New year, new games. Most people set all sorts of ambitious resolutions for the New Year, but realistically they'll be forgotten about in a few weeks. Why not aim for something more attainable and try to find some new games to play? You can learn a surprising amount of skills from video games, and while playing Farming Simulator 25 won't turn you into a real-life farmer, you can still pick up a few things if you play the right games.

If you're in need of some New Year's inspiration, give some of these games a try.

 

SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator

SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator is, well, a genius artist simulator that provides all the fun of realistic painting without any of the mess. If you're trying to brush up on your art skills, this is the game for you.

You're given a blank studio to run wild in, letting you spray paint the walls, spill paint on the floor, and even burn things with a flamethrower if you'd like. Your studio can be upgraded and expanded as you sell your art and fulfill requests, giving you an even larger canvas to work with.

There's a lot to love about SuchArt, and you can really hone your artistic skills if you use the tools the game gives you. There's even a free version called SuchArt: Creative Space that lets you test out some features in a sandbox environment.

 

Where Winds Meet

Getting sucked into a new MMO can be a huge detriment to your productivity, but you can actually learn quite a bit about Chinese history by playing Where Winds Meet. Sure, the over-the-top wuxia combat and storytelling may not be entirely historically accurate, but the game goes to great lengths to depict 10th-century China.

There are a wide variety of social activities to participate in—including online trivia with other players that'll help you learn about the Yellow Turban rebellion, Buddhist principles, and ancient Chinese warfare. You can also participate in historical social activities like Five Animal Frolics, a set of stretching exercises themed around specific animals. 

Where Winds Meet brings its time period to life in a truly impressive fashion, and you'll walk away from most play sessions knowing some new fun facts.

 

Football Manager 26

One of the most popular simulation games on the market, Football Manager 26 gives you total control of a soccer team that you can (hopefully) coach to victory. If you're looking to dominate your fantasy sports league this year, Football Manager 26 can help you learn the behind-the-scenes factors that play into a team's success.

This year's entry runs on a new engine with an overhauled presentation, making game days look more realistic than ever. Football Manager 26 is also the first game in the series to feature women's leagues, opening up countless possibilities for new champions to arise and storylines to unfold.

Even though it's specifically for soccer, Football Manager 26's lessons can be applied to any sport. It'll teach you how to read statistics and recognize diamonds in the rough that don't get the attention they deserve because they're overshadowed by bigger superstars.

 

PowerWash Simulator 2

No matter what you've got in store for next year, everyone can use a little more chill in their lives—and PowerWash Simulator 2 is the ultimate chill game.

Like the smash hit original, PowerWash Simulator 2 tasks you with cleaning muck and grime off a variety of fun locales. Cleaning up doesn't sound that fun on paper, but it only takes a few seconds with PowerWash Simulator 2 to understand why people like the game so much. It's like washing away your real world troubles.

While there is a campaign and a progression system, PowerWash Simulator 2 is really just a fantastic way to unwind and clear your mind after a long day, like a modern-day form of meditation.

 

Kerbal Space Program

Space travel is a very, very complicated process, and Kerbal Space Program wraps up the complex science in a cute little package to make it more approachable.

You'll fail often in Kerbal Space Program, but you'll learn valuable lessons about physics, aerodynamics, and other scientific principles even as your rockets explode. It's a super fun way to not only teach yourself some important skills and hone your mathematical abilities, but also to help you appreciate the unimaginable breakthroughs humanity made during the Space Race.

 

Sid Meier's Civilization VII

Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and while you may not be in charge of a major nation in the real world, it's still a good idea to learn about other cultures and their history. Enter Civilization VII, one of the most addictive strategy games you'll ever play.

The "just one more turn" nature of the series has kept fans glued to Civilization's tile-based maps for years, and Civilization VII is filled with a staggering number of historical references. Learn the names of famous philosophers, bask in the glory of ancient wonders, and memorize a new quote to wow your friends with every time you unlock a new technology. Civilization VII also features complex religious and cultural mechanics, showcasing the spread of religion, philosophies, and world views over the course of centuries.

Playing Civilization VII will broaden your horizons and make you a little more aware of historical contexts that are crucial to understanding our world today.

 

Satisfactory

Having trouble keeping things tidy and clean? Satisfactory is a relentlessly compelling way to practice your organizational skills.

You'll start out by constructing simple production lines to refine raw materials into basic goods. Those goods then enable you to create the next set of upgrades for your ever-expanding factory, and so on. Soon, you'll end up with a spiderweb of conveyor belts, elevators, and storage solutions powering your manufacturing empire.

It may seem silly at first to imply that Satisfactory can help you stay more organized in real life, but once you see how often you'll need to move things around or plan massive restructuring projects well in advance, you'll quickly realize that you can use those skills in your everyday life.