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

parts

6 mechanics, as PC Building Simulator does them

core · 3

economy & finance

Contracts and orders

Customer requests, discount alerts, spam, and scams arrive in an inbox; accepted orders left unfulfilled are rejected, and timed jobs grow more common as the career advances.

operation & procedure

Diagnose and repair

Email jobs ask for virus removal, upgrades, fixes, or overclocking on customer PCs; the player opens the case, identifies the faulty or missing part, and swaps it.

space & construction

Modular assembly

PCs are assembled from licensed cases, motherboards, CPUs, coolers, GPUs, memory, and storage; part choice and installation details such as thermal paste decide whether and how well the machine runs.

supporting · 3

space & construction

Design performance rating

3DMark benchmarking scores built or repaired machines.

progression & goals

Milestone unlocks

Leveling up from job experience unlocks more advanced parts.

economy & finance

Treasury and budget

Monthly rent and electricity bills must be paid or the player incurs debt.

core loop

accept an email job -> order parts with a shipping tier -> open the case and diagnose or assemble -> install software, remove viruses, or overclock -> benchmark -> get paid -> pay rent and electricity -> unlock better parts

design notes

Parts are licensed real components with compatibility rules, and a machine's performance is measured with the real 3DMark benchmark, so a build's quality is an output of its parts rather than a designer-set score. Assembly has physical consequences: a CPU cooler mounted without thermal paste lets the processor overheat and fail. The career wraps this in a small business with monthly rent and electricity, accept-or-reject email jobs, and timed jobs that become more common later.

appears in

the paper, 2 sections · 2 chapters
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

named in the text

book
ch 6

Chapter 6. Five ceilings

linked from the text

book

sources

1
Wikipedia contributors (2026). PC Building Simulator. Wikipedia

provenance

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