With the power of simulation video games, developers have the ability to take places you’ve never been, to experience things you could never see for yourself… or to simply replicate a mundane chore most people dread I suppose. Lawn Mowing Simulator is the answer I’m not positive anyone asked of, “Can the virtual experience of mowing a lawn be better than the real thing?” The answer I guess is in the eyes of the player.

For those who haven’t already lost interest, in many ways as these sorts of simulations of mundane tasks from real life go, the game works pretty well. The main attraction would likely be the game’s career mode where you’ll be able to start up your own scrappy little landscaping company, and aside from setting up the name, logo, and other beginner details you’ll need to purchase your first mower. This is actually one area where the game does a good job of forcing you to review your options carefully. A mulching mower is convenient, since it deals with trimmings in the most effortless way, but it can be prone to overheating. Bagged mowers are certainly clean, but will have you going back to empty them periodically, which can be a distraction. You could use a side or rear discharge model, but then you’ll have to be very mindful of where the clippings are going, since clients will be upset if they get thrown into their gardens. Even the simple concern of being sure debris is cleared before proceeding, in order to avoid running into anything and potentially damaging your equipment, is covered.

Now, from a practical standpoint all of that minutia shows attention to detail, but it also could help point out the very plodding nature of the experience. You’ll need to be concerned with the specific height of the grass you cut, methodically mow along the edge of beds without disturbing them, and carefully ensure that you’re accounting for pretty well every blade to complete your jobs for maximum rewards. That takes some focus and care, which doesn’t necessarily make this as easy a pairing for relaxation as I’ve seen suggested. This would be hard to do well while giving it only a fraction of your attention, it’s all too easy to run over the client’s begonias if you’re not giving your mower’s course your best efforts.

All things considered, the game’s greatest strength could also be seen as a weakness, and that’s the fact that it shows a great deal of care in accurately representing the concerns of properly creating a lawn mowing business. After taking the wheel to build up a happy client base and some steady revenue, you’ll be able to buy new equipment and even hire additional people to help. You can always opt to do the job yourself when you want, but how you proceed is up to you. While this may all seem like a terrible bore to some gamers, I could see where to others it could be an oasis of calm predictability.