History DuelingWorks / SandboxSimulation

** '''Capsule Pitch Description:''' Farming simulation games with life sim elements.
** '''Implementation:''' ''Light of Hope'' is a title in the long-standing ''Harvest Moon'' series, however it's an InNameOnly example because the original series is now localized under ''Story of Seasons''. The title is largely a MissionPackSequel of the previous Natsume titles. ''Stardew Valley'' is a {{retraux}} SpiritualSuccessor to the franchise that started out as a FanGame. It was created by one fan and first released on Steam before later going multi-platform.

* ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons2014'' (2014) / ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonTheLostValley''

* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon: Connect to a New World (VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons)'' (2014) / ''[[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Harvest Moon]] [[SuperTitle64Advance 3D]]: [[VideoGame/HarvestMoonTheLostValley The Lost Valley]]'' (2014)

** '''Implementation:''' ''Harvest Moon: Connect to a New World'' was picked up for localization by Creator/XSeedGames instead of the usual Natsume, and was retitled ''Story of Seasons'' since they did not have the rights to the Harvest Moon name. Meanwhile, Natsume announced that they were putting out their ''own'' ''Harvest Moon'' game, not connected to the rest of the franchise, exclusively for the US market... this time taking inspiration from ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}.''

** '''Implementation:''' VideoGame/AnimalCrossing is considerably older, being a UsefulNotes/Nintendo64-originated series. While VideoGame/AnimalCrossing is a straight-to-the-point life simulator, Magicians Quest incorporated magical elements and your goal is set in a WizardingSchool

** '''Implementation:''' [=ArtePiazza's=] ''Innocent Life'' focuses on the android protagonist's journey to restore peace to an island and become more than JustAMachine. [=NeverLand's=] ''Rune Factory'' follows many of the familiar tropes of the ''Harvest Moon'' series, while also adding swords and sorcery to the mix. ''IL'' started out on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, while ''RF'' was released on the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS.

** '''Implementation:''' Set in Chicago, ''Watch_Dogs'' is an open-world game that is built around the concept of information warfare. The protagonist, Aiden Pearce, has the ability to hack into devices linked to the city's central operating system, allowing him access to cell phones, bank accounts, and traffic lights, among many others. While ''Grand Theft Auto V'' doesn't focus on information, it also focuses on social issues that affect 21st century Americans. Notably, ''Watch_Dogs'' was originally going to be a launch game for the much-ballyhooed UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 (with ports to other platforms being released later), while ''GTA V'' stayed put with the seventh-gen consoles.

!! Main: [[DuelingWorks/{{Games}} Dueling Games]]

!! Navigation: [[DuelingWorks/FirstPersonAndThirdPersonShooters Shooters]] | [[DuelingWorks/FightingGame Fighting]] | [[DuelingWorks/{{Pinball}} Pinball]] | [[DuelingWorks/PlatformGame Platfomers]] | [[DuelingWorks/RacingGame Racing]] | [[DuelingWorks/RolePlayingGameEastern Eastern RPG]] | Sandbox Sim | [[DuelingWorks/GamesCrossGenre Cross-Genre]]

** '''Implementation:''' ''Cyberpunk 2077'' takes place in the fictitious Night City, being developed by CD Projekt as early as 2012, while ''Watch Dogs: Legion'', taking place in a futuristic UsefulNotes/London is the third installment in the ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' series, and announced in 2019 by Ubisoft. Meanwhile, Creator/{{Gameloft}}'s ''Gangstar: New York'', set in a futuristic BigRottenApple / New York City, began development after the release of ''Gangstar: New Orleans''.

** '''Capsule Pitch Description:''' WideOpenSandbox games taking place in an UrbanHellscape.
** '''Implementation:''' ''Cyberpunk 2077'' takes place in the fictitious Night City, being developed by CD Projekt as early as 2012, while ''Watch Dogs: Legion'', taking place in a futuristic UsefulNotes/London is the third installment in the ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' series, and announced in 2019 by Ubisoft. Meanwhile, Creator/{{Gameloft}}'s ''Gangstar: New York'', set in a futuristic BigRottenApple/New York City, began development after the release of ''Gangstar: New Orleans''.

