Simulators are one of the earliest PC game genres, and remain compelling experiences to this day, even if they're not as popular as they used to be.
I like all kinds of combat flight sims; the MS Combat Flight Simulator from 1998 was something special, and I've had some similar fun in IL-2 Sturmovik. The newest civil air sims are pretty great too, I'll pop on a podcast and make a flight. They're particularly cool in VR.
I've also found the MechWarrior games to be fun, but I've only played 2 and 5. I got to play a bit of Steel Battalion with the full crazy controller at a con a few years back, and that's got to be a lot of fun once you really know what you're doing.
So what's your favorite sim?
Motor Town, Operation Harsh Doorstop, Easy Red 2, Sailwind, Hydroneer, Liftoff!, Shredders, Old Market Simulator, Cold Waters Dot Mod, Nebulous Fleet Command, From The Depths, Helicopter Gunship DEX and Out Of Ore are all great "sims".
I also consider extremely mechanically deep rpgs with realistic systems like Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead or Unreal World to be simulators and both are superb.
I am trying out Ships At Sea but don't have enough experience yet to give a thumbs up or down yet on it (Check out Sailwind!).
Sailwind is a "sailing simulator" as in actual sailing!
Motor Town is amazing from such a small team. Great force feedback and VR support as well.
It isn't marketed primarily as a racing game or a high speed driving game, but it just feels so damn good I have put SO many urgent taxi job miles in that game it isn't even remotely funny.
I regret none of that time lol
I also love doing urgent taxi jobs and cruising in multiplayer while being around players doing radically different vibes of driving jobs.
It makes the whole driving experience so much more interesting than when everyone is just driving lamborghinis and ferraris are 200mph and the rest of the vehicles are AI. The map just ends up feeling "more alive" somehow in Motor Town, idk I love it.