‘It’s impossible to play for more than 30 minutes without feeling I’m about to die’: lawn-mowing games uncut

Lawn Mowing Simulator joins a long line of popular simulation games of real-life activities. But why trim fake grass? We ask some cutting-edge experts

There's a school of thought that insists video games are purely about escapism. Where else can you pretend you're a US Marine Force Recon (Call of Duty), a heroic eco warrior preventing a dodgy company from draining a planet's spiritual energy (Final Fantasy), or a football manager (Football Manager) - all from the comfort of your sofa?

But the antithesis of these thrills-and-spills experiences are the so-called anti-escapist games. Farming Simulator, PowerWash Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator - these hugely successful titles challenge the whole concept of interactive entertainment as something, well, exciting. Now we have what at first glance appears the most boring of all, Lawn Mowing Simulator.