** '''Implementation:''' ''Cyberpunk 2077'' takes place in the fictitious Night City, being developed by CD Projekt as early as 2012, while ''Watch Dogs: Legion'', taking place in a futuristic UsefulNotes/London is the third installment in the ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' series, and announced in 2019 by Ubisoft. Meanwhile, Creator/{{Gameloft}}'s ''Gangstar: New York'', set in a futuristic [[BigRottenApple/New York City]], began development after the release of ''Gangstar: New Orleans''.

** '''Capsule Pitch Description:''' OpenWideSandbox games taking place on an UrbanHellscape.
** '''Implementation:''' ''Cyberpunk 2077'' takes place in the fictitious Night City, being developed by CD Projekt as early as 2012, while ''Watch Dogs: Legion'', taking place in a futuristic UsefulNotes/London is the third installment in the ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' series, and announced in 2019 by Ubisoft. Meanwhile, Creator/{{Gameloft}}'s ''Gangstar: New York'', set in a futuristic New York City, began development after the release of ''Gangstar: New Orleans''.

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|| Initiator || Imitators || Description || Implementation || Winner? ||
|| ''VideoGame/SimCity'' (1989) || ''City Life'' (2006)\\
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''VideoGame/CitiesXL'' (2009) || WideOpenSandbox and strategy-based city building games that often have [[MemeticMutation some quirkiness]] to them. || The first known ''VideoGame/SimCity'' game was made in 1983, but failed due to nobody wanting to buy into the idea. It would then be released again in 1988/1989 by Maxis in which the series would begin to grow. Monte Cristo's ''City Life'' was a bit similar, except instead of simply just trying to balance a budget and simple economy, ''City Life'' also made you have to balance social order within the city. ''VideoGame/CitiesXL'' was much the same. || ''VideoGame/SimCity'', while only having five true sequels, manages to win the duel in the sense that it was able to deliver more of what the fans wanted and is still alive and kicking thanks to a thriving [[GameMod mod community]] nearly 10 years after the fact, whereas ''City Life'' pretty much has been a disappointment outside of the gameplay. ''VideoGame/CitiesXL'', meanwhile, receives a new ExpansionPack every year. Recently a new ''VideoGame/SimCity'' game has come out, and garnered over a million sales in a very short time, despite having a very buggy launch and being savaged by bad press. However, said ''[=SimCity=]'' was also a contributing factor that killed it's developer, Maxis, and the latest game from the franchise is a greedy microtransaction moneygrab. Many predict that said ''[=SimCity=]'' will be the last- see ''[=SimCity=]'' (2013) vs ''Cities XXL and Cities: Skylines below''. ||
|| ''VideoGame/ThemePark'' (1994) || ''VideoGame/RollerCoasterTycoon'' (1999) || {{Space Management Game}}s designed around building theme parks. || ''VideoGame/ThemePark'' is the TropeMaker of theme park-oriented strategy games, whereas ''VideoGame/RollerCoasterTycoon'' is the TropeCodifier. || ''VideoGame/RollerCoasterTycoon'' was a runaway commercial and critical success, spawning several sequels with numerous expansion packs. ''VideoGame/ThemePark'' still receives a sequel every now and then, but is largely obscured by its rival. ||
|| ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon1'' (1996) || ''VideoGame/ShepherdsCrossing'' (2008) || Games where the player [[CallToAgriculture tends to a farm.]] || ''Harvest Moon'' focuses on growing crops and fostering good relationships with neighbors, while ''Shepherd's Crossing'' focuses more on raising and trading animals. || ''Shepherd's Crossing'' is a ''very'' obscure series, with only two budget-priced games to its name (one on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and another on the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS). While neither of them is terrible, they've been overshadowed by the much [[VideoGameLongRunners longer-running]] ''Harvest Moon'' franchise. ||
|| ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series (1997) || ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series (2006) || Sandbox crime games. || ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' was developed to take advantage of the long Indian Summer between the releases of ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas San Andreas]]'' and ''GTA IV''. || ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' and ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' (especially ''IV'') have both received wide critical acclaim, being considered as some of the best games of their respective generations. The first ''Saints Row'', while well received, often gets bashed for being a knock-off. ''Saints Row 2'', however, is often held to be the point where the franchise [[GrowingTheBeard grew the beard]], with even some longtime ''GTA'' fans crossing over (choosing to go in a more over-the-top direction, a la ''San Andreas'', compared to ''GTA IV'''s [[DarkerAndEdgier realistic drama]] may have helped). Both of them have also been sales successes, though ''GTA'' edges out here. ||
|| ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'' (2002) || ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours'' (2006) || A gangster ByronicHero in 1980s Miami gets betrayed by his boss and plans to rule the city with his own gang. Both games owe much of their story and stylistic influence to the classic '80s gangster picture ''Film/{{Scarface|1983}}'', with the latter being a fully-licensed sequel to the film. || ''Vice City'' came out first, and its success paved the way for the latter game. ''The World is Yours'', meanwhile, introduced several gameplay innovations that Creator/RockstarGames would later copy for ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV''. || ''Vice City'' by a mile, though ''The World is Yours'' also did rather well for itself. ||
|| ''VideoGame/{{Mafia}}'' (2002) || ''VideoGame/TheGodfather'' (2006) || WideOpenSandbox game where you play as a gangster in the 1930s-1940s. || The first ''Mafia'' title predated the first ''Godfather'' game by four years, but ''The Godfather'' got its sequel out a year before ''Mafia'' did. ''The Godfather'' also has [[Film/TheGodfather a classic film license]] behind it. || Both the first ''Mafia'' and ''Godfather'' games enjoyed roughly equivalent sales and review scores. However, ''Mafia II'' was also well-reviewed while ''The Godfather II'' was a total bomb, so as a franchise, ''Mafia'' wins out. ||
|| ''Singles: Flirt Up Your Life'' (2003) || ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' (2004) || WideOpenSandbox [[SimulationGame Life Simulation]]s that center around relationships. || ''VideoGame/TheSims'' series is rated T while ''Singles'' is HotterAndSexier and carries an AO rating. The two titles were released in the same year, with ''Singles'' being released a few months before ''Sims 2''. The game is also considerably more realistic looking than ''VideoGame/TheSims''. || ''VideoGame/TheSims'' is thriving with a large fanbase and many new games and expansions, while ''Singles'' only has two. ''Singles'' is largely considered a knockoff of ''The Sims''. ||
|| ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}'' (2005) || ''VideoGame/JustCause'' (2006) || Both the original and the sequel in both of the series are sandbox games in which you destabilize a corrupt regime led by an evil dictator. How? Blowing everything up. || ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}'' focuses more on huge air strikes to be called in at will, ''VideoGame/JustCause'' is like one giant action movie, with car surfing, [[GunsAkimbo Dual Wielding]], grappling hooks, you name it. || The sequel to ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}'' was an incredibly hyped game, but rampant bugs and a generally unpolished feel resulted in a huge disappointment for many. ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]'', on the other hand, was received well by reviewers, and has sold, as of 2012, 3 million copies, with a developer-supported online multiplayer mod on the PC. ||
|| ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing Wild World'' (2005) || ''VideoGame/MagiciansQuestMysteriousTimes'' (2008) || Handheld life simulators centered around cute SuperDeformed graphics and anthropomorphic animals. || VideoGame/AnimalCrossing is considerably older, being a UsefulNotes/Nintendo64-originated series. While VideoGame/AnimalCrossing is a straight-to-the-point life simulator, Magicians Quest incorporated magical elements and your goal is set in a WizardingSchool || ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'', no doubt. It had a huge following already due to the previous installments, and had three sequels. ''Magicians Quest'' is considered a case of FollowTheLeader and has been heavily criticized due to the fact they "copied" a first-party game. The game is mainly known due to the fact you can date, and date [[GayOption the same gender]] too. However, ''Mysterious Times'' did fairly well in Japan and had a sequel there, so it wasn't a complete failure. ||
|| ''VideoGame/InnocentLifeAFuturisticHarvestMoon'' (2006) || ''VideoGame/RuneFactory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon'' (2006) || ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' spinoffs set in futuristic and fantasy settings, respectively. || [=ArtePiazza's=] ''Innocent Life'' focuses on the android protagonist's journey to restore peace to an island and become more than JustAMachine. [=NeverLand's=] ''Rune Factory'' follows many of the familiar tropes of the ''Harvest Moon'' series, while also adding swords and sorcery to the mix. ''IL'' started out on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, while ''RF'' was released on the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. || ''Rune Factory'' won easily, as it stuck more closely to the traditional ''Harvest Moon'' formula than ''Innocent Life'' did. It would eventually grow into its own series, while ''Innocent Life'' has largely been forgotten (aside from a UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 UpdatedRerelease). ||
|| ''VideoGame/{{InFamous}}'' (2009) || ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' (2009) || WideOpenSandbox games with [[StockSuperpowersIndex superpowers]] and BigBrotherIsWatching ParanoiaFuel where you try to {{Escape From The Crazy|Place}} BigApplesauce while [[OntologicalMystery figuring out what the hell is going on]]. || ''[=inFamous=]'' encourages the player to [[ContemplateOurNavels contemplate the use and abuse of power every five seconds]], and its star is [[ShockAndAwe electric]]. ''Prototype'' encourages the player to slice and dice [[SociopathicHero anyone and anything in your path]], or just [[CannibalismSuperpower eat them]]. || Though both good, ''[=inFamous=]'' had better review scores and ''Prototype'' better sales (being multi-platform). As for their sequels, ''VideoGame/{{InFamous 2}}'' had good sales and reviews, leading to a [[VideoGame/InfamousSecondSon PS4 sequel]], while ''VideoGame/{{Prototype 2}}'' was a ContestedSequel with poor sales that [[FranchiseKiller killed the franchise]] and nearly killed [[CreatorKiller the developer]]. ||
