Ship Graveyard Simulator is a great ship-breaker simulator that offers tons of fun for players who want to experience one of the most difficult jobs in the world. While the game may not be as detailed as some would like it to be, it is still pretty well-made and offers quite a bit of enjoyment for players of every age.
The game is set in a coastal shantytown where low-skill workers risk their lives to salvage precious metals from ships with only basic tools and no PPE. There’s money to be made, but the ramshackle village setting can be a little disheartening. You arrive in this shantytown with a sledgehammer and a truck, setting up a small business conveniently located next to a 24/7 market dealer and a tool proprietor. There’s room nearby to expand, with a forge – used to create new, more desirable, alloys and compounds – and a rickety worker barracks soon introduced once a cashflow is established.
The gameplay loop involves searching the small open world for scrap metals and other resources such as oil. This won’t generate much cash, however. The big money is in harvesting a ship for all its worth, but this requires a small outlay – ships are provided on a day-to-day basis, ordered via an old desktop computer. Tools ‘level up’ through use, improving their efficiency, and locations such as the shop can be upgraded to hold more stock. Your character also amasses more inventory space over time.
Overall, Ship Graveyard Simulator is not an exciting game, but it has its merits. If you like mining and selling loop, then it’s for you. The game may not be challenging in the slightest but it is addictive and relaxing. There are no game overs but you can go unconscious if you cut through explosive materials.
The only incentive to keep playing is the lure of being able to ‘order’ larger ships to dismantle which in turn bring in more moolah. Presumably, the developers felt that the addition of new tools would help induce some much-needed variety but again the majority are slow and awkward to use. In conclusion Ship Graveyard Simulator is not for everyone and needs more technical work but if you like mining and selling loop then it’s for you. It offers an interesting look into one of the most difficult jobs in the world and provides an enjoyable experience for those who enjoy simulation games.
