one dataset · paper, tables, graph, wiki
simgrammar the grammar of simulation

parts

7 mechanics, as House Flipper does them

core · 3

economy & finance

Contracts and orders

Neighbors send email jobs (cleaning, painting, installing heaters, showers, or air conditioners, furnishing) whose pay depends on job size and quality.

economy & finance

Customer value choice

Each property has potential buyers with different needs, such as cleanliness or a family room, who bid according to how well the renovated house suits them.

operation & procedure

Surface work tools

Paint roller, mop, window cleaner, and plaster tool apply coverage to walls, floors, and windows with visible progress; tiling and demolition use the same direct tool loop.

supporting · 4

agents & behavior

Agent skills

Using tools earns experience that is spent on tool upgrades that speed up work.

economy & finance

Auctions

Sales are resolved by buyers bidding at auction.

space & construction

Building placement

Furniture, doors, windows, and wallpaper from a catalog are placed freely.

control & automation

Direct avatar control

core loop

take email jobs for cash -> buy a rundown house -> clean, demolish, paint, tile, furnish -> buyers evaluate fit and bid -> sell at a profit -> buy bigger properties

design notes

Each property is judged by a small set of buyer profiles with requirements such as cleanliness or a family room, and their auction bids reward matching a profile rather than maximizing generic quality. Labor is performed with coverage tools (paint roller, mop, window cleaner, plaster tool) that show visible progress, and tool use earns experience spent on faster tools. Email jobs paid by size and quality supply the capital for the first purchase.

appears in

the paper, 2 sections · 2 chapters · 1 episode
paper

5. The structure of the design space

linked in this section of the paper

paper
paper

Appendix A. Game catalog

linked in this section of the paper

paper
catalog

The catalog

listed with its year, developer, subgenre, and number of mechanics

book
ch 3

Chapter 3. Old parts

linked from the text

book
ch 4

Chapter 4. Families

linked from the text

book
ep 3

Families across genres

on screen at 3:08 odd couples

episode

sources

2
Wikipedia contributors (2026). House Flipper. Wikipedia
(2026). House Flipper on Steam. Steam

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-catalog-gfcatalog