|| ''Videogame/RedDeadRedemptionUndeadNightmare'' (2010) || ''Videogame/YakuzaDeadSouls'' (2011) || Both are AlternateContinuity games based off of WideOpenSandbox games in which the outlaw protagonist suddenly finds himself in the middle of a ZombieApocalypse. || CoolVersusAwesome made manifest in both cases: A yakuza bruiser fighting zombies, or an Old West gunslinger. Both were released approximately the same time, too. || Depends on where you live. ''Dead Souls'' is bigger in Japan, while ''Undead Nightmare'' wins out in the West. ||
|| ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' (2011) || ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' (2011) || {{Wide Open Sandbox}}es featuring blocky graphics, random level generation, and underground gameplay. || ''Minecraft'' is 3D, ''Terraria'' is 2D. Both feature RPG elements, though ''Terraria'' has more emphasis on them from the beginning of its life and ''Minecraft'' steadily gained more and more as it updated. || ''Minecraft'' has sold more than 12 million units on PC/Mac alone since the alpha stages, and received widespread critical acclaim upon official release. ''Terraria'', however, still did rather impressively, selling at least 3 million since release with highly positive reviews and remaining one of the most-played games on Steam, and eventually ported to consoles as well. ||
|| ''VideoGame/LANoire'' (2011) || ''VideoGame/{{Driver}}: [[VideoGame/DriverSanFrancisco San Francisco]]'' (2011) || WideOpenSandbox games released in 2011 where you play as a police officer in a {{period|Piece}}[=/=]{{retro|Universe}} UsefulNotes/{{California}} city. || ''Noire'' is set in an accurately-detailed and researched 1947 UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, while ''Driver'' is set in a UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco with modern technology and vehicles [[RetroUniverse but an otherwise heavy '70s aesthetic]]. ''Noire'' is heavily focused around the process of police investigation, while the ''Driver'' series' strength has always been its car chases, something that looks to remain true here. This is also a continuation of the Rockstar/Reflections rivalry that began in [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII 2001]]. || In the long run, ''Driver''. While ''Noire'' got rave reviews and over three million sales, the massive backlash towards Team Bondi with the allegation of poor working condition, high turnover rate, removing people who quit partway from credits, and endless delays that eventually destroyed the relationship between Rockstar and Team Bondi eventually causing the studio to be unable to secure funding for its next game, and the studio went belly up. ''Driver'', though, has also gotten good reviews and decent sales, and has helped to restore its franchise's respectability (which it had previously squandered with the execrable ''[=Driv3r=]'') in the eyes of most critics and gamers. That, and Ubisoft Reflections still continue to make games. ||
|| ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' (2011) || ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}'' (2016) || 2D {{Wide Open Sandbox}}es featuring blocky graphics, random level generation, and underground gameplay. || Where ''Terraria'' is mainly Fantasy, ''Starbound ''is Sci-Fi. || Time will tell, while ''Terraria'''s final update has been released, ''Starbound'' is still constantly being updated. ||
|| ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' (2013) || ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' (2013) || Sandbox crime games that continue the rivalry between the franchises. || ''Saints Row IV'' continues to send the series [[DenserAndWackier off the rails]], with the addition of an AlienInvasion and super powers. ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is somewhat less serious than the DarkerAndEdgier ''GTA IV'' was, but still is much more grounded than ''Saints Row IV''. Notably, the games are being released within a month of each other, the closest release date between the two franchises. || ''GTA V'', easily. Both games sold rather well (''Saints Row IV'' was the best selling game of August 2013), but ''GTA V'' sales blew ''SR'' out of the water, with over $800 million in first day sales and as of 9/22/2013 has outsold all 4 Saints Rows combined. Notably, ''GTA V'' is currently the more preordered game of all time. Both games received critical acclaim, but ''GTA V'' has received near universal perfect scores, whereas ''SR IV'' mostly got [[FourPointScale 8s and 9s]]. ||
|| ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' (2013) || ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' (2014) || Sandbox crime games set in today's world. || Set in Chicago, ''Watch_Dogs'' is an open-world game that is built around the concept of information warfare. The protagonist, Aiden Pearce, has the ability to hack into devices linked to the city's central operating system, allowing him access to cell phones, bank accounts, and traffic lights, among many others. While ''Grand Theft Auto V'' doesn't focus on information, it also focuses on social issues that affect 21st century Americans. Notably, ''Watch_Dogs'' was originally going to be a launch game for the much-ballyhooed UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 (with ports to other platforms being released later), while ''GTA V'' stayed put with the seventh-gen consoles. || ''GTA V'' was easily 2013's biggest game, thanks to its universal critical acclaim and extremely high sales. It also has the honor of currently being the most preordered game in ''history''. After several delays, ''Watch_Dogs'' was released in 2014 as the most preordered eighth generation game thus far. While its reception was overall positive, the critics had more mixed opinions regarding the game. It also received hefty backlash from the gaming community for [[PortingDisaster its poor PC port]], its dated graphics ([[NeverTrustATrailer which look nothing like what was shown on the trailers]]), and its similarity to Ubisoft's other games (the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' franchise in particular). Furthermore, the [=UPlay=] DRM was giving many players issues due to, to the surprise of no one, server overloading. ''GTA V'' is the indisputable winner of this one. ||
|| ''VideoGame/SimCity'' [[VideoGame/SimCity2013 (2013)]] || ''[[VideoGame/CitiesXL Cities XXL]]'' (2015)\\
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''VideoGame/CitiesSkylines'' (2015) || City-building simulators released in TheNewTens || ''[=SimCity=]'' was developed by long-running big name developer Maxis and published by Creator/ElectronicArts, and was an online-connected reboot for the beloved series. ''Cities XXL'', released in February 2015, was developed and published by French company Focus Home Interactive, and is the fourth game in its series. ''Cities: Skylines'', released in March 2015, is the third game by Finnish developer Colossal Order (who previously developed the ''VideoGame/CitiesInMotion'' games) and is published by Creator/ParadoxInteractive. || ''[=SimCity=]'' had initial good sales, but its server problems at launch caused quite a big fandom backlash, as players weren't able to play the game offline. The smaller city sizes and absence of some notable features found in the series' past games were also poorly-received. ''Cities XXL'' was released to poor reception, due to the developer not adding enough new features compared to past ''Cities XL'' games (and whatever ''is'' new could've been added in a much cheaper expansion pack), while still containing various bugs and performance issues that have lingered on in the series. ''Cities: Skylines'', on the other hand, was released to critical and commercial acclaim, with critics and gamers saying that it mostly got right what 2013's ''[=SimCity=]'' got wrong. Thus, it seems that ''Cities: Skylines'' won in the long run; ''[=SimCity=]''[='=]s fanbase continues to shrink and Maxis' Emeryville studio was closed in March 2015. ''Cities XXL''[='=]s userbase has quickly dwindled to virtual non-existence, as by the month after its release, players on Steam have quickly flocked to ''Cities: Skylines'' and either abandoned playing or entirely skipped over ''Cities XXL'' altogether. ||
|| ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon: Connect to a New World (VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons)'' (2014) || ''[[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Harvest Moon]] [[SuperTitle64Advance 3D]]: [[VideoGame/HarvestMoonTheLostValley The Lost Valley]]'' (2014) || 3DS games in the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' franchise... wait, what? || ''Harvest Moon: Connect to a New World'' was picked up for localization by Creator/XSeedGames instead of the usual Natsume, and was retitled ''Story of Seasons'' since they did not have the rights to the Harvest Moon name. Meanwhile, Natsume announced that they were putting out their ''own'' ''Harvest Moon'' game, not connected to the rest of the franchise, exclusively for the US market... this time taking inspiration from ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}.'' || ''Connect to a New World''/''Story of Seasons'', for the same reason that ''Rune Factory'' trounced ''Innocent Life'' in its match-up--it felt a lot closer to the spirit of the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' series than its competition. This is, of course, due to being the ''actual'' continuation of the series (translated from the Japanese ''Bokujou Monogatari'' game), whereas Natsume's ''Harvest Moon'' is largely InNameOnly and was criticized by fans of the original. However, when it came to finding the game in brick-and-mortar stores, the ''Harvest Moon'' brand name recognition won out; many large retailers didn't carry ''Story of Seasons'' - not that this stopped ''Story of Seasons'' from outselling ''The Lost Valley'' by nearly four times. ||
|| ''VideoGame/DragonQuestBuilders'' (2016) || ''VideoGame/PortalKnights'' (2016) || ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''-style games with built-in RPGElements. || ''DQ Builders'' takes place after the DownerEnding of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'' where you restore the continents destroyed by the BigBad. ''Portal Knights'' is an original property that deals with the player(s) restoring the connections between a series of {{Floating Continent}}s. || ''DQ Builders'' has a better Metacritic score (82 to ''Portal Knights''' 75), and eventually got [[VideoGame/DragonQuestBuilders2 a sequel]], but ''Portal Knights'' has a wider potential reach, having been released on more platforms. ||
