Welcome to Engine Simulator!

It's perhaps best known for its ability to generate sound. Unlike most racing games which require recorded audio samples from real engines, all of the sound in Engine Simulator comes directly from the physics! There is no trickery and no fakery, just pure simulation. While some simplifications are needed for real-time performance the goal is to avoid "hacks" or fakery of any kind to make this simulation as realistic and pure as possible.

In this announcement, I'll try to answer some of the frequently asked questions about this project. I welcome all of you on this journey!

How can I get development updates?

I will be posting updates here on Steam, however, this project mostly lives on YouTube and Discord. I document major game updates on my YouTube channel "AngeTheGreat" and all devlogs (development logs) are published in this video playlist.

My most recent video covers some of the major improvements I've made to the simulation:

What exactly is this? Is it a game or a simulation?

It's more accurate to call Engine Simulator a simulation rather than a game. It is a rigid body mechanical simulation combined with a one-dimensional fluid simulation (which is standard for engine simulations in the automotive industry). It is a pure sandbox with no traditional gameplay elements, though this may change in the future. It is a "real" simulation. I define a simulation as a computer model of a real-world process that has predictive capability. It is not guesswork or a giant lookup table of real-world engine data, but instead a physically-based model that real engineers would use.

What can it do?

You can design your own engine configurations, run them in real-time and also interact with them just like real engines. Imagine placing cylinders, pistons, a crankshaft and other components, starting your engine and tuning it while it's running all while hearing what your creation might sound like. All of this is possible in Engine Simulator. Beyond this, Engine Simulator allows you to record audio samples at a higher quality that ordinarily would not be possible in real-time due to the extreme computational requirements. So even with modest hardware, you can still enjoy the game and hear your engine creations via the offline renderer.

Will it be script-based?

If you're new to this project, this may seem like a peculiar question. To understand the context, it's important to know that this is not the first engine simulation I've made. The original prototype was first revealed on my YouTube channel:

This is the original Engine Simulator. This was a very primitive application, meant to be a proof-of-concept of real-time engine simulation technology. It's completely free to download and I even released most of its source-code. The main issue with this application is that it had no graphical user interface and all engines had to be specified textually using a scripting interface. The new Engine Simulator does away with this and replaces it with a modern graphical user interface (think of applications like Blender or games like Automation). This user interface is currently in development. The screenshots of the game on the store page (as of November 7, 2025) are taken from a prototype version and are not representative of how the final game will appear.

Will this application be free?

Unfortunately, no. I've released a lot of free software in the past including the original Engine Simulator and Steam Engine Simulator so I understand why many people would think this will also be free. However, I've put in far too much time and effort into this project and I wouldn't feel right giving it away for free. I strongly support open-source projects and community funded development but I've gone through the numbers and I just don't think it makes sense for this project.

To me, it seems much simpler and more honest to use a responsible amount of crowdfunding via Patreon to get the project off the ground, then sell the application here on Steam for a reasonable price. I haven't decided on the exact price yet but it will likely be in the 10-20 USD range. I try to be as transparent as possible when it comes to finances. My Patreon income is publicly visible on the Patreon page and I do not operate the Patreon with the intention of generating revenue, but rather as a means to pay for development costs and help me get to a successful release.

All Patreon members who have contributed more than the game's release price (the vast majority) will receive a Steam key for free.

Is an engine simulation like this even possible?

Engine Simulator is not revolutionary. Engine simulators have existed in the automotive industry for decades. It is a well-researched area. I am not doing anything out of the ordinary and just following in the footsteps of the great minds who have forged this field starting in the early 20th century. In other words, yes, simulations like this are absolutely possible and I have already demonstrated multiple functional engine simulations that produce lifelike audio. They are real and not vague ideas or lofty promises that I won't be able to deliver on.

The real magic of Engine Simulator is not the technology itself, but rather the accessible package that the technology is presented in. It takes professional-grade simulation technology that was previously inaccessible to the general public and makes it easy and fun to use. The core simulation is quite mature right now, as can be seen in my last update video. What remains is building the interface for people to interact with this simulation.

When will Engine Simulator release?

I don't know yet. I know that this is a disappointing answer, but it is the honest truth. I prefer to work at my own pace and produce high quality software without compromises. This takes time and sometimes it's hard to stick to a definite schedule. To offset some of the uncertainty, I provide frequent development updates to keep the community informed. Discord is the best place for this but I'll also post here on Steam and on my YouTube channel.

Who are you?

My name is Ange and I am the sole developer of this project. I worked as a professional software developer for around 6 years before transitioning to game development full-time. While I have no formal training in automotive engineering, I have always been obsessed with engines and have a lot of real-world experience building and fixing them. This project is the perfect intersection of all of my interests and a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

How can I support the project?

I am currently well-funded via Patreon and sales of my previous game project so further crowdfunding is not needed at this time. You can support me for free by watching my YouTube videos, playing Steam Engine Simulator and wishlisting Engine Simulator here on Steam. Wishlists are extremely useful as they allow me to gauge interest and let Steam know that this is a project people are interested in. If you would like a more behind-the-scenes view and other perks like having your name at the end of my videos (and eventually in the game's credits), you can join the Patreon. As I said before though, this project is fully funded so the Patreon is not intended as a platform for early-access sales or generating profit. Everyone is welcome but I recommend only joining if you're truly passionate about the project.

Thanks everyone!

I really appreciate your support and I'm excited to be working on this! If you have any questions at all please post them in the comments section of this announcement and I will answer them as soon as I can.