There is, in fact, a very heated debate on whether or not simulators that stay true to form are actually games. With the argument being, they are either toys or simulators.

"I had fun playing with it" isnt exclusive to games, as a ball is not a game but I would gladly throw it against a wall for hours by myself with some music.

But lots of people would likely shit on an attempt to rebrand those things as "video toys" when the distinction is largely only relevant to people studying design, so the heated debate is mostly between academics and pedants.