|| ''VideoGame/StarBound'' (2016) || ''VideoGame/NoMansSky'' (2016) || Travel from planet to planet, sucking up resources to keep going. || Starbound has more base-building, while No Man's Sky requires constant refueling/recharging in a survival mechanic. Many weird randomized aliens involved. || ''Starbound'' by a long-shot. Despite many similarities the end focus was different for each; ''Starbound's'' base building made it closer to Terraria, and thus becoming more praised; while ''No Man's Sky'' encouraged and required mapping out huge distances, becoming a negative point in the game's reception. In addition, the latter suffered a one-two-three punch of average critic reception and being '''''ripped to shreds''''' by gamers; not to mention the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen many features promised]] became [[DummiedOut downplayed or even removed]] in the final product, leading to a massive BrokenPedestal moment for both Hello Games and Sean Murray himself as the latter figure being branded as a liar. Not helping matters for ''NMS'' was both ports received [[PortingDisaster massively broken versions]] on the level of ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'', only intensifying the flames of backlash; with an ever-diminishing fanbase of ''NMS'' due to these three massive flaws. (even the fanbase suffers from FanDumb, sending ''death threats'' [[HePannedItNowHeSucks to anyone who says anything negative]] towards the critics and user reviewers) In short, ''Starbound's'' simplistic nature led it to a victory in this matchup. ||
|| ''VideoGame/RollerCoasterTycoon World'' (2016) || ''VideoGame/PlanetCoaster'' (2016)\\
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''VideoGame/{{Parkitect}}'' (2016)\\
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''Theme Park Studio'' (2016) || {{Space Management Game}}s designed around building theme parks released in the mid-2010s. All four are based on games in the ''RCT'' series and contain Steam Workshop support. || ''[=RollerCoaster=] Tycoon World'' is the fourth main installment in the popular ''RCT'' series; the first in over a decade. Developed by Nvizzio Creations, it is released after two poorly-received portable spin-offs. ''Planet Coaster'' is developed by Creation/FrontierDevelopments, who developed ''[=RollerCoaster=] Tycoon 3'', and is definitely a SpiritualSuccessor to that game. ''Parkitech'' is developed by an indie developer called Texel Raptor. Funded via Website/{{Kickstarter}}, their game is a GenreThrowback to the first two ''RCT'' games, although it is rendered in 3D like its two competitors and comes with a few new features of its own. ''Theme Park Studio'' is developed by Pantera Entertainment and was also funded via Kickstarter like ''Parkitect''. Similar to ''RCT 3'' in design, the game has some features including VR support and the ability to walk around the parks as a guest. || All four games were released via Early Access. ''Planet Coaster'' and ''Parkitech'' both received warm reception so far, each carving their own unique niches among different types of ''RCT'' fans old and new. The same can't be said for the actual ''RCT'' game. ''RCT World'' went through some serious DevelopmentHell, changing developers multiple times, and at one point Atari released a heavily-panned teaser trailer of an earlier version of the game. Although it was delayed again, it was later released on Early Access to poor reception, with many players calling the incredibly buggy game ugly. Some players even TookAThirdOption by buying ''Planet Coaster'' and ''Parkitech'' while skipping ''RCT World''. ''Theme Park Studio'' didn't receive as much attention as the other three. It was fully released in December 2016 to mixed reception on Steam, with reviewers saying that, although the VR support is nice and it is better than ''RCT World'', it isn't as good as either ''Planet Coaster'' or ''Parkitect''. ||
|| ''VideoGame/StardewValley'' (2016) || ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonLightOfHope'' (2017) || Farming simulation games with life sim elements. || ''Light of Hope'' is a title in the long-standing ''Harvest Moon'' series, however it's an InNameOnly example because the original series is now localized under ''Story of Seasons''. The title is largely a MissionPackSequel of the previous Natsume titles. ''Stardew Valley'' is a {{retraux}} SpiritualSuccessor to the franchise that started out as a FanGame. It was created by one fan and first released on Steam before later going multi-platform. || ''Stardew Valley'' was a surprise SleeperHit, hitting a million downloads on Steam alone within a few weeks and becoming one of the most talked about titles of the year. It's been released on Steam, [=PS4=], Xbox, and Switch. In contrast, ''Harvest Moon: Light of Hope'' has had a very poor critical reception due to its mediocre graphics, uninspired characters, and it seeming like a retread. It has also been OvershadowedByControversy both because of a poor reveal of one of its new love interests and because of its InNameOnly status. ||
|| ''VideoGame/SeaOfThieves'' (2018) || ''VideoGame/SkullAndBones'' (2020) || Multiplayer pirate games. || ''Sea of Thieves'' was announced in 2015 as the first non-Kinect title by Creator/{{Rare}} in nearly a decade, features a stylistically cartoon-esque art style, and takes place in a fantasy world that deliberately plays every pirate cliche straight. ''Skull and Bones'' was announced by Creator/{{Ubisoft}} as the SpiritualSuccessor to the acclaimed ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'', is set in a real world 1700s in the West Indies, deliberately avoids cliches, and is much more grounded in reality. ''Thieves'' features on-foot exploration, while ''Bones'' focuses solely on naval combat. || To be decided. ||

