Loading Screen Simulator doesn’t even tell you what you’re trying to download, but the mystery is a part of the charm.
The gameplay is simple: you play on a computer interface, where you can use a variety of apps to either kill time or improve the loading speed. You can spam the earn money button to purchase the apps.
According to the game’s Steam trailer, it seems like Loading Screen Simulator originally developed as a joke idea, but ended up being approved by users on Steam Greenlight.
Steam users love this game— on the store page, it has over 1,000 positive reviews after being out for only two days.
While many people may find loading screens frustrating, I found this game zen and calming. The music app plays a pleasant track, and you can play pong while you wait for it to load. There is also a command prompt button, where you can solve riddles to speed up the loading time.
For my playthrough, I bought all the apps as quickly as possible, though I couldn’t tell if they really had an impact on cutting down the loading time. I spent 40 minutes of my Sunday afternoon waiting for something to load. While I won’t give away what loaded at the end, I will say it was adorable, and worth the wait.
You can get the game on Steam for free.