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

parts

9 mechanics, as SimTower does them

core · 4

space & construction

Building placement

Floors and tenant units are placed on a side-view grid; tenant type and position set elevator demand.

agents & behavior

Daily schedules

Office workers, residents, shoppers, and hotel guests travel at different times of day, creating rush periods at lobbies.

progression & goals

Milestone unlocks

Population and conditions advance the tower from one to five stars and then to Tower status, each step unlocking facility types.

logistics & networks

Service queues

Tenants wait at elevator lobbies; long waits raise stress, and stressed tenants move out.

supporting · 5

agents & behavior

Agent pathfinding

People route between floors by elevators, escalators, and stairs.

risk & failure

Random disasters

Terrorist bomb threats with a ransom or search, fires, and pest infestations.

economy & finance

Treasury and budget

Rent and sales income fund construction.

space & construction

Vertical layers

Up to 100 floors above ground and 9 below; standard elevators span 30 floors, express elevators the full height.

core loop

build floors, lobbies, and elevators -> place offices, condos, hotels, and shops -> tenants travel by elevator on daily routines -> long waits raise stress and drive tenants out -> rent and population raise the star rating -> unlock new facilities

design notes

SimTower turns a building into a vertical transit problem: standard elevators span up to 30 floors and express elevators the full height, so the player designs shafts, sky lobbies, and stops to keep queues short as the tower grows toward 100 floors above ground and 9 below. Tenant stress, not money alone, gates the star rating from one to five and finally the Tower rating, which needs a cathedral on top. Events such as a terrorist bomb ransom, VIP visits that can unlock a star, fires, and pests interrupt the routine.

appears in

the paper, 2 sections
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

sources

1
Wikipedia contributors (2026). SimTower. Wikipedia

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-catalog-gacatalog
2026-10-24
reviewed2026-10-24-review-fixesmaintenance