''VideoGame/CitiesXL'' (2009) || WideOpenSandbox and strategy-based city building games that often have [[MemeticMutation some quirkiness]] to them. || The first known ''VideoGame/SimCity'' game was made in 1983, but failed due to nobody wanting to buy into the idea. It would then be released again in 1988/1989 by Maxis in which the series would begin to grow. Monte Cristo's ''City Life'' was a bit similar, except instead of simply just trying to balance a budget and simple economy, ''City Life'' also made you have to balance social order within the city. ''VideoGame/CitiesXL'' was much the same. || ''VideoGame/SimCity'', while only having five true sequels, manages to win the duel in the sense that it was able to deliver more of what the fans wanted and is still alive and kicking thanks to a thriving [[GameMod mod community]] nearly 10 years after the fact, whereas ''City Life'' pretty much has been a disappointment outside of the gameplay. ''VideoGame/CitiesXL'', meanwhile, receives a new ExpansionPack every year. Recently a new ''VideoGame/SimCity'' game has come out, and garnered over a million sales in a very short time, despite having a very buggy launch and being savaged by bad press. However, said ''[=SimCity=]'' was also a contributing factor that killed it's developer, Maxis, and the latest game from the franchise is a greedy microtransaction moneygrab. Many predict that said ''[=SimCity=]'' will be the last- see [=SimCity=] (2013) vs Cities XXL and Cities: Skylines below. ||

