I think we all should post one game at a time to keep the conversation going.
The first The Sims People Simulator and it's expansions,
I usually hated real time strategy games at that time, but this PC and expansion series that followed is much more than just a life strategy, there was truly no game even remotely similar I believe back in the year 2000.
If you have not played the sims on PC well, lets put it this way. you create a bunch of families or person, than you control there movements, their career the finances, their love life, and on top of the gameplay, the game lets you buy and customize your own home.
if you have all of the expansions, then you can build your own city from the ground up and take your characters to your custom buildings. And take them out to eat or shopping, or on a vacation. (etc)
think Sandbox RPG. With a hint of real time strategy involvedYea I admit I'm a guy, and I love the first 3 The Sims People Simulator series of games and expansions on the PC. The same day I turned 13 years old. My sisters dad brought me a copy of the original PC base game, I didn't know what to expect.
I thought it was the best game ever at the time. I would invite my friend in my house to play the sims, and I was obsessed. for years about this game. I even told a friends parent and my social worker and they ended up buying the series at launch they loved it too.