Shift | 閉店事件0.4 h/$
  91. 91Electrician Simulator0.3 h/$
  92. 92Unpacking0.2 h/$
  93. 93Initial Drift Online0.1 h/$

How the math works: we sample each game’s Steam reviewers, take the median of their total recorded playtime (lifetime hours, not hours at the time of review), and divide it by the game’s current price in your selected currency. Reviewers usually sink more hours in than the average owner, so the numbers run generous. Free games aren’t listed because there’s no price to divide by, and a game needs playtime data from at least 20 reviewers before it qualifies. All prices are Steam’s own regional prices, never exchange-rate conversions.