|| ''VideoGame/DragonQuestBuilders'' (2016) || ''VideoGame/PortalKnights'' (2016) || ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''-style games with built-in RPGElements. || ''DQ Builders'' takes place after the DownerEnding of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'' where you restore the continents destroyed by the BigBad. ''Portal Knights'' is an original property that deals with the player(s) restoring the connections between a series of {{Floating Continent}}s. || ''DQ Builders'' has a better Metacritic score (82 to ''Portal Knights''' 75), but ''Portal Knights'' has a wider potential reach, having been released on more platforms. ||

|| ''VideoGame/{{InFamous}}'' (2009) || ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' (2009) || WideOpenSandbox games with StockSuperpowers and BigBrotherIsWatching ParanoiaFuel where you try to {{Escape From The Crazy|Place}} BigApplesauce while [[OntologicalMystery figuring out what the hell is going on]]. || ''[=inFamous=]'' encourages the player to [[ContemplateOurNavels contemplate the use and abuse of power every five seconds]], and its star is [[ShockAndAwe electric]]. ''Prototype'' encourages the player to slice and dice [[SociopathicHero anyone and anything in your path]], or just [[CannibalismSuperpower eat them]]. || Though both good, ''[=inFamous=]'' had better review scores and ''Prototype'' better sales (being multi-platform). As for their sequels, ''VideoGame/{{InFamous 2}}'' had good sales and reviews, leading to a [[VideoGame/InfamousSecondSon PS4 sequel]], while ''VideoGame/{{Prototype 2}}'' was a ContestedSequel with poor sales that [[FranchiseKiller killed the franchise]] and nearly killed [[CreatorKiller the developer]]. ||

|| Initiator || Imitators || Description || Misc. || Winner? ||