Happy April's fools! Today I'm... not reviewing retro sims. Well, not quite. This is a post containing 7 desktop sim games I've found that won't get their own review. They don't quite fit my definition of the genre, but are still worth playing.
Some of these games were made for game jams and therefore might receive lower ratings (due to development time limit). However, if I rated a game 3/5 here, it probably means I rated it 5/5 on itch.io. Why? Because if I included it at all, it's a well-made game that's at least worth checking out.
Aperature XP
A small casual game about clearing your desktop from zip bomb files. Made in 72 hours for Ludum Dare 42. Some of the graphics aren't great, and at least copyright-free music/sound effects would be appreciated, but hey! 72 hours! Pretty solid game for one play.
Out of Control Flow
Now that's a good hacking simulator if I've ever seen one. Actually educational and based on real exploits! If you're into cybersecurity, you have to check this out. Oh, and it's also made for GMTK-2020: "Out of control". So, sadly, it's very short. What a bummer, I'd buy a full version.
Home Safety Hotline
While creepy on the surface, it's actually quite a silly game. It has some effective analogue horror, but most of it was just too funny to take it seriously. That's probably on purpose, but I've gotta warn you anyway. Really good game, amazing art and voice acting, but don't expect too much.
Internet Court
Internet Court is a FMV game about, well... judging strangers on the Internet. Its humor was okay, but didn't quite land with me. It feels like a fun friend project, not something made by professional actors, so no hard judgement. Everyone involved probably had a lot of fun, and for that already, I'm glad this game was made.
99 Floppies on the Floor
99 Floppies on the Floor is an escape game... set entirely in your file system. It's closer to a very creative CTF task than to an actual game, but even if you're not into CTF, you should play it! It doesn't require any special computer knowledge. A shame we never got a full version.
VSCS-I
VSCS-I is a comedic terminal hacking game. It's just the kind of puzzle I like: one where you'll have to get your notepad ready. Just like a couple of the previous ones, it has a CTF-y vibe to it, which I love. Overall, a fun little game. It also has a sequel, which is going to get its own review!
KAPUTCHIP
KAPUTCHIP is a voxel stealth game where you play as a malware inside a Windows 95 computer. The idea is fun, and some of the late-game content (don't worry, it's only 15 minutes long) is very creative, but to see it, you'll need to get through so many bugs and confusion. It's worth checking out, but I'd rather not play it again.