Simulators that don't hold your progress hostage

The thing that ruins a lot of mobile simulators is the timer. You build something, then wait four hours, or pay to skip the wait. It's exhausting and it has nothing to do with good design.

Offline sims tend to be healthier because they can't rely on that trick. When everything happens while you play, the game has to make the actual playing fun. Skyport Tycoon is a nice example; the sim keeps ticking in session, not on a real-world clock.

I look for games where closing the app doesn't cost you anything. A good sim should pause when you leave and be exactly where you left it when you return.

My tip for getting into a management sim is to pick one small goal per session. Finish one expansion, balance one budget, then stop. These games are relaxing when you treat them that way and stressful when you try to optimise everything at once.

There aren't many of these done well, but the ones that are become long-term keepers.