Civilization may be to learn about diplomacy and nation building (except for Ghandi)

Cashflow - for learning the basics of investing in real estate for passive income

There are car mechanic games, unsure of names

Surgery games, unsure of names

There is a government sim where you have to enact policies and maintain the economy, again I can't remember the name

Forza or Gran Turismo for racing sims

Flight sims

GTA5 is a pretty good nigger simulator

Edit: Maybe Fallout would be relevant for our near future

Any good consumer $50 flight simulator will actually teach you how to fly almost any plane. Microsoft flight simulator for example.

Truck driving simulators also are very good.

There are also sailing and shipping Sims.

Yes, but they aren't particularly fun to play. Not in a traditional sense. They feel like work because they are.

Spacechem comes to mind.

Redstone in Minecraft teaches programming concepts.

Puzzle games of all kinds teach you to think in different ways.

There are games that teach languages, games that teach you how to operate machinery.

There is an entire genre dedicated to creating assembly lines and mechanical systems.

Here's the catch though. Most people don't find these things to be fun. Not in an action-y or exciting way. Maybe they appeal to you though.

Knowledge that can be applied to real life in a skill-based, practical sense would likely be limited mostly to the "simulator" games as noted; truck driving, flight, mechanic. "Edutainment" is how they can be classed I believe.

Those are primarily interactive educational material in a more relatable medium for the modern age over strict 'book-learning' and are quite useful for helping to become familiar with a subject without the costs and dangers involved with the real thing. And of course that can also be used simply for entertainment.

However, they would likely be best used in an educational sense as an introductory or supplemental to hands-on education in those areas. I expect few could jump right from a few thousand hours exclusively 'playing' a truck driving or flight sim to operating a real rig on the road or plane in the air without any issues, let alone 'playing' a mechanic sim and then rebuilding a transmission in a garage first try without any issues.

There are of course other game types -especially MMORPGs- which can help from a financial/economical sense in that many games involve currency, trading and markets and can provide some useful skills in that arena. They are quite useful for gaining understanding of supply and demand, of different markets of necessities and frivolities, as well as how different services relate to and even rely upon each other through systems thinking. Some players treat MMORPGs as market simulators and just stand in front of traders/auction houses all day who become the equivalent to millionaires without having ever left the starting area from day 1.

There are also the more philosophical games that present complex situations and poke at questions regarding the nature of consciousness and of reality itself, which can also help with understanding other people and the world and thus useful in real world interactions with people and our environment.

Many strategy games can help you with resource management and decision making. I use the lessons I"ve learned every day. Like when to "go with the army you have" rather than wait for the army you wish you had.

Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros Treasure on the Wii. Fundamental diagnostics and problem solving skills.

More specifically:

"-When you can't find a solution go through this check list: Are there any animals or people that may be able to transform? Will this animal react to another animal? Have I tried using Wiki as a bell? Is there another way to use this tool? Have I tried all available tools? Where else might I find a hidden tool? Have I tried the dumb solution? EG clicking an animal that is out of reach"

Same with "Myst: Masterpiece Edition".

World of Guns: Gun Disassembly

Also, Dance Dance Revolution so you can get that exercise in. Exercise is valuable, if you can make it fun, however gay it is, shit counts.

My summer car simulator you have to fix a car. It's more accurate than you would think.

It's not billed as educational but it can be in a silly way.

Surprised nobody has mentioned it yet:

Portal

'Videopoker.com'.