Chore Gaming

Titles which focus on or heavily feature mundane, repetitious tasks which would not typically be considered fun or game-like.

Intentionally excludes most X Simulator and management games.

American Truck Simulator
American Truck Simulator
The Crew but instead of seeing landmarks you drive between Wal-Marts in different states.
Brendan Keogh's Putting Challenge
Brendan Keogh's Putting Challenge
Deliberate focus on the parts of golf which are omitted from video games for good reason, including walking to your ball, buying more balls from the Pro Shop when you run out, and tidying the pits you make in the bunker.
Cart Life
Cart Life
Chibi-Robo!
Chibi-Robo!
Suggested by Nyo and Drax

Gameplay primarily consists of housework.
Densha de GO! 64
Densha de GO! 64
Suggested by maradona

Stand-in for entire series. Players take on the role of a conductor of a passenger train, adhering to strict rules. Some entries even include shisa kanko as a necessary mechanic.
Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor
Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor
Dyg
Dyg
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Euro Truck Simulator 2
The Crew but instead of seeing landmarks you drive between Lidls across different countries.
Foxhole
Foxhole
Groove Jigoku V
Groove Jigoku V
See: WTF: Work Time Fun
Hardspace: Shipbreaker
Hardspace: Shipbreaker
House Flipper
House Flipper
Kazoe Meshi
Kazoe Meshi
Landlord's Super
Landlord's Super
McDonald's Monogatari: Honobono Tenchou Ikusei Game
McDonald's Monogatari: Honobono Tenchou Ikusei Game
Every minigame involves some aspect of work at McDonald's: filling fountain drinks, calculating totals and change, flipping burgers, etc.
MudRunner
MudRunner
No More Heroes
No More Heroes
Suggest by Midrulean

Edge case: The player can take on various side jobs involving garbage pickup, lawn mowing, filling up cars with gas, and more, but this is not the primary focus of the game.
Papers, Please
Papers, Please
PowerWash Simulator
PowerWash Simulator
Ramen Oil Pecking Simulator
Ramen Oil Pecking Simulator
Rumu
Rumu
Edge case: central conceit is that you play as a robot vacuum cleaner but cleaning is not the focus of the game.
Shenzhen I/O
Shenzhen I/O
The only Zachlike on this list as it focuses exclusively on programming. TIS-100 is closer to a puzzle game with its restrictions and EXAPUNKS is effectively a strategy-puzzler.
SnowRunner
SnowRunner
TheHunter: Call of the Wild
TheHunter: Call of the Wild
Heavy emphasis on tracking and stealth; it took me an hour to find and shoot one deer, and another 45 minutes to actually finish it off.
Unpacking
Unpacking
Unpacking
Unpacking
Viscera Cleanup Detail
Viscera Cleanup Detail
Wilmot's Warehouse
Wilmot's Warehouse
WTF: Work Time Fun
WTF: Work Time Fun
Most minigames involve tasks which are intentionally unfun, such as putting caps on pens, counting passersby, and finding golf balls.
Wurm Online
Wurm Online

7 Comments


1 year ago

Densha de go, specially 64, because of Nasubi
https://youtu.be/_FoFSDrEqjs

1 year ago

Chibi Robo?
Would No More Heroes count?

5 months ago

Technically Super Mario Sunshine, and definitely PowerWash Simulator.

5 months ago

Stardew! (Good list!)

5 months ago

Oop I missed that PowerWash was already there

5 months ago

Most of every Animal Crossing game could be considered chores


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